My Bit of Earth

Easy Cheese

No, not the stuff in a can that you squirt at your significant other, but rather the easiest homemade cheese you can make, with the least possible amount of equipment--labneh.  

I've dabbled in cheese making from time to time.  Divine homemade mozzarella.  A nice little block of farmhouse cheddar.  But I always come back to labneh.

Labneh (pronounced lab-neigh, if you're curious) is a Middle Eastern cheese made of strained yogurt.  It's spreadable--it basically has the consistency of cream cheese--but tangy.

To make it, get yourself to the store and buy a container of plain yogurt.  Just plain, regular yogurt is fine, although buying Greek yogurt (which already is slightly strained) will speed the process up a bit.  

Then, pour your yogurt out onto the center of a clean white dishtowel.  You can use cheesecloth if you want to be fancy, but a dishtowel really works just as well.  Pick up the corners of the towel and tie or otherwise afix them underneath the top shelf in your refrigerator, so that the yogurt is suspended in the towel.  Put a bowl underneath to catch the whey that will soon be dripping out, and in anywhere from 24-36 hours, you'll have labneh.  (P.S. For a picture of exactly how to hang the cheese, see picture #9 here.)

But the fun doesn't stop there.  While it's very good plain or with just a little salt, I almost always have to add a little somethin' somethin' to my labneh to really put it over the top.  In its latest incarnation, I mixed in a tablespoon of honey for a slightly sweeter cheese that's perfect with one of Sweet Husband's biscuits.  Just about any chopped, fresh herb you want to toss in is also delicious, as is garlic.  Just mash up the cheese a bit, add your topping, and then reform it into a pretty little ball.

And throw that canned stuff out!  I know the bottle is fun to squirt, but it really is a scary color!

The Kitchen Reader: Eat, Memory

 This month's Kitchen Reader book selection was Eat, Memory: Great Writers at the Table, a Collection of Essays from the New York Times.This was the perfect bedtime book.  Short stories--often only three or four pages--entertaining, but often nicely soothing in the way that only food writing can be.  

Just as an example, one story that I particularly enjoyed was "Orange Crush" by Yiyun Li.  Li grew up in China, and, as a child, coveted Tang (you know, the orange, "astronaut" drink) because of it's marketing and the fact that it was expensive enough to be a luxury item.  As an adult living in the United States she encountered Tang again, but was less impressed.

The story reminded me of a time in my own childhood, when I though Chicken Cordon Bleu was absolutely a meal fit for a king.  Never mind, that I'd never actually had it.  Never mind, that I didn't really even know what it was.  Just from the sound of the name it had to be amazing, right?  

Sadly, I still remember my disappointment when, as a pre-teen, I happened to see it on a restaurant menu and ordered it.  Chicken wrapped in ham and fried in breadcrumbs.  While I can't see what's so bad about that now, I remember being crushed that it did not live up to my sky-high expectations.

Just for fun, were there any foods you thought were incredible and special when you were little that are only ho-hum as a grown-up?

They're Here! They're Here! The Chicks are Here!

It's official, I drive with my car radio too loud.  Because both Sweet Husband and my postmaster tried to call me multiple times this morning as I was heading into work to give me the good news--the chicks had arrived!  Sweet Husband finally caught me just as I got to work, so I quickly did everything that was absolutely essential for the day, then turned around and headed for the post office.

There were evidentially several chick orders at the post office today, and when the postal worker handed mine to me he remarked that my box was a little quieter than the rest.  But right at that second, one little chick peeped up very loudly, and we both started laughing.

For the curious, they arrived in a box about the size of two shoe boxes, all nestled in straw, with a little heat pack to keep them warm.  I held my breath a little as I opened it up and counted...1..2..3..4..5!  All 5 chicks peeping up at me!

Even already they have personality out the wazoo!  

The all-yellow chick (who I think is the Buff Orpington) is the little flock leader.  She was the first to find the food and figure out what it was for.  

The little one that's mostly yellow, but has the black stripe down her back (the Easter Egger?) is another bold one, but she's not as smart--she keeps pecking at the glass jars to get food and water instead of using the dish.  

But, I think my favorite might be this little lady: 

She's certainly the runt, and I was worried about her at first because she seemed a little unsteady on her feet.  However, she was the first to figure out how to drink from the waterer when I couldn't get any of the others to do it--the clever, quiet sort!

Right now the chicks are living in the basement in a cardboard box.  Porter is mildly interested, but not enough to attempt our treacherous basement stairs.  

Unfortunately, Moe clearly thinks they're some fabulous new type of squeaky toy.  He was very upset when I banished him upstairs, and--as I'm typing this--he's staring at the floor vents with his head cocked to one side as if trying to figure out how to tunnel through them.

One way or another, I think we're in for an interesting Spring!

Planting Weekend

Finally, finally, finally we were able to get out and plant some little things this weekend--lettuce, arugula, peas, beets, carrots, radishes, kale, chard, onions, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts....oh, and some luffa gourds that I'm experimenting with.  (They need a long growing season, so I'm trying to see if I can plant them this early or if they'll be killed by frost...we'll see!)  Except for the gourds, all the wee plants and seeds can survive a little more chilly weather.

[Cabbages, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower glistening in the sun.]

Amidst the planting, I also scored a wonderful bargain.  I've read about using old burlap sacks for weed barriers, but I've never seen burlap sacks for sale.  However, this weekend Sweet Husband and I happened to be wandering through our local "Bargain Depot" and saw stacks of old burlap coffee bags--$1.50 each.  So, I scooped up an armload.

I couldn't use them where I was planting seeds--because the seeds wouldn't grow through the burlap--but where I had plants (like in the above pictured bed) I laid out the burlap, poked holes in it, and poked the plants through--worked like a charm.

I also used the burlap where I'm not going to plant anything for awhile--e.g. where the tomatoes and cucs will go in a month--to help keep weeds from growing in the meantime.

 

Economical Early Crops--Onions and Lettuces

(A wee cross-post from Urban Homesteading hope y'all don't mind!  I've got gardening on the brain this week!)

When I'm choosing what to grow in my garden each year, I try to make my selections based on two criteria.

First, I like to grow things that really are better homegrown. For example, peas start losing their sweetness the moment they're picked, so if you have your own you can pick them mere minutes before you eat them. And tomatoes...well, do I really need to defend the homegrown tomato? I think not!

Second, I like to grow things that are economical to grow. And if economy is your reason for having a garden, two of the best veggies to choose can be planted right now--onions and lettuce.

Onions

You can grow onions seed, sets (tiny bulbs), or seedlings (tiny skinny onions, also called "onion bundles"). I've never grown onions from seed--it's always seemed ridiculously time consuming--so unless you're a martyr get sets or seedlings. This year I bought 70 sets and about as many seedlings for less than $5. 

Both sets and seedlings are easy to plant. First, as with anything, make sure your soil is prepared--add a little compost and dig around a bit to get it nice and mixed and loose. Then, I just use my fingers to dib a little hole into the ground.  They only need enough space between them to form a full grown onion, so no need to get out the ruler--you can imagine the distance easily enough. Then plop your sets or seedlings into the ground, lightly cover them, and you're done. (A little bit of the seedling should be sticking out of the ground, and if the pointy top of a set is sticking up, that's OK too.)

In really dry years you may have to water them a bit as they're getting established, but on the whole I've found that onions can take care of themselves. The last time I remember looking, a bag of six or seven onions was about $4 at the store, so even if all but that many of mine died--not likely--I'd be breaking even.

Further, because onions store wonderfully, you can use them all year. Sweet Husband's grandmother used to keep hers hanging in old pantyhose. Just drop an onion in the toe, tie a knot, drop in another onion, and so on and so forth. Then as you need onions you can cut the hose at a knot to get them one at a time.

Lettuces

Another group of economical early crops are lettuces, including spicy mesculin and arugula. One of the little plastic, clamshell boxes of "spring mix" will set you back about $4 and lasts--in our house--about a week. But for the price of a $2 packet of seeds you can have lettuce all Spring.

To plant lettuce, sprinkle the seeds over nicely worked soil. (No soil at your house? Grow lettuce in a sunny pot or window box.) Gently tamp the seeds down and keep the soil moist until you start to see little seedlings popping up. Eventually, you'll need to "thin" your lettuce--picking out every other seedling or so once they start to look crowded--so that the remaining lettuce will grow big and strong.

(But don't throw those babies away! Because the thinnings? They're the super gourmet "microgreens" you see at restaurants, and they're incredibly tasty any way you want to serve them up!)

Once your lettuce is full grown and ready for eating, cut it off with scissors at its base without pulling up the roots. The lettuce will then grow up a second time for more salad eating pleasure, and will generally keep going until really hot weather hits and it gets bitter.

Vintage Swap Goodies

I decided, once again, to do the Heather-organized Vintage Swap, and was paired up with the lovely Renee of Heirloom Seasons.  By mutual agreement (aka we're both busy, busy bees), we ended up swapping just a little late, but I think the surprise was even better for having been a bit delayed.  Check out my goodies!

Isn't that apron fabulous?!  Thanks again Renee!  

Moe Speaks: In Which I Refuse to Be Neglected

Mom and Dad have been gadabouts lately, I tell you--gadabouts!

First, all our family was in town--truly, in the past week I have been scratched behind the ears by almost all of my grandparents, both aunties, and my wee little cousin--which required some humans-only entertaining out.  Then Mom had to go away for some work, and Dad used that as an excuse for a "Boy's Night".  I am baffled that I was not invited--I am a boy, after all--and Dad came home smelling of cat so I know they must've done something fun.  Then, tonight, Dad's Nice Boss gave them tickets to a funny show called "Avenue Q".  Apparently, it was hilarious, but, again, no pups allowed.

While I was not totally abandoned in all of this--someone was always home for eating and peeing times, of course--my daily hour of snuggling-and-general-adoration was certainly being missed.

When Mom and Dad got home this evening, I sat Mom down and registered my displeasure.  I'm not always 100% sure we understand each other, what with the language barrier and all, but tonight I think she got the message loud and clear--it's time for a few nights of staying in and paying attention to me!  (OK, Porterhouse too....)

 

A Wee Pussy Willow Hat, Among Other Things

My major knitting project these days has been this:

The bright little Noro Matsuri blanket that I started back at the beginning of February is about 15 more rounds short of being finished.  I'm actually going to be a little sad to be done with it--the yarn is so very yummy to knit with!  In fact, I made it a little bigger than the pattern says just so I could order two more skeins.  (OK, actually, I had to order two more skeins because I misread the pattern, but it wasn't as vexing as it would ordinarily be!)

In addition--as sort of as a break from the blanket--the other evening I popped out this tiny hat.

The pattern is called Pajunkissa, which means Pussy Willow in Swedish, I think.  (I looked it up when I started the project, but I'm being lazy right now!)  I couldn't find a head small enough to model it on, but when it's all stretched out it does look like little Pussy Willows twining up the hat.  (Ravelry info here.)

You can kinda see it, right?

T-Minus One Week to Chick-a-Dees

I believe I may have been just a little over enthusiastic about the chickens. 

Why?  Well, because, about once a day, someone, somewhere, from close friend to near random stranger asks, "Are the chicks here yet?"  And they're always surprised when I say, "Nope, not yet."  

Yeah, I'm just a little excited.

But it is getting close now--the wee ladies are expected to arrive sometime between next Tuesday and next Thursday.  And after a quick trip to the feed store this weekend we're just about ready for them, although there are still a few last minute to-do's.  

We still need a nice big box for them to live in, and some sort of bedding to put down.  (I'm still researching the benefits of pine shavings vs. plain newspaper--anyone have an opinion to share?)  

I also need to double check with the post office to make sure they will actually call me to pick them up, and not just leave them on my front step.  I've been told that, for sure, they'll call, but as a nervous little first time chick-mother I need to hear it from the postmaster's mouth.

But we have a heat lamp, some starter food, and a feeder and waterer.  

I've practically memorized the "what to do when your chicks arrive" chapter of my reference book of choice--dip their beaks in water, show them the food, make sure their little butts aren't pasted up with poo....I'm surprised I'm not saying it in my sleep!

Also, I am 99% sure I've worked out the name conundrum.  Although Jennifer's Jane Austen idea did give me much pause, I think I've decided to go with indie singers.  Tori Amos and Ingrid Michaelson will definitely  be among our chicks.  Alanis Morisette and Ani DiFranco are also getting tossed around, along with classics like Janis Joplin.

So, other than just a few little things, I think I'm good to go.  Can any veteran chicken keepers out there think of anything I'm forgetting?

The First Day of Spring

Was a cruel joke. 

I had planned a day of compost spreading and cabbage planting and being outside.  Instead I hid in the house all day, only venturing out for basketball watching.  (Which, in combination with the weather made it feel like a miserable day, indeed.)

If it's 60 degrees and sunny this week all will be forgiven.  And--weather gods take note--by "this week" I mean all five weekdays and next weekend.  Peas, chard, lettuce, carrots--its beyond time to get planting!

How 'bout those brackets?

Living in Lawrence, it's hard not to get swept up in March Madness.  As a friend of mine wrote the other day "filling out your NCAA bracket as a Jayhawk is an experience not unlike rolling around in a vat of gold while being told how beautiful and smart you are."  Our team?  Kind of a big deal.

And as long as the 'Hawks stay in it, my bracket will be happy and wonderful and lovely.  (And K-State, you'd better make it to the Final Four too.)  Also, please note that--although I failed at choosing many of the upsets that occurred yesterday--I somehow managed to nail the Georgetown/Ohio game, so whoohoo for that!

Any one else avidly following basketball for the next few weeks?  How are your brackets going?

Dogs, Outtakes

Moe: Throw it, throw it, throw it!!!!!

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Moe: May I help you?

Porter: The grooming is great, but the laying on top of me?  Not so much.

My Brain Lives in a Moleskine

Not even kidding.  I bought this little moleskine (it's the 3.5 x 5.5 hardcover sketch book--I like the thicker paper) with the intent to starting a gratitude journal.  While it does still occasionally function as such, it's actually become more of a vault of ideas, things to remember, and other jottings that I might need at a moments notice.  

From the top left and clockwise...a little daily gratitude...the deviled egg recipe, furiously scribbled down while watching my mom make them...a list of crafty to-dos...the outer cover...some important email addresses clipped in with a safety pin...ideas for a new haircut tucked into the back pocket.

Big Picture/Little Picture

Big picture?  Things are starting to look pretty good.  It's taking less and less imagination every day to see where this is going.  There are still some big rocks to move (the little fire pit at right is just not fitting in with the plan), but overall, we're getting there. 

And the little picture?

The trees are starting to bloom and drop slightly messy, but weirdly cool seed pods.

We dug in some flat rocks for paths between the garden beds.  The plan is to plant grass around them, and try to mostly step on the rocks so that the grass won't die.  Also last fall's garlic is starting to make it's appearance.

 Bulbs on bulbs!  Walking outside is kind of a little surprise everyday, because I don't have any idea where they're going to pop up next.  Although some were sacrificed to the weed burner this weekend, we're trying to save as many as possible.

My Dogs Think I'm a Horrible Mother

If my dogs could speak English...well, hell, actually they're getting the message across just fine in Dog-lish--I'm a horrible dog-mommy who tortures them and doesn't let them have any fun.

Exhibit A:  Setting, my back yard.  We're outside, so Moe thinks it's time to throw the ball.  I am often willing to oblige, however, not when I'm doing yard work.  On such occasions, he throws the ball at my feet and then barks (ice-pick-terrier-bark).  I do not like being barked at so I become even more unwilling to throw the ball.  The wheels in his little brain start spinning--"I'll teach her to ignore me!"--and, if possible, even louder barking ensues.  The other night even Porter got sick of it, body-slamming Moe, stealing his toy, and trying to bury it in the corner of the yard just to stop the awful noise.

Exhibit B:  Setting, bedtime.  I stand at the top of the stairs and plead with Porter to try to make it up the stairs on her own.  

"Bella...pretty, pretty princess Bella-bean...Porter-bella...come on sweet pea, let's go to bed...c'mon, c'mon, c'mon...."  

She stands at the bottom of the stairs.  I go downstairs to carry her up, and she retreats to the couch, giving me the dirtiest of looks.  She knows what's coming next--I scoop up all fifty pounds of her, huff and puff up the stairs, and gingerly set her down at the top.  Without so much as a "aww, thanks Mom", she turns tail and heads for her bed.

The thing is, I'd be more than willing to let her sleep downstairs, but then she whines because she's all alone.  The answer--in her mind, at least--is that we all should abandon the second floor of our house and sleep downstairs with her.  Of course, in that scenario, Sweet Husband, Moe, and I would be sleeping on the floor.  We couldn't possibly impose on the princess by sleeping on her couch, now could we?

Exhibit C:  Setting, my bedroom, 4 a.m.  Moe has been sleeping in his basket very well.  So well, in fact, that I've started to notice and wake-up in the middle of the night when he tries to sneak into bed.  This results in a (usually gentle) kick to get him back on the floor.  Only he's started anticipating the kick.  So now, instead of actually trying to get onto the bed, he paces the floor next to the bed and whines.  And whines.  And whines.  

Yes, even half-asleep, this breaks my heart a little.  Yes, I know I'm a horrible dog-mommy.  But, as I'm sure I'll repeat to a kiddo someday, I tell Moe and Porter, "There are starving dogs in Africa.  Compared to them, you guys have it pretty good--regular meals, a warm bed, toys.  Suck it up, guys!"

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought the Adjustable Pillow Splint

I am a big believer in digging your own garden.  Like, digging with a shovel.

Don't get me wrong, tillers are OK, but there's just something about getting out with a shovel, woman versus dirt.  It takes marginally longer to dig a garden yourself--although I would even debate that if you don't own your own tiller and you have to go rent one--but is it really more work?  No.  And further, it's kind of zen.  Birds chirping, the rhythmic "swack" of the shovel being thrust into the earth--so much better than an obnoxious, motorized creature.

I was very firm in that conviction until this evening.  I had an hour after work,so I decided to go outside and see what I could do about digging out some viney, ground cover that's growing around the trees in our backyard.  We want to re-seed the grass this weekend, but the vines have to be dug out first.

Brief back-story.  When we bought this house (early last summer), we discovered the previous owners (whom we love, in general) had developed kind of a live-and-let-live attitude towards some of the landscaping.  Towards some of the very invasive landscaping.

Last fall we were able to temporarily rescue the two trees in our backyard, which were covered in vines, but we knew the battle would have to be waged again in the spring.  Sure enough, when I went outside this evening the vines were already sneakily trying to creep back up the trees.  

I took my shovel to them.  I took my rake to them.  I even tried my ax.  But in the end, there were still far too many vines criss-crossing the ground around the bases of the trees.

By the time Sweet Husband got home from work, I was ready to admit that perhaps we might need to think about renting a tiller.  Except that, as Sweet Husband wisely pointed out, it would take an unthinkable beast of a tiller to conquer the vines without killing the tiller.

What to do?

"What about a weed burner?" Sweet Husband asked.  

Being a boy, Sweet Husband is abnormally attracted to fire.  In fact, last summer when we were doing the more heavy duty "landscaping" of the invasives, we considered getting a weed burner to make quicker work of it.  (For those of you who don't know what a weed burner is, picture the device that would ensue if a normal torch and a flame thrower had babies.  It's somewhere in the middle.)  For budgetary reasons, we ultimately decided we could do without it then, but tonight--after wrestling with the vines alone--I was much more willing to consider the idea.

Sweet Husband hopped onto Amazon and quickly found one, and for a bargain price.  I was almost sold when he showed me the screen.  In the bottom right hand corner, however, was the potential deal breaker....

Complete with a picture of someone's arm in a cast were the words, "Customers who bought this item also bought the adjustable pillow splint."

Maybe tomorrow night I'll give it another hack with the shovel?

Trowel and Error In the Garden

This time of year it's so hard to imagine how--in just a few months--this will be a growing, bustling garden.  Right now it's a mud hole.

But let's dream a bit.  

When I started sketching out this year's garden, I quickly realized that--even with more space than I've ever had before--there wasn't enough room...in the eight beds we dug last fall.

"Honey, how do you feel about digging a few more beds?"

"Do I get a watermelon patch?"

So last weekend we broke ground on three more beds.

I'm still trying to decide what I think of the rocks.  They're functional and--along with many pieces of furniture--they came with the house.  Plus, with just a little bit of repair work each year, they should last forever.  But wood might look nicer eventually.

I'm also trying to decide about the paths between the beds.  We're going to re-seed most of the lawn already, so it would be nothing to hit the paths too...but maybe we should do wood chips, instead?  I'd rather have grass, but I'm questioning how much foot, paw, and hose traffic the grass will hold up to.

Truth of the matter is, the only way I know to go about this is to try things.  Then next year we can keep what works and try new things for what doesn't.

Most of all I'm just hoping the rain and my cold both let up for this weekend so we can get started!

Happy Things to Chase Away the Sniffles

I'm getting sick.  I'm high on NyQuil.  And Moe just left a big muddy paw mark on my freshly washed bedding.  It's time for some happy things.

1.  I want my back porch to look like this for the summer.

2.  One of my favorite quotes in the whole wide world.

3.  Setting aside the fact that I can't breathe through my left nostril, I have been very happy as of late.  And I think it probably has a lot to do with the fact that I have all three of these things.

4.  I got into a really fun conversation with my knitting girlies tonight about great books.  We were split, however, on The Catcher in the Rye.  One friend loved it.  One friend finished it, but only by forcing herself.  I have tried to read it several times, and can never make it through the first few chapters.  I'm curious--is this universally either a you-love-it or you-hate-it book?  Does anyone just feel lukewarm about it?

5.  We've made this tomato sauce recipe about once a week for the past month.  I know it doesn't look like much, but it's seriously incredible!

6.  Sweet Husband keeps playing these videos (here and here) of This Too Shall Pass by OK Go.  Creative music videos--how quaint!

7.  Dear Fergus' Mom just about has me sold on making some itty, baby calling cards.  I'm thinking something like these.

8.  Cold medicine induced dreams make the best stories to tell at work the next day.  G'night kids!

Mr. #4's Hoodie

It's a real, live sweater and it made me feel like a real, live knitter!

OK, so it's not quite the commitment that a me-sized sweater would be--I'm working up to that--but I did modify the pattern all on my own-some.  

The basic idea was inspired by the Easy Baby Cardigan (full yarn and pattern details here), but I did not want a cardigan, I wanted a hoodie.  (Don't ask me why, but my heart was set on it.)  So--non-knitters can tune out here--once I thought I had enough space for the kiddo’s head to go through (as a guess, about five or six rows before I took the stitches off for the sleeves), I joined in the round in the front. Then I just continued following the pattern, except that I didn't do the garter stitch border on the front (just knit those stitches), and, of course, I didn't have to switch between knitting and purling.  (Which was delightful--I don't know why, but purling always seems to take longer.)

The mystery Mr. #4 is Nice Cousin's wee urchin, who is expected shortly and may be--if the parents-to-be stick with one of the names they were considering at Thanksgiving--named for his daddy.  (And, note to Nice Cousin, I'm holding you to your word on the pictures!)

 

 

Vintage License Plate Magnet Boards

This is my office.  It's actually kind of cozy as far as state employee offices go.  I have four walls, a door, and--absolute joy!--a window, all of which are major perks in a land where cubicles are more often the norm.  What I didn't have, before a few days ago that is, is a place to put my sticky notes.  

I just recently became a convert to the sticky note as a way to remember things.  Most often, they're thoughts that don't have a designated place yet, but need to not be forgotten.  

"Call Fred." 

"Watch senate bill #2." 

"Ponder weird issue x that will be coming up five cases from now."  

I was originally just sticking them to my wall, but then they would fall off into the no-man's land between the wall and my desk.  Then I had nightmares about forgetting something important because it fell behind my desk, and becoming a cautionary tale to young attorneys....beware the lost sticky note!

Bottom line: my clients' freedom should not depend on the strength of post-it glue.

So, I wandered to the antique mall.  I was originally looking for a metal tray, when I found a big box of old license plates.  I wasn't sure if they were made of metal or not, but--right at that perfect second--an older man walked by who looked like he might be able to tell me.  (He just had that look about him--like he knew useful stuff.)  

He did not actually know, sadly, but he did have a magnet in his pocket which was just as good.  Turns out, all Kansas license plates before '76 were made of magnet-able metal.  A trip to the hardware store for some super-duper strong magnets, and I can sleep soundly again.

The reason I'm posting this, however, is not to assure you all that I'm sleeping well.  It's that I think these would also work great for by the phone, in the kitchen, near the door--basically any place you need a bulletin board, but would rather do somethin' vintagey.  

Go forth and find some cool license plates!