This poem came to me while driving to work. Not the most convenient time to have a poem come to my head, but I'm still here, so I guess I survived.
The Path
Many will stumble from the path,
And few will make it to the end,
But lost in thought I’ll wonder on,
I’ll travel ‘round the bend,
Where this road takes I’ll never guess,
I’ll journey on this lifelong quest,
Now Summer turns to Autumn,
and Autumn into cold,
Then Springtime comes with life,
And that life is mine I’m told.
English Vintner
Monday, 25 July 2011
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Job
Well, I now have a part time job, 5-6 hours a day, 5 days a week. It is at the Stone Table where I have been interning for the last 4 months. The pay is reasonable, $8 an hour plus tips. The tips pay for the 62mile round trip it takes to get there and back.
I am now looking for a vehicle, I've found one that looks reasonable, 11 years old, everything is good on it, but the price is $4400, a little more than I was looking at...but...it is a good truck, that price is reasonable for what he is asking, according to KBB (Kelley's Blue Book).
Coffee. I have everything ready but the beans and the bags. I hope to order them this Friday when I get in my pay check from Matthew. It has been hard finding bags that are resealable and have a valve and are not too expensive. I am planning on buying beans from where I have been buying them, but would like to upgrade to cheaper beans by buying them in 66lb bags.
Bees. I don't know if I have said on here but, we finally got bees. My older brother has been sharing the load 50-50 to 60-40% for feeding the bees everyday. We have four hives, feeding them a gallon of syrup a day just about. They have filled up the first super with honey, brood, and pollen, we added another super. I downloaded a moon and planet calendar that tells what different days are. I know that told you nothing, so if you want to learn more, go to lunarorganics.com .
Well, life is more than it was expected. I didn't think I would be getting a part time job like this before now, I didn't think I would be looking for a vehicle this soon either. So, life is good, God is good. I've been having fun hanging out with my brothers playing games at night which has been nice. And I'm looking forward to our vacation the second week of August, when we'll be going to GA to see our cousins and go camping!
English Vintner
I am now looking for a vehicle, I've found one that looks reasonable, 11 years old, everything is good on it, but the price is $4400, a little more than I was looking at...but...it is a good truck, that price is reasonable for what he is asking, according to KBB (Kelley's Blue Book).
Coffee. I have everything ready but the beans and the bags. I hope to order them this Friday when I get in my pay check from Matthew. It has been hard finding bags that are resealable and have a valve and are not too expensive. I am planning on buying beans from where I have been buying them, but would like to upgrade to cheaper beans by buying them in 66lb bags.
Bees. I don't know if I have said on here but, we finally got bees. My older brother has been sharing the load 50-50 to 60-40% for feeding the bees everyday. We have four hives, feeding them a gallon of syrup a day just about. They have filled up the first super with honey, brood, and pollen, we added another super. I downloaded a moon and planet calendar that tells what different days are. I know that told you nothing, so if you want to learn more, go to lunarorganics.com .
Well, life is more than it was expected. I didn't think I would be getting a part time job like this before now, I didn't think I would be looking for a vehicle this soon either. So, life is good, God is good. I've been having fun hanging out with my brothers playing games at night which has been nice. And I'm looking forward to our vacation the second week of August, when we'll be going to GA to see our cousins and go camping!
English Vintner
Thursday, 7 July 2011
This poem sort of came to me spontaneously. Half of it I don't know what it means. About halfway through I felt like I was writing this for my sister, so I'm dedicating it to her.
I can’t tell you what it means to me,
I can’t tell you why you’re me for me,
I can’t tell you what you are for me,
I can’t tell you why I am.
Like a friend you’re there for me,
Like a brother you’ve given me,
Like a slave you’ve done for me,
But I can’t tell you why I am.
Something more than what it seems,
Something more than love for me,
Something more than friends we’ll be,
But I can’t tell you why I am.
I’m always glad to see you’re face,
Something like amazing grace,
Why, I’ll never know the reason,
But I can’t tell you why I am.
Dedicated to my sister Londa.
English Vintner
I can’t tell you what it means to me,
I can’t tell you why you’re me for me,
I can’t tell you what you are for me,
I can’t tell you why I am.
Like a friend you’re there for me,
Like a brother you’ve given me,
Like a slave you’ve done for me,
But I can’t tell you why I am.
Something more than what it seems,
Something more than love for me,
Something more than friends we’ll be,
But I can’t tell you why I am.
I’m always glad to see you’re face,
Something like amazing grace,
Why, I’ll never know the reason,
But I can’t tell you why I am.
Dedicated to my sister Londa.
English Vintner
Monday, 4 July 2011
Peru Mission Trip
The mission trip I was on last week was to Peru. It was an amazing week, spending time with people from church, spending time with the missionaries, with the peruvians, and getting to know the Maddux's better (I met Shelby at BWSC 2 years ago). I believe God used us to plant a seed where we were working, showing the neighborhood what a christian is like. Our main purpose as we worked in construction and the medical team was to bring the peruvians to the churches, that when we left they would attend the church, growing the church stronger in Peru. Below and following posts are from my journal that I kept during my time there.
Friday June 24 We drove (Londa, Papa and I) with mama to the DeBoers arriving at 3:30pm. We drove down to the church with Mr and Mrs DeBoer. We arrived at 4:15pm loaded our baggage into two vehicles and went into the fellowship hall to have a devotional, prayer, sing, and discuss the plans of the trip.
We left the church around 5:00pm in two vehicles and headed to the airport. We arrived, checked in our carry on, went through security and waited at our gate. We played Up and Down the River with Londa, Papa, Kevin and I. After we finished that game Mr DeBoer started teaching us a Dutch card game. It was at that point we heard that our flight was delayed several hours. About 30 minutes later we were told the flight was canceled due to thunderstorms in Miami. So, after realizing that we couldn’t get a later flight that night we headed back to the church and for most of us, back to our own beds.
I went home and Isaiah and Josiah were watching Clash of the Titans. So, I stayed up until 11:50pm watching that, eating homemade pizza and doughnuts, and opening my new coffee roaster and trying to read the instructions manual. I roasted my first batch of coffee after the movie and set up my Mill and Brew coffee maker I had just bought for the morning.
Saturday June 25 3.5 hours later I woke up at 4:07am, got dressed, got some coffee and we were on our way to the DeBoers. We arrived all of us at 5:15am at the church, left again to the airport with the same vehicle arrangements.
We arrived and soon found out the flight to Miami was full. So, we found out that the flight to Ft. Lauderdale was open and checked into that flight. We got to Ft. Lauderdale and got in three rented cars and drove 20 minutes to Miami airport. We got in and checked in for a 7:15pm flight to Lima Peru. We got to Peru around 12:00am, got picked up by Alleen who took us through to where we would depart at 6:15am to Trujillo Sunday morning.
I have edited it once when I was typing it from my hand written journal, excuse any other errors found in it.
muchas gracias,
English Vintner
Friday June 24 We drove (Londa, Papa and I) with mama to the DeBoers arriving at 3:30pm. We drove down to the church with Mr and Mrs DeBoer. We arrived at 4:15pm loaded our baggage into two vehicles and went into the fellowship hall to have a devotional, prayer, sing, and discuss the plans of the trip.
We left the church around 5:00pm in two vehicles and headed to the airport. We arrived, checked in our carry on, went through security and waited at our gate. We played Up and Down the River with Londa, Papa, Kevin and I. After we finished that game Mr DeBoer started teaching us a Dutch card game. It was at that point we heard that our flight was delayed several hours. About 30 minutes later we were told the flight was canceled due to thunderstorms in Miami. So, after realizing that we couldn’t get a later flight that night we headed back to the church and for most of us, back to our own beds.
I went home and Isaiah and Josiah were watching Clash of the Titans. So, I stayed up until 11:50pm watching that, eating homemade pizza and doughnuts, and opening my new coffee roaster and trying to read the instructions manual. I roasted my first batch of coffee after the movie and set up my Mill and Brew coffee maker I had just bought for the morning.
Saturday June 25 3.5 hours later I woke up at 4:07am, got dressed, got some coffee and we were on our way to the DeBoers. We arrived all of us at 5:15am at the church, left again to the airport with the same vehicle arrangements.
We arrived and soon found out the flight to Miami was full. So, we found out that the flight to Ft. Lauderdale was open and checked into that flight. We got to Ft. Lauderdale and got in three rented cars and drove 20 minutes to Miami airport. We got in and checked in for a 7:15pm flight to Lima Peru. We got to Peru around 12:00am, got picked up by Alleen who took us through to where we would depart at 6:15am to Trujillo Sunday morning.
I have edited it once when I was typing it from my hand written journal, excuse any other errors found in it.
muchas gracias,
English Vintner
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Thoughts and Ramblings
I sit here in the woods, waiting to see the sunrise, 6:28am Tuesday the 21st of June. I am doubtful though, because the sun seems shrouded by a thin layer of clouds. It is good to be back in the woods. I often find some relief from business in the garden, but there is something about being in the woods, in the wild, back with nature. Something draws me to it, like it is God’s sanctuary, a safe but wild place to be. Like Aslan, he’s not a tame lion, the woods are not tame, but I find comfort in them, peace and quiet. While I was on my way into the woods I saw a deer, it quickly ran from me, making a barking noise as it ran from me. I presume that it had another friend/s with it and thus the noise, to warn them of me. Aha, I can see the sun peaking through the clouds. It is not as red as I like my sunrise, but all the same it is there. A bright orange gold, brilliantly piercing through the clouds. I can’t look at the sun any more as the clouds can no longer hold back the light.
I have my coffee, brewed strong as usual. I drink it for the taste more than anything else I have realized. I guess that is a good reason for starting a coffee roasting business. Speaking of which, I spent without the cost of beans $655. That includes a digital 11lb scale, burr coffee grinder, roaster, and 10 bags. The scale was around $42, the grinder, $78, roaster $495, and the bags came out to $.70 a piece. On all these I have spent hours to days researching them, reading what other customer had to say. At the last minute I picked this roaster. The main thing keeping me from buying it was the fact it as $200 more than the other one. The other roaster could roast more, but could not roast them as dark. However, I have talked with several people who say they like a dark roast and, I am very glad I made the switch. I should get most of the items this week or next, and within 3 weeks should be roasting and selling. I am looking into roasting at a Farmers Market. When I upgrade to a better roaster I will be able to bring it to the Farmers Market’s and roast on site using propane.
I have been thinking lately, especially since BWSC; Am I ready to got out and be a man? Sure, I can work hard enough, that is not what I am talking about. More, am I ready to lead a family? Answer the question of my child? It got me thinking about it and I have since started reading some books that seem helpful. I want to be ready to answer the questions of a wife and children and so I have started educating myself in the way of somewhat ‘theological’ books among others. To me the question that the world would put to me: "are you ready?" I could answer yes. Yes I can find a job, or have a job, and if that be the case they would say I am a success. But I am not ready in the other ways, at least not yet. I will be trying to do a bit more reading on these subjects in the years following, preparing myself. I found it quite awakening at this last conference, and I am glad that I could go. And so I go humbly and prayerfully to my God and ask wisdom in these spiritual matters, that I might be ready and equipped for what He has for me.
English Vintner
I have my coffee, brewed strong as usual. I drink it for the taste more than anything else I have realized. I guess that is a good reason for starting a coffee roasting business. Speaking of which, I spent without the cost of beans $655. That includes a digital 11lb scale, burr coffee grinder, roaster, and 10 bags. The scale was around $42, the grinder, $78, roaster $495, and the bags came out to $.70 a piece. On all these I have spent hours to days researching them, reading what other customer had to say. At the last minute I picked this roaster. The main thing keeping me from buying it was the fact it as $200 more than the other one. The other roaster could roast more, but could not roast them as dark. However, I have talked with several people who say they like a dark roast and, I am very glad I made the switch. I should get most of the items this week or next, and within 3 weeks should be roasting and selling. I am looking into roasting at a Farmers Market. When I upgrade to a better roaster I will be able to bring it to the Farmers Market’s and roast on site using propane.
I have been thinking lately, especially since BWSC; Am I ready to got out and be a man? Sure, I can work hard enough, that is not what I am talking about. More, am I ready to lead a family? Answer the question of my child? It got me thinking about it and I have since started reading some books that seem helpful. I want to be ready to answer the questions of a wife and children and so I have started educating myself in the way of somewhat ‘theological’ books among others. To me the question that the world would put to me: "are you ready?" I could answer yes. Yes I can find a job, or have a job, and if that be the case they would say I am a success. But I am not ready in the other ways, at least not yet. I will be trying to do a bit more reading on these subjects in the years following, preparing myself. I found it quite awakening at this last conference, and I am glad that I could go. And so I go humbly and prayerfully to my God and ask wisdom in these spiritual matters, that I might be ready and equipped for what He has for me.
English Vintner
Monday, 13 June 2011
Composting
Here is an essay I wrote recently.
Putting the Compost back into Gardening
Traditionally fertilizer was known as manure, compost, and kitchen food scraps. These were taken to a designated place and allowed to decompose into compost. The result is the best thing you can add to any soil anywhere. It is the foundation of organic gardening.
It was not until the 1800s that a German scientist found out that Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium were the ‘foundation blocks’ of plant growth. Since then with the industrial revolution we have turned to making ‘fake’ Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium and using only those three elements to grow our plants on.
We have depleted our soils of all nutrients and seek to make up for it by adding merely these three elements, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The result is a soil deficient of all but these three elements.
The problem with plants grown solely in soil with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is that plants do not get the micro nutrients and elements that they need. Thus the plant becomes sick and nature does its best to eliminate it. Ever wonder why now we need to use all these pesticides to farm, but for generations before us they didn’t have to? Think back to the big change in agriculture, when farmers went from using manure and sustainable sources of fertilizer to using commercially made synthetic fertilizers. We soon had to come up with pesticides to fight back the numerous pests that inflicted damage to our crops. The more we used the pesticides the more the bugs fought back. The fight continues today.
What can we do about it? Go back a few generations and look at the way your Grandfather farmed. The waste of the animals was collected and composted along with kitchen waste and other sources of compost material. The following year it was spread on the farmland and produced abundant crops.
We have to restore to our soil what has been taken out of it for the past 100 years as we have taken everything out of it and have only added a few elements back to it. It will take years in some cases to restore to the soil what has been taken out, but it can be done.
The solution? Compost. Start a compost pile. Collect the bags of leaves put out by the side of the road. Portion off a part of the farm or garden and grow a green manure crop on it every year. As individuals we can make a difference in the agricultural community.
English Vintner
Putting the Compost back into Gardening
Traditionally fertilizer was known as manure, compost, and kitchen food scraps. These were taken to a designated place and allowed to decompose into compost. The result is the best thing you can add to any soil anywhere. It is the foundation of organic gardening.
It was not until the 1800s that a German scientist found out that Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium were the ‘foundation blocks’ of plant growth. Since then with the industrial revolution we have turned to making ‘fake’ Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium and using only those three elements to grow our plants on.
We have depleted our soils of all nutrients and seek to make up for it by adding merely these three elements, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The result is a soil deficient of all but these three elements.
The problem with plants grown solely in soil with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is that plants do not get the micro nutrients and elements that they need. Thus the plant becomes sick and nature does its best to eliminate it. Ever wonder why now we need to use all these pesticides to farm, but for generations before us they didn’t have to? Think back to the big change in agriculture, when farmers went from using manure and sustainable sources of fertilizer to using commercially made synthetic fertilizers. We soon had to come up with pesticides to fight back the numerous pests that inflicted damage to our crops. The more we used the pesticides the more the bugs fought back. The fight continues today.
What can we do about it? Go back a few generations and look at the way your Grandfather farmed. The waste of the animals was collected and composted along with kitchen waste and other sources of compost material. The following year it was spread on the farmland and produced abundant crops.
We have to restore to our soil what has been taken out of it for the past 100 years as we have taken everything out of it and have only added a few elements back to it. It will take years in some cases to restore to the soil what has been taken out, but it can be done.
The solution? Compost. Start a compost pile. Collect the bags of leaves put out by the side of the road. Portion off a part of the farm or garden and grow a green manure crop on it every year. As individuals we can make a difference in the agricultural community.
English Vintner
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Deep Bed
Monday afternoon I went above the fence, marked out where I needed the sweet potato bed and I started digging while my brother Jedidiah hacked with a scythe. I got it started, but it was hard to make good head way with so many roots. Tuesday morning I got up at 6am and worked for 2 hours digging a bed. I started in the middle, dug down 18-24 inches and got about 12ft long by 4ft wide. (Today my right shoulder is quite sore!) This evening I dug another 3ft wider and leveled off some ground and added it to the bed.
I picked my first cucumber Tuesday, and picked 2 more today. I picked 2 more zucchinis today.
My sweet potatoes I planted, most are doing pretty well.
With the help of my cousin (who is incredibly strong!) and brothers we got the fridge down into the greenhouse. Now I just have to dig the hole and put it in.
I picked my first garlic today. The stem was about 5/8". The bulb was close to 3 inches diameter, maybe 2.5". I think I will wait before picking any more though. I want to make sure they are done growing. I am surprised at how fast they grow. I wonder why you plant in the fall, is it for a sooner crop? Do they not grow as well in the heat? I'll do some more research and figure out all of the questions. : )
English Vintner
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Sweet Potatoes
At the end of April I ordered 100 sweet potato slips and a packet of basil seeds from Gurney's Seeds. Two days later they said the shipped the basil seeds. To this day I have not received them, either they got lost in the mail, or some miscommunication is going on, which wouldn't surprise me. Around May 12 I emailed them about the basil, they said they had shipped it. A couple days later I asked them to refund the sweet potatoes, as I had found a better place that seemed better and would ship them sooner. They refunded me on the sweet potatoes, and I ordered from Tatormans.
Yesterday I received a box of sweet potato slips from Gurneys. So, apparently they refunded me and then shipped them, they are not the best with communication. Anyway, last night I cut down vetch and weeds I had growing in a bed, spaded it over, ran it over with a hoe, watered it with 40 gallons of water, sprayed Sea-Crop on it, and set black plastic over it. I cut holes in the plastic and proceeded with frustration to insert the slips. It was harder than I thought it would be, but I planted 63 plants, roughly a foot a part.
This morning I planted the rest of them in a bed I had soybeans growing.
I am getting 125 plants from Tatormans, so I will have to find more room to put them in. My sweet potato harvest should be quite large this year if they do well!
English Vintner
Yesterday I received a box of sweet potato slips from Gurneys. So, apparently they refunded me and then shipped them, they are not the best with communication. Anyway, last night I cut down vetch and weeds I had growing in a bed, spaded it over, ran it over with a hoe, watered it with 40 gallons of water, sprayed Sea-Crop on it, and set black plastic over it. I cut holes in the plastic and proceeded with frustration to insert the slips. It was harder than I thought it would be, but I planted 63 plants, roughly a foot a part.
This morning I planted the rest of them in a bed I had soybeans growing.
I am getting 125 plants from Tatormans, so I will have to find more room to put them in. My sweet potato harvest should be quite large this year if they do well!
English Vintner
Thursday, 19 May 2011
News of the Garden
Well, it has been a few days since I was on here. Life has been busy, but has gotten less complex since my brother starting working for my dad again and so I have fewer days to work, and more days to do school. I am enjoying doing math on a more regular basis, and reading through history is exciting.
I haven't gotten up as early the last couple days as I wanted to, but I guess I should have gone to bed earlier if I wanted to get up earlier.
Today I went down to the garden, and enjoyed a sunrise, something I haven't seen more than about two of in the last two weeks! It has been rather cloudy, and for the last two weeks has rained almost everyday. We've probably gotten 5-8 inches of rain in the last two weeks! Tuesday we had a flood warning, two creeks were within a foot of flooding (one creek was 11.5ft and the other 8.5ft high). All that to say, I haven't gotten a lot done in the garden lately.
My romaine lettuce is about done, I'm letting the slower heads and less diseased looking ones go to seed (I did that last year and grew all my head lettuce from seeds I saved). The rest were also bolting, and we ate some, but today I threw the rest in the compost pile. It is a pity the season for lettuce is so short here. If I could find a better place closer to the creek and in shade it might help, but I haven't figured out how to do that.
My leaf lettuce is getting big, I have a patch coming up that will be the last until fall I assume. This fall/winter I plan on doing a full bed (20ft long) of lettuce, greens, and maybe some root crops under plastic with hoops.
My swiss chard and beets are about ready to harvest, I'll probably harvest some this week. I have a little bit of spinach, it isn't doing that well though, poor germination and not so good soil.
My potatoes are doing pretty good. I have some under agribon (though slugs are eating some of them) that are about 20inches tall. I have another row that are a couple inches tall, and I just planted 12 more plants this morning. So, if they don't get eaten by pests I should get a good crop of them.
I am expecting sweet potato slips in the next week or two. I reordered from another place that specializes in sweet potatoes. I got 3 different kinds. 50 slips of Georgia Jets, 50 Beauregard, and 25 Centinial (I forget the exact name). I have one bed that has chickling vetch that will plant probably 50 slips at least. I need to till a another bed or two above the fence for some more. If I do them above the fence I will have to buy chicken wire to go over the bed, to keep the deer from eating them.
My brassica are doing well. They don't seem to have cut worms, though slugs are a small problem. My peas once again have failed, due to aphids. I'll try a small crop next year, if they fail, I may not do peas for a while, until my soil is better. I guess on the one hand they are improving the soil as a legume.
My squash are quite well, no signs of squash bugs yet. This week or next I should have my first female flower. I have 14 zucchini plants! 5 hills of watermelons (orange and sugar baby), 3 cucumbers, 2-3 yellow summer squash, and another couple zucchini that my cousin gave me.
Most of my beans are coming up. I have an amount of beans coming up almost equal to a row of beans 60ft long.
My two biggest crops this year will be zucchini, and beans. If I can get my tomatoes in (I have the plants, just haven't transplanted) then I should get a good crop of those also.
My allium are doing well. If my garlic does okay I should have 150 cloves of garlic. 30 cloves elephant garlic. A couple dozen red and yellow onions, couple dozen leeks, and a good amount of shallots.
My strawberries are about done bearing. I have a few berries left to ripen. I think we got close to 2 quarts, not to bad, since I transplanted them this year from the previous bed. Hopefully next year I will have more.
I have yet a lot to do in the garden, and not a lot of time. My cousin should be coming again around the middle of June and hopefully we can get more done then also.
My tiller which we got working, is now not working again. It got left out in a down pour. I was actually going to go put a tarp in it, but the rain was pelting so hard, so much thunder and lighting, and I couldn't see that I didn't. I am not sure what is wrong with it, but I about broke my pull string, so that has to be fixed also. I will probably check and see if the intake valve is stuck down, that was what happened last time. I've been playing around with the jet screw and that doesn't seem to be the problem. I really need my tiller working before the sweet potatoes arrive. I chopped down above the fence on Monday, now I need to till. So, I guess I should see about my tiller, amongst the other things! : )
Whew....life is full around here. I have a flute recital tonight, should be fun. I have been playing the flute now for 7.5 years, I started playing 2 months before I turned 10 years old.
I bottled my Utopia Cream Ale, I actually flavored 3 gallons of it with raspberries, 1 gallon with caramel syrup, and 1 gallon left alone. The raspberry is good, but I wish it was stronger.
Cherrio, don't get in too much trouble while I'm off. ; )
English Vintner
I haven't gotten up as early the last couple days as I wanted to, but I guess I should have gone to bed earlier if I wanted to get up earlier.
Today I went down to the garden, and enjoyed a sunrise, something I haven't seen more than about two of in the last two weeks! It has been rather cloudy, and for the last two weeks has rained almost everyday. We've probably gotten 5-8 inches of rain in the last two weeks! Tuesday we had a flood warning, two creeks were within a foot of flooding (one creek was 11.5ft and the other 8.5ft high). All that to say, I haven't gotten a lot done in the garden lately.
My romaine lettuce is about done, I'm letting the slower heads and less diseased looking ones go to seed (I did that last year and grew all my head lettuce from seeds I saved). The rest were also bolting, and we ate some, but today I threw the rest in the compost pile. It is a pity the season for lettuce is so short here. If I could find a better place closer to the creek and in shade it might help, but I haven't figured out how to do that.
My leaf lettuce is getting big, I have a patch coming up that will be the last until fall I assume. This fall/winter I plan on doing a full bed (20ft long) of lettuce, greens, and maybe some root crops under plastic with hoops.
My swiss chard and beets are about ready to harvest, I'll probably harvest some this week. I have a little bit of spinach, it isn't doing that well though, poor germination and not so good soil.
My potatoes are doing pretty good. I have some under agribon (though slugs are eating some of them) that are about 20inches tall. I have another row that are a couple inches tall, and I just planted 12 more plants this morning. So, if they don't get eaten by pests I should get a good crop of them.
I am expecting sweet potato slips in the next week or two. I reordered from another place that specializes in sweet potatoes. I got 3 different kinds. 50 slips of Georgia Jets, 50 Beauregard, and 25 Centinial (I forget the exact name). I have one bed that has chickling vetch that will plant probably 50 slips at least. I need to till a another bed or two above the fence for some more. If I do them above the fence I will have to buy chicken wire to go over the bed, to keep the deer from eating them.
My brassica are doing well. They don't seem to have cut worms, though slugs are a small problem. My peas once again have failed, due to aphids. I'll try a small crop next year, if they fail, I may not do peas for a while, until my soil is better. I guess on the one hand they are improving the soil as a legume.
My squash are quite well, no signs of squash bugs yet. This week or next I should have my first female flower. I have 14 zucchini plants! 5 hills of watermelons (orange and sugar baby), 3 cucumbers, 2-3 yellow summer squash, and another couple zucchini that my cousin gave me.
Most of my beans are coming up. I have an amount of beans coming up almost equal to a row of beans 60ft long.
My two biggest crops this year will be zucchini, and beans. If I can get my tomatoes in (I have the plants, just haven't transplanted) then I should get a good crop of those also.
My allium are doing well. If my garlic does okay I should have 150 cloves of garlic. 30 cloves elephant garlic. A couple dozen red and yellow onions, couple dozen leeks, and a good amount of shallots.
My strawberries are about done bearing. I have a few berries left to ripen. I think we got close to 2 quarts, not to bad, since I transplanted them this year from the previous bed. Hopefully next year I will have more.
I have yet a lot to do in the garden, and not a lot of time. My cousin should be coming again around the middle of June and hopefully we can get more done then also.
My tiller which we got working, is now not working again. It got left out in a down pour. I was actually going to go put a tarp in it, but the rain was pelting so hard, so much thunder and lighting, and I couldn't see that I didn't. I am not sure what is wrong with it, but I about broke my pull string, so that has to be fixed also. I will probably check and see if the intake valve is stuck down, that was what happened last time. I've been playing around with the jet screw and that doesn't seem to be the problem. I really need my tiller working before the sweet potatoes arrive. I chopped down above the fence on Monday, now I need to till. So, I guess I should see about my tiller, amongst the other things! : )
Whew....life is full around here. I have a flute recital tonight, should be fun. I have been playing the flute now for 7.5 years, I started playing 2 months before I turned 10 years old.
I bottled my Utopia Cream Ale, I actually flavored 3 gallons of it with raspberries, 1 gallon with caramel syrup, and 1 gallon left alone. The raspberry is good, but I wish it was stronger.
Cherrio, don't get in too much trouble while I'm off. ; )
English Vintner
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
Caramel Syrup
Yep, it's time for another recipe. I asked Matthew Sganga (Stone Table) how he made his caramel syrup, and he said that you can make it two basic ways. One way you make a simple syrup, and add vanilla to that. The other way you beat some egg yolks into it.
So, I went home and experimented with it. After my third time I think I have perfected my recipe.
Caramel Syrup
3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar (you can change the ratios to get whatever color you like)
1/2 c. water
3Tbs butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
Mix the sugar and water in a pan, heat to boiling with lid on to keep it from evaporating too much. Add the butter and let it simmer while you mix in a bowl 2 egg yolks and vanilla extract together. Take the syrup off the stove, let it cool for a few minutes. Ladle a little bit of the syrup into the egg yolks while beating to temper the egg yolks. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the syrup while beating it to incorporate the egg yolks into the syrup. Bring to light boil on stove. Take off, pour into jars and cool.
You have to be careful with the egg yolks, if you add them into the boiling syrup, before tempering they may scramble and you will have little bits of cooked egg yolk running through it. If this happens either use it as is, or strain it. You can use milk or cream instead of water for another variation off this. Do keep in mind though, milk and egg tend to scramble or curdle when boiling, so choose your ingredients and when to add them carefully. To make a thicker syrup use less liquid and more butter and sugar.
This syrup can be added to anything you want caramel syrup for. Oatmeal, brownies, iced coffee, cakes, ice cream, you name it.
Enjoy the recipe!
English Vintner
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)