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3358. alistairConnor - 11/21/2005 12:34:46 AM Got a good crop of pears this year, but they are not keepers : I left them sitting in a basket for a couple of weeks and they all went rotten.
Apples : only one tree put out this year. Beautiful looking red ones. Spotty, because I don't spray them, but definitely keepers. When we finally picked them a couple of weeks ago, at least half had been gnawed by rodents.
Damn cold, below freezing all weekend. Ice in the ponies' drinking trough, which is a problem. 3359. judithathome - 11/21/2005 5:06:03 AM Jex, so sorry about the cat...I hope he didn't have much pain. 3360. judithathome - 11/21/2005 5:12:25 AM So, proof that I don't belong in the garden club. I received a door prize two months ago...a boxed pot containing an amarylis bulb. I put it in the garden room, still in the box, and forgot about it. The box had holes punched in it and what I should have done was open it, hydrate the bulb and wait for it to grow.
What I did was forget about it until today when I was moving stuff around and found the box...amazingly, with a sprouted amarylis bulb that already has a huge pale blossom trying to punch its way out of the box! I've now put it in the pot and broken up the cube of compressed soil that came with it and put it in the light but it looks as though the stem is permanently warped to the side and the bright red color of the bloom will remain a pale weakened slamon color. 3361. judithathome - 11/21/2005 5:14:49 AM salmon color....sheesh! 3362. wonkers2 - 11/21/2005 8:08:52 AM Yeah, Jex, so sorry about the cat. PLease accept my deepest sympathy. I hope you gave it a decent burial with lots of flowers and appropriate rites. (Howzzat, ladies?) 3363. ronski - 11/21/2005 8:16:25 PM I bought two of these -- Amaryllis "Lilac Wonder." Not Christmasy colored, but I wanted to try them anyway.
 3364. judithathome - 11/21/2005 9:58:02 PM I felt awful that it was struggling to get out of the box...the stem and leaves are also very, very pale green...almost yellow, in fact. 3365. thoughtful - 11/21/2005 10:05:40 PM judithah, i had an amaryllis that i had put away in the basement and had completely forgotten about it until one day I noticed it had shot straight up though it was very pale. I brought it upstairs, watered and put it in the sun. It turned green and bloomed just fine. 3366. jexster - 11/23/2005 2:43:26 PM That time of year again
Miss Nipsy Carville’s Corn Bread Dressin
serves 48
4# lean ground pork
2# gnd beef
12-16 c broth/stock
4 pkg giblets
24 biscuits
16T but/marg
20 c crumbled cornbread
8 med onion chop
4 bunch green onion chop
4 bell pepper chop
2 bunch parsley chop
12 ribs celery chop season mix whatever
20 cloves garlic chop
12 eggs slitely beat
Addl stock if needed
brown pork & beef til crumbly drain. set aside
Prep giblets, however you do, grind, set aside
in heavy dutch over saute vegs, add pork beef & giblets blending well.
cover & cook over low heat <> 45 min. remove from heat set aside
add biscuits and c'bread to veg-meat mixture. stir in green onions,
seasoning mix to taste & remaining broth. add parsley &gg to dressing &
blend well 3367. jexster - 11/23/2005 2:52:44 PM Finally a free bottle of Peychaud bitters (rare and expensive in SF)
Have Old Overholt will travel..
1 teaspoon of simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar)
3 - 4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
2 ounces rye whiskey (most New Orleans bars use Old Overholt)
1/4 teaspoon Herbsaint, a New Orleans brand of anise liqueur
(You may use Pernod, or some other pastis or absinthe substitute)
Strip of lemon peel
- The Sazerac Cocktail, Roosevelt Hotel NOLA3368. alistairConnor - 11/28/2005 12:58:25 AM The first snow fell on Thursday night. Soon melted down in the city, but more has fallen here over the weekend, no big deal but I've put the snow tyres on, they will stay until March.
We always get the first snow in November, this is rather later and more serious than usual.
Spent much of the weekend improving the fencing. The ponies got out again on Friday, we tracked them down Saturday lunchtime in a neighbour's garden. The whole neighbourhood is sick of them, and the municipal bulletin made a special threatening mention, just for us (stray dogs or ponies may be impounded!) Now, they have a serious perimeter fence, with mains electrification. A veritable stalag. Or gulag, as you prefer. 3369. judithathome - 11/28/2005 4:31:21 AM Thoughtful, the stem and leaves did turn green and the buds blossomed and were the deeper color...however, the stem never straightened up so the blooms are laying down. Still beautiful but rather "sleepy" looking. 3370. Macnas - 11/28/2005 10:38:08 AM Had roast Woodcock last night. The brother, who cooks most of the game we shoot, went the traditional route and didn't clean out the cavity, so it was cooked with guts and lights intact.
Now, I know this is traditional, but I don't like it much. I always thought it gave the dark meat of a Woodcock a certain unpleasant tang. Still, the breast meat was nice with the slice of bacon (stuffed with a slice of pear) wrapped crisp around it.
What does it taste like? Very like the darkest meat on a turkey.
Next time around, we agreed that we'd clean it, and stuff it with black pudding and crab apple. I think that would be nice. 3371. thoughtful - 11/28/2005 7:56:49 PM Anyone know anything about residential geothermal systems? 3372. alistairconnor - 11/28/2005 8:24:56 PM Con's your man on that, Tful. I think he eventually got the bugs worked out of his, but for a while he was basically heating his house with electricity. And his yard too most likely...
Actually, I've got a neighbour who's just built his house on the top of the hill, cold exposed place, but well-insulated and geothermal... smart thinking for a peasant lad. 3373. thoughtful - 11/28/2005 8:57:15 PM Yes, I was hoping he might poke his head in here.
We're looking at making our new home more energy sensible in design. Our architect is big into active solar but I'm a bit skeptical given the very long payback and the fact that our new england weather leaves much to be desired, esp in winter when we need the heat the most. Our neighbor was all excited about geothermal and convinced us the pay back would be much shorter and it would be much more beneficial as it allows for both heating and cooling.
We're also still debating about wood stove vs. masonary heater. Each has advantages and disadvantages
wood stove no foundation masonry heater foundation
wood stove more wood, masonry heater less wood
wood stove quick heat but quick to lose heat, masonry heater slow to heat but stays warm for 12 hrs
wood stove about 1/10th the installed cost of a masonry heater 3374. wonkers2 - 11/28/2005 9:12:30 PM As I'm sure you know, controlling the entry of light (roof overhangs, louvers, skylights) and wind (flow-through cross ventilation taking into account prevailing wind direction) are important elements of green architecture. 3375. thoughtful - 11/28/2005 10:14:30 PM Yep wonks. No skylights for us as they really are holes in your roof and I've heard too many horror stories of water pouring in through them from ice dams and such. And of course sky lights get the most light from the south side...but if we go active solar, it will be full of solar panels with no room for sky lights.
We wanted a cupola in the house for ventilation, but I'm opting for an attic fan which is a far more efficient way of moving air through a house.
House will have a southern-facing sunspace on the lower level which will have vents up to the family room on the main level for added solar heat. Sun space will also have windows opening up to surrounding rooms on the lower level for more heat in the winter. Back wall will be a trombe wall to capture and hold the sun's heat.
3376. Ms. No - 11/28/2005 10:49:52 PM I'll have to ask my friend what methods she used in her newly built house. Ten days ago the outside temp was 45F and inside her house it was a balmy 68F without ever having turned on the heater. Now, if only the house is as efficient in the other direction for the hot Texas summer, she's totally set. 3377. alistairconnor - 11/29/2005 11:22:47 AM Can you define "masonry heater", tful? Any links?
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