Weekending

Party style

Gifting

Alas, I am finally caught up on our holiday elving that was completely derailed when Ezra was sick over the holidays.  First, we made some garden signs modeled after the original two we previously made for our garden at home.  The wood is leftover from our garden-box building, and after Ezra covers it entirely with paint, I write over the top.  You could really write most anything you wanted depending on what the receiver of the sign likes.  It's a fun project, and Ezra always shows the previous signs to our guests, so I know he will be so proud when he sees them in his Tutu and Popi's yard. 

The original inspiration for this next project came from a tutorial over at Design Mom; however, drawing in between any sort of lines does not yet work for our little hands.  I purchased the same type of porcelain pen at Michael's, and I set everything in front of Ezra and let him have at it.  (a few of my pens had broken tips, so I opened them up and put a paint brush in the tube which works equally as well).  After they had set up a bit, I wrote the respective initial over the top, and let sit to dry overnight.  Then they were baked in the oven for 35 minutes at 300 degrees, and you're done!  So easy, and great fun.  I am going to stuff some with coffee, some with tea, and some with hot cocoa.  This project is also very adaptable, and could be done for most any holiday (Valentines!).

  

Smith Valencia / Smith Blood Orange

In the early 1990s, close to where I grew up in Ventura County, a woman named Smith had a backyard Valencia tree. It always produced nice oranges, until one year, a limb started producing shockingly red fruit. The entire fruit is dark red, skin and interior. From the stories I have heard, she called the police numerous times to report that her neighbor was poisoning her. The local farm advisor inspected the fruit, and determined it was a mutated branch, and the fruit was in fact a Red Valencia. At that time, they named it the Smith Red Valencia in honor of the tree's owner.

In recent years, the fruit has been reclassified as a Blood Orange, and is now called the Smith Red Orange. Apparently, the fruit grew on a bud sport, which is part of any plant that grows showing morphological differences from the rest of the plant.

I ordered a tree from Four Winds Growers a few years back, when they were still calling them Red Valencia. Now they have them listed under Blood Oranges, here. After planting the tree, it immediately started dying back, and I'm not really sure why.

Recently, it had a burst of growth, and seems to be doing just fine.... But, I can't tell if the rootstock is growing, or the actual orange tree above the graft. The new growth does have rather large thorns, which I think means it is the rootstock growing. Perhaps I'll send some pictures to Four Winds and see what they think. Any ideas?

EDIT: I sent the photos to the nice people at Four Winds Growers, and they immediately wrote back. It looks like all the new growth is Cuban Shaddock Rootstock, and all of the growth above the graft line is dead. Dang it! Now do I replace the entire tree, or try to graft something else onto this rootstock?

Broken Leash and a KG Fish

Sometimes I miss the surf in Ventura County - rivermouths, jetties, empty beachbreaks, and multiple pointbreaks within easy striking distance. North County San Diego surf is much more mellow, and crowded... that is, until a west swell comes and slams into our beaches. The Channel Islands to the north block a lot of swell destined for Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties, but San Diego delivers.

Notice the dark green nailing San Diego, and the light green nailing baja? Good times.

In 2006, I bought four new leashes for a trip to Tahiti. I haven't snapped a leash in many, many years. For some reason, this swell had some power behind it. It wasn't nearly as big as some of the recent swells, but it had some serious juice. I wonder why that is?

Around town... The Grove at Juniper and 30th

In an area of San Diego known has South Park, there is a jewel of a store by the name of The Grove at Juniper & 30th.  South Park is by far way more hip than I, and an area I don't get to frequent all that often. And, the store, too, is hip - but it's not too-cool hipster.  They have beautiful yarn, and all things needed for knitting or crocheting.  They have fabrics, books, kitchen gadgets, and a touch of clothing.  They also have some great Victory Garden Posters, similar to these, that were tough to leave behind. If you're not knitter, it is still a great, great store to visit.  You'll be sure to find something you love. This past Saturday I finished up a knitting class, and it was such fun just sitting and knitting. Susan has an endless amount of knowledge for the novice or advanced knitter, and is not afraid of sharing.  I was able to complete my hat!, but I think it's been spending more time on Ezra's head than mine. 

I also got my hands on the San Diego Roots, 2012 Kitchen Garden Almanac., and brought home a copy for Erik.  It's a compilation of a date book, growing tips and garden planting.  And, with a few minutes left to rummage through a second-hand store nearby, I was so excited to find an  old egg-beater for Ezra.   He loves it when he has his own kitchen tool, that really works, so I couldn't pass it up.  We promptly made pancakes, for dinner.  

Harvest Monday 1.22.12

I can't believe how fast this year has already gone. I have so many projects to get done before the spring planting, and it seems like I keep getting distracted from all of them. There has also been quite a bit of swell in the water lately, so if my choice is shoveling compost, or going surfing, it's not much of a choice at all.

Over the weekend, we had a local arborist stop by to let us know all the things we are doing wrong, and a few we were doing correct. I thought our citrus were pretty good for being so close to the coast, but he informed me of a half dozen issues I had to immediately correct - drainage, lack of fertilizer, a few planted too deep, mealybugs, sooty mold, and the dreaded leaf miner. It seems like my biggest issue was that the soil always stays moist, so we removed all of the mulch to let it dry out. Looking back, this was a pretty obvious issue and I was embarrassed for not picking up on it sooner. I need to stop equating fruit production with health. Either way, today is the first day of the rest of their lives.

Part of the doctor's prescription was to remove all fruit, both green and ripe, to allow the plants energy to go into growing rather than fruit production. Here are the the remaining Satsuma Mandarins, Lisbon Lemons, and a few white guavas. I also picked three Yuzus, not pictured because I left them in the front yard. I hope the neighborhood hooligans doing steal them for Ponzu.

Weekend Pruning

We've been spending our morning with a local San Diego Arborist, Tyler. He has an amazing wealth of knowledge that extends far beyond pruning, and it has been an absolutely great lesson for us.  What a treat to have him here! 

Rain, Rain

Today is a gray, cold (for us!), and rainy San Diego day. It seems as if people in San Diego, or Southern California, feel the moment we get any sort of weather other than sun, hibernation is in order.  While curling up by a fire with cup of tea, a nice book and some yarn sounds like wonderful way to spend a Saturday, we just so happen to have a little man who doesn't quite agree with this plan.  And, I'm guessing he's not the only 2-yr old with the same sentiment.

We spent February and March of last year in Chicago for Ezra's surgery, and our apartment was just above a pre-school.  It was here that I came to realize there really isn't any day in San Diego where our weather doesn't allow for some outside time.  In Chicago, unless we were in the midst of a blizzard, they bundled up those little pre-schoolers, and took them out each afternoon to run around and get their wiggles out.  A must for any little creature. So, on this rainy day we put some warm clothes, and went outside to play.  What's more fun then digging in the mud and jumping in puddles? Get out and play San Diego friends.  It's good for them, and thus, it's good for you.

 (yes, the hat is a bit much, but it was purchased for an upcoming trip to Chicago and it's all we've got)

Magical Fermentation - Homemade Sauerkraut

On the first day of this year, I started my first batch of homemade sauerkraut. I love sauerkraut, and figured it was high time for me to make my own. Growing up, it was an institution in my house. We were always on the search for a new source that tasted more like my grandfather's homemade version. I came to find out later that most store bought brands are pasteurized, which kills the beneficial bacteria which makes sauerkraut alive. It was beyond easy, and quick.

The basics of homemade sauerkraut are as follows: thinly sliced cabbage is mixed with salt, placed in a crock (jar, vessel, etc), weighted down, and then you wait. After the first day, enough juice is pulled out of the cabbage to form a brine which covers the cabbage. I placed a ceramic weight on the cabbage to hold it down under the liquid, and 19 days later, it was completed. It was transferred from the fermentation crock to jars last night, and now it sits in my fridge, waiting to be eaten. The flavor is exactly what you would expect from kraut - salty, pungent, raw, and delicious. Although I have been sampling it, I think tomorrow night I will make a proper meal of Bratwurst and Kraut. This weekend calls for a grilled cheese on rye with kraut.

Do you have any ideas for kraut recipes? I seem to have quite a bit on my hands.

In this house...

In this house, we are...

- shutting the door on the last of our out-of-town guests for awhile.  It's been fun, but it's also nice to have the house feeling a bit empty.  

- looking for that little gold-bug, via this wonderful book. over and over.

- making frequent trips to the nursery to check out their newly arriving bare-root plants

- buying way too many onions, but still finding a home for each.

-  reminding my 2012 self to buy more tomato plants when the time comes.  No holding back.

- flying pretend airplanes all over. he never tires of this activity

- looking forward to using our Okinawan Purple Sweet Potatoes, in this recipe.  Yum.

- in the midst of watching Downton Abbey, and loving it.

- trying to nurse back to health a seemingly sick chicken

- so excited that our Pincushion Protea plant is covered in blooms, and they are starting to open

- looking forward to tasting our first batch of sauerkraut

- and, loving all things growing & fermenting in this kitchen

- feeling oh so lucky to have an entire wheel of Devil's Gulch, by Cowgirl Creamery, leftover after our guests have left.  One of our favorites.  Divine.

- contemplating the addition of goats. Or, maybe just adding a few more hens.

- wishing those hats that are on the needles, were off in time for this chilly weather.

Laundry Soap

I have recently begun making our own laundry powder, and am surprisingly pleased with the results.  It really couldn't be easier to make, and though I have not yet done official calculations, it seems to be a penny saver. We have a washer that asks for he-type soap, and while the Borax says it's he compatible, I am unsure about the rest of the ingredients.  But, I do say, I have been using this version for awhile, and haven't any issues.

Combine the following:
1 cup finely grated soap.*
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda (optional)**
2 cups Baking Soda

Combine in an air-tight jar, and it's ready for washing.  The amount used per load completely depends upon the size and stain-factor, so you be the judge.

*(I use Dr. Bronner's bar soap (again!), and here I make it with the baby-mild version.  Ezra's super-sensitive skin breaks out in a rash to most anything, so I opted for this version of their soap and haven't had any issues.  You could also use one of their peppermint, rose, or citrus bars for a more scented soap.)

**(Washing Soda is a more powerful cousin to Baking Soda, and is not necessary for the soap.  You can omit, use all other ingredients as listed above, and have a perfectly fine detergent.  We happen to have a little man whose clothing desperately needs the extra power of the Washing Soda, so it is a necessary additive to our mixture.)

Harvest Monday 1.16.12

The third Harvest Monday of 2012, and although I feel like the garden is bare, it still is producing. Now that the days are a little longer, I think the plants have taken notice and started to grow just a little bit more each day. In just a few months, the days will be long and the garden will be bustling.

Paris Market Carrots are little orbs of delight. The largest carrots are the size of cherry tomatoes and are very sweet. They will be my snacking treat for the week.

Three Passionfruit, two Valencia oranges, and the rest of the bhut jolkia peppers. The peppers were looking pretty rough and tired, so they are headed for the dehydrator. I am pretty sure the plant will survive the winter, and I didn't want a diseased fruit hanging around.

The Passionfruit, oranges, and kale will end up our smoothie tomorrow morning.

The last Rio Red Grapefruit for the season, and our first four Lisbon Lemons. I look forward to when I can harvest a Eureka and Lisbon at the same time for a taste test.

Do Work

Lately, we've been spending some ample time working in the garden, readying it for our Spring plantings. We've built a new climbing area for our peas and beans that fills up the entire, no-so-pleasant-looking, side of our outdoor shed.  We now have a perfect place for these type of crops, and I no longer have to look at the side of our shed from the house.  Love. And, when it's covered in beautiful green tendrils I will love even more.

We also enlarged our herb garden, that now encompasses a full circle at the middle of our garden boxes.  The San Diego Botanic Garden has their annual Tomato Mania and Herb Fest coming up in March, and we will fill it up with new herbs purchased from here.  

 And, Ezra got a new freshly dug-up dirt patch for his bounty of trucks, as well as his own digging area.  Give the kid a shovel, bucket and some loose dirt and he will dig, fill and cart the dirt all over the yard in his wheelbarrow for what seems like forever in 2-yr old time. 

It also seems some wood hopped into the car as Erik was driving by the hardware store earlier this week, which means we have two new garden boxes on the horizon.  Funny how this happens.  

The Ladies

The past few days have found us on the hunt for eggs.  We've been getting an ample supply of brown eggs, which means the Delaware hens are in full effect, but the green eggs from our Aracuanas were no where to be found.  We thought maybe another animal was stealing them, or possibly something was wrong with the Hens, but it was only after removing some old wood we found a nice stash of eggs.  Apparently, they can fit through a much smaller hole in the fence than we thought, and have chosen a new nest.

Rainbows

When you walk into your kitchen covered in rainbows you just have to smile.  I recently picked up a simple crystal to hang in the house.  I thought it would be a great way to teach Ezra about light, its refraction and the formation of the color spectrum.  It has proved to be such fun, that I highly recommend anyone with little feet (or any size feet!) running around the house add one to a sunny spot in your home.  And, at $8, it is a perfect gift - one that I will certainly be giving.  

   

Chile de Arbol Hot Sauce

I make a lot of different hot sauces and salsas, but there is one that we use, by far, the most. It is a blend of spicy arbol chiles, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and some mellow spices. The sauce is a funky orange brown, and variations are common throughout southern Mexico. It packs some heat, but also has a tremendous amount of depth from the roasted seeds. I love this sauce on eggs, but it really works on just about anything.

Recently, some friends from the website Korduroy.tv stopped by to film me making the sauce. They posted the video today. The chiles in the video are Negro De Arbol that I grew last summer, but any red arbol from the market will work fine. Enjoy.


Chile de Àrbol Hot Sauce - Health Nuts from www.KORDUROY.tv on Vimeo.

Fabric

Some new fabrics have arrived in this house, and some others have been pulled off the shelf,  getting ready for a project.  These are a few of the recent prints from one of my favorite fabric designers, Heather Ross.  I want to pull out the sewing machine and make a few buckets by Maya*Made to house Ezra's goodies - trains, trucks - you know, 2 year old, little boy goodies.

These are also a part of the Heather Ross collection designed for Kokka Fabric, and I purchased the snail print solely with Ezra on the mind.  He has a particular fondness for all things slimy & crawling in the garden (even if it's eating our veggies), so this is a perfect match - and I think a new pair of pants are on the horizon.

This lovely fabric is by Creative Thursday.  I am unsure if I will be making some more buckets for gifting, or possibly something more for the little creature in our house - probably both.  And, a little cloth to needs to be made to hide the underbelly of a particular table in Ezra's room.  All good, crafty stuff for sure.  

Sarmale

Last week we posted about a most delicious dish we love to make in this kitchen of ours, Sarmale.  It is not a difficult dish to make by any means, but for some reason I really struggled to get this batch to come together. And, if you ask Erik or Ezra, I'm guessing they'll say it never really did.


To start off, I just couldn't get my hands on any pickled cabbage.  We have a nice, large and perfectly good batch of sauerkraut in the crock at the moment, but no full heads of cabbage here or anywhere in the vicinity.  So, I pushed my reluctance aside, bought some fresh cabbage and started cooking.

Bacon.  I. forgot. the. bacon.  With a 2 year old that needs tonight's dinner shortly, and a hope of getting the Sarmale made on this evening so we have dinner tomorrow, there was no way I was heading back to the market for bacon. The making of the Sarmale was a breeze - made the filling, boiled cabbage, rolled and placed in the pan, covered with tomato sauce sealed and placed in the refrigerator for the evening.  Tomorrow night's dinner was just about complete a day early, a feeling I love.

Step #7 - Cook for 90 minutes. I forgot Step #7.  I placed it perfectly made, and perfectly covered, in the refrigerator, without cooking it.  This wouldn't have been so terrible, but we only realized that I had forgotten step #7 when we sat down to eat, and the rice was still crunchy.  Do not forget step #7! - it's not like forgetting the bacon.  Yes, the bacon is delish and adds depth of flavor - but, the 90 minutes of cooking is a biggie.  Or, shall I say, the lack of 90 minutes cooking is a biggie.

We ate it, as that was all we had for eating that night - crunchy rice and all. Fortunately, the meat was cooked through.  We popped it back in the oven for step #7, and hopefully we will have some delicious Sarmale for tomorrow night's dinner. I do suppose, I now have done only one night of prep, for what has turned into two nights of dinner.