What did you do in the garden today?

[WthrLady]

Siding guys finished the siding 11 weeks ago. THe company sent me my final invoice asking for the remainder of the payment. I sent them an email stating I would GLADLY hand over a check as soon as they schedule a final inspection of the work, finish repairs for things that weren't done right, and see if everything was done to contract (it was not). AMAZING how fast they called me back. I mean COME ON, almost 3 months?!?!? He said he is rushed every day with inspections and overseeing jobs. Well that's his job. I'm sorry. Did they expect me to sign off on a job and send a check without having it checked? Um NO.
Idiots.
I have another 25,000$ job, they won't be getting it.

 

[NewBoots]

Sounds great! Recipe?

I have used this recipe from Alton Brown for years, it's so much better than regular rolled oats:

Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe | Alton Brown | Food Network
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steel-cut-oatmeal-recipe-1939448 1/1

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
In a large saucepot, melt the butter
and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to
toast. Add the boiling water and reduce
heat to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer for
25 minutes, without stirring.
Combine the milk and half of the
buttermilk with the oatmeal. Stir gently
to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with remaining buttermilk, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

I leave out the brown sugar and cinnamon when I make it savory, and we top it with what ever breakfasty things I have such as: fried eggs, shallots, browned mushrooms, bacon or sausage. I add a dollop of salsa to mine and it's just so good. Sweet things for breakfast don't always work for my stomach but this always does. You could do the same thing (and I have) with grits.

Absolutely! This time of year, I count the following as "gardening:"

Taking stuff to the compost
Walking around the garden
Looking out the window at the garden
Thinking about what to grow in the garden
Posting/chatting in this thread about gardening (or other stuff)
Drooling over garden catalogs

Sister!

I make green tea by filling a 5 gallon screw-top bucket with borage, comfrey, or clover (I hear nettles are great for this too). I stamp it down tight then fill the bucket with water and screw on the lid. I let it sit in the sun for at least 2 weeks. The smell is horrendous once it's opened, but then I strain out the solids (they go into the compost) and mix the liquid 10 parts water to 1 part stinky water. It makes great fertilizer that the plants seem to metabolize really quickly. No idea though about any acidity.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good afternoon all. It’s nice outside in the sun, but in the shade it’s kinda chilly. I watered a few things early this morning before work, then worked a bit on my sketch of the bunny yard.

I ordered 4 chaste trees that should be here by end of the year to grow in pots. There are a few places I’m considering for those but I’d like to have a row of them between the arcadia door and vegetable garden so the room there gets some afternoon shade in summer. I’ve never had luck growing things in pots, but I’m thinking if I had something to shade the pots it might help regulate temperature a bit. I was considering some xeriscape grass in a bed with pavers under the pots. It’s a tough area to figure out. It’s edged on one side where the water runs off from things on higher ground, gets brutal summer sun all afternoon and not much sun in winter. The trees will still get winter sun when they’re tall enough, but anything below won’t get any direct sun late fall to early spring. Hubs bought me a couple of books on permaculture so maybe they’ll offer something workable.

Sorry to ramble, have a good night all!

 

[Sally PB]

In a large saucepot, melt the butter
and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to
toast.

Oh, man, I had never thought to do that with the oats first! I gotta try that the next time I make oatmeal. I gotta remember it, though...

 

[vall]

Ok now I am flat out jealous. I thought I had bragging rights with a 2.5 pounder. Simply just WOW! Please let us know how it taste. Is it sweet, fibrous, ???

Seriously, that is one impressive yam there!

Aaron

Edit: I take it, that is ONE tater too, not some crazy a bunch grew together into one lump right? wow.

Yeah it's one tater, purple inside and on the dry side, I've grown them before but normally they stay kind of skinny. Will update when I cook it, going to wait at least a month.

 

[Ascholten]

that makes two of us! that sounds good.

Aaron

 

[chickengr]

I have used this recipe from Alton Brown for years, it's so much better than regular rolled oats:

Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe | Alton Brown | Food Network
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/steel-cut-oatmeal-recipe-1939448 1/1

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
In a large saucepot, melt the butter
and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to
toast. Add the boiling water and reduce
heat to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer for
25 minutes, without stirring.
Combine the milk and half of the
buttermilk with the oatmeal. Stir gently
to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with remaining buttermilk, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

I leave out the brown sugar and cinnamon when I make it savory, and we top it with what ever breakfasty things I have such as: fried eggs, shallots, browned mushrooms, bacon or sausage. I add a dollop of salsa to mine and it's just so good. Sweet things for breakfast don't always work for my stomach but this always does. You could do the same thing (and I have) with grits.

Sister!

I make green tea by filling a 5 gallon screw-top bucket with borage, comfrey, or clover (I hear nettles are great for this too). I stamp it down tight then fill the bucket with water and screw on the lid. I let it sit in the sun for at least 2 weeks. The smell is horrendous once it's opened, but then I strain out the solids (they go into the compost) and mix the liquid 10 parts water to 1 part stinky water. It makes great fertilizer that the plants seem to metabolize really quickly. No idea though about any acidity.

my mother does it with nettles. she says it works as pest control as well. she sprays it on veggies. and I think she mixes 9 parts of water and 1 part stinky nettle water.

 

[chickengr]

Good afternoon all. It’s nice outside in the sun, but in the shade it’s kinda chilly. I watered a few things early this morning before work, then worked a bit on my sketch of the bunny yard.

I ordered 4 chaste trees that should be here by end of the year to grow in pots. There are a few places I’m considering for those but I’d like to have a row of them between the arcadia door and vegetable garden so the room there gets some afternoon shade in summer. I’ve never had luck growing things in pots, but I’m thinking if I had something to shade the pots it might help regulate temperature a bit. I was considering some xeriscape grass in a bed with pavers under the pots. It’s a tough area to figure out. It’s edged on one side where the water runs off from things on higher ground, gets brutal summer sun all afternoon and not much sun in winter. The trees will still get winter sun when they’re tall enough, but anything below won’t get any direct sun late fall to early spring. Hubs bought me a couple of books on permaculture so maybe they’ll offer something workable.

Sorry to ramble, have a good night all!

the only way plants in pots survive here is when I bury about a half of pot.

 

[chickengr]

I dismantled about 95% of the double coop. I am making a new temporary coop where I will put 2 of my surviving guinea hens. they are still in the house and I am really fed up with this situation. when they go in athens to my friends I might put araucanas in there till I sell leghorns. later I can leave that coop as a day time shade/hiding place for the chickens or even I might use it for silkies as I plan to hatch them.

just clearing the garden area. to much scrap wood that will be used within next month.

 

[igorsMistress]

the only way plants in pots survive here is when I bury about a half of pot.

That’s why I was thinking the xeriscape grass or a few shrubs at the base of the pots would work. The ground there is like cement with a layer of caliche in it, and is not possible to dig without heavy equipment. Every hole I’ve dug on this property got a good dose of gypsum in the bottom of it.