Ramble.
I went to the Farmer's Market here today. They were just packing up as I left, so the people I bought stuff from threw extras in. I got:
2 two-foot tall Brandywine tomato plants
1 semi-hot pepper plant
2 bunches of kale
1 bunch of new onions
And a caramel nut bread from the Amish group that I saw my Dad eyeing hopefully while he went off on his run. I won't eat it personally, but Dad loves sweet things.
The kale was something I'd never tried cooking before, but I think it's become a new favorite. I sauteed some onion and garlic, added a bit of mustard and chicken broth, then cooked the kale in it until it was limp, then added sundried tomatoes to sop up the remaining juices (though the tomatoes wound up a bit strong). It was so very good, and the people who gave it to me mentioned making a kale pesto as well. I think I'll try that next.
Looking up stuff on kale makes it clear why it's popular around here, beyond the hardiness: cultivated in Sweden and Denmark. The concentration of Swedes here is very high and thus the influence on the culture is felt.
I'm still uncertain if part of the reason I loved the kale so much was because of the high iron concentration. I tend to gravitate towards spinach and other dark, leafy vegetables when I'm not feeling that great. In the meantime, so tasty!
I also finished my box for the garden, and that made me glad that I didn't try to dig down and use the existing soil. It can barely be called soil; rocks are, quite literally, every two inches, and I had fun digging the holes for the posts to brace the box.
I'll have to beg some of the topsoil that's been shifted around the golf course and mix it with some peat moss, and then I can plant. It'll be a small garden, but I think even just that will be more than enough. Dad will have to pick a lot of it since I'll be gone in August, but I don't think he'll mind, given his usual reaction to entirely fresh veggies.
Cross-country will be starting up soon, so I'll still have the kids to bake for, though with working more (hooray) I'll have less free time (boo). That said, I don't think any knowledge is really wasted, so knowing how to run a golf course might someday be handy. And hey, picking up the golf balls on the driving range is fun. Chasing coyotes across the golf course? Also fun.
I've made it past the sunburn stage (mostly) and into the freckled/tanned stage. I don't think I've had this many freckles since age six. I'll have to get some checked out when I'm back at university, just in case, but I'm kind of enjoying not being overly pale for once. Working at the golf course will certainly get me back into some semblance of good shape, given how much I have to walk and haul stuff around. I'm really looking forward to it, and ensuring that I have money for university and car repairs is a definite plus, though the majority is covered. Just not spending money/clothes/Christmas in Florida with the family.
I still need to find a home for a year for Molly, though. I don't really want to drive from here to Ontario with her in the car, but that's still better than abandoning her at the shelter. I'll have to ask Nandy if she'd be willing to take her -- while she might be more of a dog person normally, I think a cat's more her speed nowadays. And she is a good kitty. I just wish I could get her to tolerate SoftPaws (she eats them off of her claws), but we actually need her hunting out here, so I can't acclimate her to them while out here.
In closing...
... I really hope that the tomatoes bear some fruit before I go to uni. I want home-grown tomatoes, darnit. So gooooooood. I miss them!
2 two-foot tall Brandywine tomato plants
1 semi-hot pepper plant
2 bunches of kale
1 bunch of new onions
And a caramel nut bread from the Amish group that I saw my Dad eyeing hopefully while he went off on his run. I won't eat it personally, but Dad loves sweet things.
The kale was something I'd never tried cooking before, but I think it's become a new favorite. I sauteed some onion and garlic, added a bit of mustard and chicken broth, then cooked the kale in it until it was limp, then added sundried tomatoes to sop up the remaining juices (though the tomatoes wound up a bit strong). It was so very good, and the people who gave it to me mentioned making a kale pesto as well. I think I'll try that next.
Looking up stuff on kale makes it clear why it's popular around here, beyond the hardiness: cultivated in Sweden and Denmark. The concentration of Swedes here is very high and thus the influence on the culture is felt.
I'm still uncertain if part of the reason I loved the kale so much was because of the high iron concentration. I tend to gravitate towards spinach and other dark, leafy vegetables when I'm not feeling that great. In the meantime, so tasty!
I also finished my box for the garden, and that made me glad that I didn't try to dig down and use the existing soil. It can barely be called soil; rocks are, quite literally, every two inches, and I had fun digging the holes for the posts to brace the box.
I'll have to beg some of the topsoil that's been shifted around the golf course and mix it with some peat moss, and then I can plant. It'll be a small garden, but I think even just that will be more than enough. Dad will have to pick a lot of it since I'll be gone in August, but I don't think he'll mind, given his usual reaction to entirely fresh veggies.
Cross-country will be starting up soon, so I'll still have the kids to bake for, though with working more (hooray) I'll have less free time (boo). That said, I don't think any knowledge is really wasted, so knowing how to run a golf course might someday be handy. And hey, picking up the golf balls on the driving range is fun. Chasing coyotes across the golf course? Also fun.
I've made it past the sunburn stage (mostly) and into the freckled/tanned stage. I don't think I've had this many freckles since age six. I'll have to get some checked out when I'm back at university, just in case, but I'm kind of enjoying not being overly pale for once. Working at the golf course will certainly get me back into some semblance of good shape, given how much I have to walk and haul stuff around. I'm really looking forward to it, and ensuring that I have money for university and car repairs is a definite plus, though the majority is covered. Just not spending money/clothes/Christmas in Florida with the family.
I still need to find a home for a year for Molly, though. I don't really want to drive from here to Ontario with her in the car, but that's still better than abandoning her at the shelter. I'll have to ask Nandy if she'd be willing to take her -- while she might be more of a dog person normally, I think a cat's more her speed nowadays. And she is a good kitty. I just wish I could get her to tolerate SoftPaws (she eats them off of her claws), but we actually need her hunting out here, so I can't acclimate her to them while out here.
In closing...
... I really hope that the tomatoes bear some fruit before I go to uni. I want home-grown tomatoes, darnit. So gooooooood. I miss them!