Food and Sport

>> Sunday, August 11, 2013

One more day and vacation will come to a close.

We completed everything we set out to do.

Relax

Spend time with family

Do some fishing

Biking

Catching some sun

Paddle in the kayak

Ride in the boat

Eat many roasted marshmallow and Nutella smores

Tell campfire stories

>> Sunday, July 7, 2013

fall-rv-travel

Have you heard of the phrase "Glamping"? I did for the first time this weekend. However, next month we are going camping, not glamping.

I have been thinking about the menu for the camping week, so I have attached the list and would like feedback. (Clicking on the name will take you to the recipe).
Crock pot build your own potatoes
Pizza on the Grill
Mac N Cheese
Chicken Tacos
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Blueberry crisp
Root Beer Floats - we all know the recipe.

Also included is my own Cowboy Caviar, which I know does not need a vote, it is a given. I will make it before we leave and hot pack into mason jars. Cowboy Caviar could be lunch for me.

The poll is on the right side of the main page of my blog. Thanks in advance.

Father's Day

>> Monday, June 17, 2013

What was I thinking? On Father's Day I didn't get any pictures.

In fact, when Don announced he was cooking for Father's Day dinner (with Cammie, Justin, Trey, Erik, Brandon, Joe, David and Susan), I raised my head "Oh yeah, that is tomorrow". (DUH!)

REMINDERS!

A reminder on my iPhone to register for classes in January, because I will forget during the holiday frenzy.
A reminder on my iPhone for special holidays and birthdays, but I have it set wrong, maybe too early, it's not working.

I am pretty certain my 95 year old grandmother didn't live her long life marching to the tune of her iPhone. But then again, she did not exist in this whirling dervish that I do.

Interesting NY Times wrote about it. Is your life too structured?

Rosie, Stella & Inez

>> Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I have an Infinuvo robotic vacuum sweeper. Her name is Rosie,(from the Jetsons). Since we have wood and tile throughout the main level of the house, she really tackles the dog hair and I am free to tackle another cleaning task which she is working.

Susan has recently bought the one, her name is Stella, named after the maid and nurse from the movie "Rear View Window" with Jimmy Stewart.
Stella is a upgraded model, so we assume she is younger. Stellllllaaaaa!

Susan and I predict that one of our friends will soon also be owners of an Invinuvo and her name will aptly be Inez. More to come......

Winter in Cancun

>> Thursday, May 2, 2013

May 2 and it is Don's birthday. Today I went on my favorite travel website and found a non-stop round trip fare from Chicago to Cancun, January 21-28 for $190.00.

We are booked.

Winter never seems too bad at first, but after the Christmas snow and holidays, we are ready for the warm weather and snow.

Let's just call it our little insurance policy from the winter blues.

Raised Garden

>> Monday, April 1, 2013

by Robin Sweetser

Source: The 2008 Old Farmer's Almanac

Credit: colostate.edu

1. Raise Your Beds

Forget about growing plants in single file in long, parallel rows. You can grow up to 10 times the amount of produce in the same space by raising your beds. Raised beds allow you to concentrate your energy in a small area, meaning you can work, water, weed, and fertilize as economically as possible. You can make the most of the entire growing season by using season-extending devices such as cold frames, cloches, row covers, and plastic tunnels.

Tip: Sit Pretty (Comfortably) by placing a board across the path between your raised garden beds.

2. Keep Seedlings Coming

Succession planting keeps the garden in continual production. Whenever one crop is harvested, have seedlings ready to transplant in its place. For best results, use quick-maturing varieties to fit several crops into one season and spread out the harvest.

3. Put Plants Close Together

"Intercropping" means growing two or more crops together to save space. Plants should be placed close enough so that their leaves will touch, shading the ground between them when they are fully mature. This will keep weeds down and conserve moisture, eliminating the need to mulch and weed. As the plants begin to crowd out their neighbors, harvest the early-maturing ones, leaving room for the others to develop. For example, pair lettuce with longer-season vegetables such as broccoli, peppers, or tomatoes.

4. Plant Companions, not Competitors

Some intercropping partners thrive if their roots occupy a different depth of soil. Pairing shallow-rooted vegetables, such as bush beans, with deeply rooted beets makes good use of space without creating root competition. Similarly, planting heavy feeders such as cabbage or cucumbers with light-feeding carrots or beans reduces the competition for soil nutrients.The best intercropping partners are companion plants that make different demands while complementing each other.

Make your garden 11The rows should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun.

5. Grow Up

Vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, and turnips.

Lay out your garden plot with the fence, trellis, or wall at the north side. By planting the tallest plants there, you will avoid shading the smaller ones. Vining plants, if left to sprawl, take up valuable space in a small garden, so help them grow up.

Cucumbers will eagerly climb a nylon net fence, with the subsequent bonus result that the dangling fruits grow straighter and are easier to pick.
Tomatoes produce more fruit and ripen earlier if kept off the ground on a trellis or in a wire cage.
Peas and pole beans naturally reach for the sky and will cover a wire fence or twine around a tripod of poles.

Some heavier plants, such as cantaloupes, melons, and winter squashes, may need help in climbing, so tie their vines to the structure to get them going in the right direction. Support the fruit with slings to keep them from tearing off the vine too soon.

Plot it Out

Good soil, adequate sunshine, and sufficient drainage are the only requirements for a successful vegetable garden. Every garden—and every gardener—is different. Create a garden tailored to your space and needs.

A 100-square-foot garden (10x10 feet) can easily yield a wide variety of veggies. Bisecting it with two narrow paths forms four beds that are easy to reach into and tend. (One square = one square foot.)

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San Diego 2013

>> Sunday, August 11, 2013

Camping (not Glamping)