We have an interesting situation with the fruit trees that were already on our property when we bought the house. There were two plum trees, a peach tree and a cherry tree. I have no problem with the plum trees, except that out of 450 plums that the tree produced last year (compared with 2 this year), they all ripened the same week. That's okay. I made some neighbors pretty happy giving them each a big bag of plums--ripe ones, since we were out of town for the first two or so days that about 250 of them fell on the ground before I could harvest them. These numbers are real--I counted them since they were so plentiful!
The peach tree was a lost cause. This climate is not extremely hot enough for peaches--there's a reason you associate them with Georgia. So the peaches were mealy and moldy before they even got ripe. I cut all the branches off of it last year since they were also diseased--thinking maybe it would be one of those wonders of nature that would come back in force if I did so. Still, no signs of life have emerged and I will have to cut it down at the base.
That leaves the cherry tree. It has produced abundantly each of the three years we've been here. The cherries are absolutely picture perfect--a bright cheery red, just the type that you see in pictures and artwork. The only problem is that they are not only not Bing cherries, which are dark and sweet and ready for eating uncooked, but even the birds don't bother them. You eat one and your face puckers at the sour bitterness of the fruit. It's downright dismal. Maybe they are pie cherries and only get sweet with cooking. It just doesn't seem very promising so far and I'm not sure I care to put in the effort. I probably ought to try, since in my ignorance I might be passing up a great opportunity. On the hottest day we've had here in a couple of years, it just doesn't sound like a very exciting experiment.
These trees could be used as illustrations of people. I think I'm a little like the plum tree--I produce a lot in a huge burst and then I have to rest for a while.
There are those like the peach tree, I never want to be one of those--who only bear bad fruit, ugly and rotten--Jesus uses this as an illustration of false prophets, who don't trust in God or do anything in His strength. They are only good to be cut down.
Then there are many people who are like our cherry tree, whose fruit is all pretty and perfect on the outside and sour and bitter on the inside. If someone will spend some time and effort on them, they may have a good sweet reward in the end.
I'm glad that many fruit trees are less perplexing than these. There are so many that reliably bear good and beautiful fruit; they are like the tree in Psalm 1 which is firmly planted by streams of Living Water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither; the man who lives emulating this tree prospers in whatever he does. I hope to, as I grow in Christ, be continually more like this tree.
An update on the cherry tree--today in spite of the heat Katie picked a number of the cherries and tried cooking them experimentally with some sugar and cornstarch; the bitter and sour taste subsided somewhat. Not that the result was all that flavorful; I still think they're a bit disappointing. To update our little "Scripture meaning" of each tree, we surmise that when someone produces fruit that looks pretty on the outside but is actually bitter and sour inside, then provided that they go through some cooking, some testing, with someone adding some sweetness to their lives, they might show some promise. So there you go. Also, don't let your first conclusion about a person be your lasting one, because like the flavor of the cherries, people can change with time and marinating in God's word and the fellowship of believers. Also if you have bitter cherries in your yard maybe you should cook some up into a pie (with plenty of sugar) and invite us over! Uh, I guess that is what we ought to be doing for you...let us know if you want to try ours. (Not promising that you'll be glad for it.)
Monday, June 26, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
A Couple of Fun Recipes
Here are a couple of recipes that I think you'll enjoy. Well, you certainly won't get fat using them...most likely.
THE BEST ZUCCHINI RECIPE EVER!
1 bushel zucchini
1 pair of sunglasses
1 raincoat
A moderately fast car
Go to a busy parking lot. Drive around until you find an unlocked car. Put the zucchini in the back seat and drive away FAST before you are discovered!
ELEPHANT STEW
1 Elephant
Plenty of salt and pepper
2 rabbits (optional)
First catch your elephant. Then cut into bite-size pieces. (This should take about two months.)
Add enough brown gravy to cover your elephant an cook for about four weeks at 250 degrees C.
This serves 3000 people. If more are expected, add two rabbits, but do this if only necessary as people do not like to find hares in their stew.
THE BEST ZUCCHINI RECIPE EVER!
1 bushel zucchini
1 pair of sunglasses
1 raincoat
A moderately fast car
Go to a busy parking lot. Drive around until you find an unlocked car. Put the zucchini in the back seat and drive away FAST before you are discovered!
ELEPHANT STEW
1 Elephant
Plenty of salt and pepper
2 rabbits (optional)
First catch your elephant. Then cut into bite-size pieces. (This should take about two months.)
Add enough brown gravy to cover your elephant an cook for about four weeks at 250 degrees C.
This serves 3000 people. If more are expected, add two rabbits, but do this if only necessary as people do not like to find hares in their stew.
Garden Whale Casserole
Don’t know what a garden whale is? That’s one of those big, foot-long green things that appear in your zucchini plants when you look away for a few minutes. Those work just fine in this casserole, seeds and all.
Dice:
3 c. zucchini (or more is fine)
2 lg. tomatoes
1 lg. sweet onion
Toss w/ salt and pepper.
Grate:
1 ½ c. sharp cheddar cheese
½ c. Parmesan cheese
Topping:
8 saltines
3 Tbsp. butter
Garlic powder
Finesse herbs (or thyme and oregano)
Butter a large casserole dish. In it place ½ of vegetable mixture and ½ of cheese. Make topping mixture by crumbling saltines and mixing in other topping ingredients. Top casserole with half of cheese and topping, rest of zucchini, rest of cheese and topping ingredients. Bake covered ½ - ¾ hour; remove lid last 10-15 min. (And if you’re like me, you’ll just put the veggies in and top with cheese and topping—and it will work fine.)
Here's another thing that my family loves when I do zucchini: I put oil in a pan and heat it to med. high; then slice a bunch of zucchini; scatter thyme all over the pan, add the zucchini, cook on the one side, and turn when the first side is dark; cook the other side until through. They're good! Even Tim, my pickiest, loves it.
Don’t know what a garden whale is? That’s one of those big, foot-long green things that appear in your zucchini plants when you look away for a few minutes. Those work just fine in this casserole, seeds and all.
Dice:
3 c. zucchini (or more is fine)
2 lg. tomatoes
1 lg. sweet onion
Toss w/ salt and pepper.
Grate:
1 ½ c. sharp cheddar cheese
½ c. Parmesan cheese
Topping:
8 saltines
3 Tbsp. butter
Garlic powder
Finesse herbs (or thyme and oregano)
Butter a large casserole dish. In it place ½ of vegetable mixture and ½ of cheese. Make topping mixture by crumbling saltines and mixing in other topping ingredients. Top casserole with half of cheese and topping, rest of zucchini, rest of cheese and topping ingredients. Bake covered ½ - ¾ hour; remove lid last 10-15 min. (And if you’re like me, you’ll just put the veggies in and top with cheese and topping—and it will work fine.)
Here's another thing that my family loves when I do zucchini: I put oil in a pan and heat it to med. high; then slice a bunch of zucchini; scatter thyme all over the pan, add the zucchini, cook on the one side, and turn when the first side is dark; cook the other side until through. They're good! Even Tim, my pickiest, loves it.
Further Progress on Household Work
I am continuing with my intent to accomplish significant things every day. Well, Sunday is a day of rest, and that's where I'm keeping it...but otherwise I have persisted. Latest was working in the vegetable garden. We're continuing to try to get it really going, kind of late but we couldn't help that for lack of soil.
We had soil delivered from a friend of ours; it is nicer than what we had on hand since most of the rocks and things have been sifted out. I think though that it is rather clay-ish, once it is rained on. It is hard to hoe and I will continue to amend it so that in coming years it will be good, fertile, and easy to work. So far, though, my shoulders get sore rather quickly working in it.
We are believers in composting plant matter from both our yard and our kitchen. If you contrast the compost with the clayish soil, the difference is vast. Dark, rich, crumbly soft soil is what we get. It also has a price to pay, that is, if we want to keep the remaining compost working. We take the worms out of the compost before incorporating the compost into the soil. They are red worms, which die if they don't have compost; they are no good to a vegetable garden but vital to a compost bin. So yesterday Tim and I sat together and divided the worms from the compost. There are endless numbers of them! I realize this isn't work everyone would care to do, but the resulting soil is a great reward. I drew a furrow with my hoe and added the compost, then blended it in with the clay-ish soil. We then scattered seed, put up bamboo posts at either end of each row, and labeled the rows. We also used some cassette tape tied to the bamboo posts at either end of the rows to delineate where each row went so we were less likely to walk on them--they also should discourage birds. I hate to say this that only took a minute to type took a couple of hours to accomplish.
Some of our tomatoes and squash plants were looking kind of yellow and so I added some iron to the surrounding soil. I hope it helps! I thought the soil probably was high in iron, since it has a red tone, but it doesn't seem to be--unless the yellow is from something else. A few days should show whether it is or not.
The weather is hot now so we will have to remember to water there daily. After a couple more months we should have not only the zucchini and tomatoes that we started with, but also spinach, radishes, green onions, maybe some peppers (they're turning out kind of wimpy), Swiss chard, lettuce...if we eat all that we'll be quite healthy. And we should have enough to share!
I have a great recipe for zucchini and tomatoes; I'll post it separately. I think you'll like it. Happy summer!
We had soil delivered from a friend of ours; it is nicer than what we had on hand since most of the rocks and things have been sifted out. I think though that it is rather clay-ish, once it is rained on. It is hard to hoe and I will continue to amend it so that in coming years it will be good, fertile, and easy to work. So far, though, my shoulders get sore rather quickly working in it.
We are believers in composting plant matter from both our yard and our kitchen. If you contrast the compost with the clayish soil, the difference is vast. Dark, rich, crumbly soft soil is what we get. It also has a price to pay, that is, if we want to keep the remaining compost working. We take the worms out of the compost before incorporating the compost into the soil. They are red worms, which die if they don't have compost; they are no good to a vegetable garden but vital to a compost bin. So yesterday Tim and I sat together and divided the worms from the compost. There are endless numbers of them! I realize this isn't work everyone would care to do, but the resulting soil is a great reward. I drew a furrow with my hoe and added the compost, then blended it in with the clay-ish soil. We then scattered seed, put up bamboo posts at either end of each row, and labeled the rows. We also used some cassette tape tied to the bamboo posts at either end of the rows to delineate where each row went so we were less likely to walk on them--they also should discourage birds. I hate to say this that only took a minute to type took a couple of hours to accomplish.
Some of our tomatoes and squash plants were looking kind of yellow and so I added some iron to the surrounding soil. I hope it helps! I thought the soil probably was high in iron, since it has a red tone, but it doesn't seem to be--unless the yellow is from something else. A few days should show whether it is or not.
The weather is hot now so we will have to remember to water there daily. After a couple more months we should have not only the zucchini and tomatoes that we started with, but also spinach, radishes, green onions, maybe some peppers (they're turning out kind of wimpy), Swiss chard, lettuce...if we eat all that we'll be quite healthy. And we should have enough to share!
I have a great recipe for zucchini and tomatoes; I'll post it separately. I think you'll like it. Happy summer!
Friday, June 23, 2006
Work a Little, Rest a Lot...a Perplexing Pattern
Well, on my resolution to do at least one project per day this summer, I think I've done fairly well. We have one bathroom that we've just turned from seafoam green to neutral beige...except for the ceiling, which at least is sealer-primed (I'm tired of the expressive color choices of our previous owner--and we might want to sell before long). Now we only have one room left that we have to prime to cover the previous owner's less-than-fabulous choice: the pinky red that is on the lower half of the rec room walls. The experience of priming first, and plastering major flaws in the wall board, makes us feel spoiled when all that is needed in the room is the paint itself. I painted our back bathroom most of the way yesterday (have to do the edging and some over the mirror) and it only took about an hour. Wow! Well, I do still need to do the edging...
Once I was done with painting yesterday, we went for a walk and after stopping to talk to some neighbors (who were gently berating us for not attending their Bible study...well, it's a long story)...well, after that, I could hardly move, so instead of going off the cul-de-sac we just went home. Sad when you get old and hardly fit at all for anything. I do try.
Katie's been doing her Pilates, maybe you've read her blog...and I intend to try, but I'm mentally gearing up. She just does it on the hard floor, and I don't dare until I get a good floor mat. If I did, I think I'd break a bone or something; maybe need a hospital visit. It looks intriguing, if not dangerous. She was sore afterward; thought she had an upset stomach until she realized the Pilates caused it...and she hasn't had abdominal surgeries, as I have. It does give me pause.
So I can try all I can to be tough and do the hard stuff (yes, painting is hard stuff), but then I have to stop for rest in between, which is perplexing. I hope that when I do start Pilates that I don't have to take a week off for every day I work out. If you see a short person walking in a body cast in the next few weeks, consider yourself hugged, or at least waved at.
Once I was done with painting yesterday, we went for a walk and after stopping to talk to some neighbors (who were gently berating us for not attending their Bible study...well, it's a long story)...well, after that, I could hardly move, so instead of going off the cul-de-sac we just went home. Sad when you get old and hardly fit at all for anything. I do try.
Katie's been doing her Pilates, maybe you've read her blog...and I intend to try, but I'm mentally gearing up. She just does it on the hard floor, and I don't dare until I get a good floor mat. If I did, I think I'd break a bone or something; maybe need a hospital visit. It looks intriguing, if not dangerous. She was sore afterward; thought she had an upset stomach until she realized the Pilates caused it...and she hasn't had abdominal surgeries, as I have. It does give me pause.
So I can try all I can to be tough and do the hard stuff (yes, painting is hard stuff), but then I have to stop for rest in between, which is perplexing. I hope that when I do start Pilates that I don't have to take a week off for every day I work out. If you see a short person walking in a body cast in the next few weeks, consider yourself hugged, or at least waved at.
Friday, June 16, 2006
A List of Preparations for a Plumbing Job
Well, in view of my latest post, which included my replacing a faucet, I thought I would list a few points that would be helpful to someone doing so themselves. My instructions had nothing about removing the old faucet, just installing the new, so I learned as I went.
1. Remember to turn off the water. There are probably two valves under the sink you can close off rather than the one for the whole house. If you replace those valves, though, you'll need the whole-house valve.
2. Get eye protection (I only did too late and ended up getting stuff in my eye, causing a scratch on the inside of my eyelid), a bucket, some absorbent rags; also you may need what's called a "shower valve socket wrench set"--I had to buy one. They're like hexagonal-shaped tubes so you can put them over all the pipe paraphernalia and get to the big hex nut that keeps the faucet central portion in place. You'll also need screw drivers (both kinds), a set of wrenches, maybe one adjustable wrench; and it would also be good to replace the hoses from the valves. I was happy that one of ours broke off at the connection to the valve--otherwise it might have broken later and caused huge damage. They were stiff and at 13 years old, needed replacing. Ours were only about 12" long. Measure the size of the valve connection and the connection at the other end. I didn't and ended up having to buy two sets just to be sure, and now I have a return to make.
You may also need a power saw. The reciprocating saw I used may have been overkill, but it worked better than any other option I could find. Without it I couldn't have gotten my new shower valve socket wrench over all the other stuff.
3. Get your kids busy doing other, engaging stuff. You don't want them messing with you when it gets difficult. Maybe your spouse or a babysitter would be a good intervention.
I hope this helps someone out there in the grim process, to actually enjoy the benefit of learning from my difficulty.
1. Remember to turn off the water. There are probably two valves under the sink you can close off rather than the one for the whole house. If you replace those valves, though, you'll need the whole-house valve.
2. Get eye protection (I only did too late and ended up getting stuff in my eye, causing a scratch on the inside of my eyelid), a bucket, some absorbent rags; also you may need what's called a "shower valve socket wrench set"--I had to buy one. They're like hexagonal-shaped tubes so you can put them over all the pipe paraphernalia and get to the big hex nut that keeps the faucet central portion in place. You'll also need screw drivers (both kinds), a set of wrenches, maybe one adjustable wrench; and it would also be good to replace the hoses from the valves. I was happy that one of ours broke off at the connection to the valve--otherwise it might have broken later and caused huge damage. They were stiff and at 13 years old, needed replacing. Ours were only about 12" long. Measure the size of the valve connection and the connection at the other end. I didn't and ended up having to buy two sets just to be sure, and now I have a return to make.
You may also need a power saw. The reciprocating saw I used may have been overkill, but it worked better than any other option I could find. Without it I couldn't have gotten my new shower valve socket wrench over all the other stuff.
3. Get your kids busy doing other, engaging stuff. You don't want them messing with you when it gets difficult. Maybe your spouse or a babysitter would be a good intervention.
I hope this helps someone out there in the grim process, to actually enjoy the benefit of learning from my difficulty.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
A Goal for the Summer
Well, now that Katie is graduated and homeschooling Tim will be a more occasional than daily event, life is quieting down a lot in general. Still, there is much to do of a less urgent nature, and I am resolving to do one nagging project (the project is nagging, not me!) per day. Yesterday, I replaced the kitchen faucet. The old one had an extra fountain coming out the side, because the housing had started cracking more than a year ago. First it was a nearly invisible stream, and I bought the replacement intending to replace it soon afterward. But there was never the right day that we had the ability to stay on task and attend to nothing else but run errands to Home Depot for yet one more unanticipated part or tool.
Good thing, too. I never would have anticipated the three trips I made, or how hard it was to get the old faucet off! Since there was one nut that would NOT unscrew (un-nut?) from the pipe to the old faucet, finally after trying with a jig saw, I got it off with a reciprocating saw. It lets out a really gratifying sound that is just right for the really aggravated home fix-it person. I also use this saw for pruning our trees, so it is a pretty big-scale saw. Did the job. So after a day pretty well devoted to this faucet I got it replaced and felt pretty good about it. Can you tell?
So today, second in the series...I was going to hang a curtain that I finally finished about 6 months back and haven't had time to iron and then hang in the front window of our living room--what, a 20 minute project? Exactly. Instead, though, I started realizing how many plants we had outside that were waiting to be planted--one large maple tree, one tiny snowball tree, and a few other things--plus three I promised to plant for Stacia. So after a few hours, I had accomplished digging the holes, placing the plants, replanting one because the place wasn't right, and watering them afterward. Also replanted some ferns and foxgloves that would be destroyed when we get our siding done later this summer. Pretty rewarding to get it all done, but whew! I was exhausted. Went in to make spaghetti (one of the easiest dinners in existence) afterward, and could hardly peel a clove of garlic; felt like I was 80 years old fiddling with the thing.
Maybe tomorrow I'll hang the curtain. Not tonight. Still, I feel I'm on a roll. Wha-ha! Only 4 billion projects to go.
Good thing, too. I never would have anticipated the three trips I made, or how hard it was to get the old faucet off! Since there was one nut that would NOT unscrew (un-nut?) from the pipe to the old faucet, finally after trying with a jig saw, I got it off with a reciprocating saw. It lets out a really gratifying sound that is just right for the really aggravated home fix-it person. I also use this saw for pruning our trees, so it is a pretty big-scale saw. Did the job. So after a day pretty well devoted to this faucet I got it replaced and felt pretty good about it. Can you tell?
So today, second in the series...I was going to hang a curtain that I finally finished about 6 months back and haven't had time to iron and then hang in the front window of our living room--what, a 20 minute project? Exactly. Instead, though, I started realizing how many plants we had outside that were waiting to be planted--one large maple tree, one tiny snowball tree, and a few other things--plus three I promised to plant for Stacia. So after a few hours, I had accomplished digging the holes, placing the plants, replanting one because the place wasn't right, and watering them afterward. Also replanted some ferns and foxgloves that would be destroyed when we get our siding done later this summer. Pretty rewarding to get it all done, but whew! I was exhausted. Went in to make spaghetti (one of the easiest dinners in existence) afterward, and could hardly peel a clove of garlic; felt like I was 80 years old fiddling with the thing.
Maybe tomorrow I'll hang the curtain. Not tonight. Still, I feel I'm on a roll. Wha-ha! Only 4 billion projects to go.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
An Easy Fast Cookie Recipe
I like to think that I like to cook. Always been a collector of recipes...and yet I revert to my main favorites much of the time. And when I do cook, these days it seems like I have to cram it in between other things. Today for example--we're going off to meet some new neighbors and I wanted to bring some cookies or something, but here it is 5 p.m., and we just came in from a baseball game (Tim made 2 home runs!). I don't really want to mess up the whole kitchen. So what should solve the problem but this simple recipe, another recipe from a mix (if you want to see another, go to our Abounding Affections blog and look at Quote of the Week Cake). Here is your recipe:
Cookies from a Cake Mix
Cake mix (any flavor)
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil
(No reason why you can't add things, such as nuts, raisins, chocolate chips or spice if they go with the cake mix flavor.) Mix and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees, not very long!They burn easily on the bottom. They should be soft when taken out. Great frosted! Makes about 2 dozen.
Now make some for yourself and fill up a plate and take it to your neighbor. Aren't you nice! (Oh wait, now I'm saying how nice I am. Oh well.)
Cookies from a Cake Mix
Cake mix (any flavor)
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil
(No reason why you can't add things, such as nuts, raisins, chocolate chips or spice if they go with the cake mix flavor.) Mix and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees, not very long!They burn easily on the bottom. They should be soft when taken out. Great frosted! Makes about 2 dozen.
Now make some for yourself and fill up a plate and take it to your neighbor. Aren't you nice! (Oh wait, now I'm saying how nice I am. Oh well.)
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