Jesse Glessner

Dave Bross wrote:An idea from our very own Redhawk - " We trellis one sweet potato vine every year

I always wondered if sweet potatoes would climb a trellis. My mother used to grow one in a South window just to have something that was cheery green. I didn't climb by itself, but it didn't mind growing to the top of the window.

AND, darn it, I just downloaded an article about AIR GROWING potatoes with drip irrigation in 5 gallon buckets. and I cannot find the article. Oh, just remembered, it was in the book, "The Amish Ways" by Eddie Swartzentruber, Global Brother, 2024. The gist of this is to have the potato on top of the lid with irrigation tubes in the bucket where the potatoes will grow with no soil. Interesting concept! I MAY have to try this as I did different sizes of grow bags from landscaping cloth that I sewed myself, because someone challenged me to do the grow bags. For me they did not work at all. BUT, I also have never really had a good crop of potatoes even from the ground.

Mk Neal wrote:I would carmelize onions, salt to taste, and mix with sour cream ( or labneh) while still warm. Then let sit some time before serving so the flavor permeates.

I'm not big on dips, however, what would it be like to put the onions in a food processor and finely chopped, then use real mayonnaise as the mix, or maybe Ranch dressing? Lip smacking good or just totally YUK??

Jay Angler wrote:

Deane Adams wrote:...  But it's kinda hard to make it for just one, so like rice I end up eating it for days.  

Some dishes you've just got to go big or go home! I hope the homemade Mac and Cheese is yummy and filling! My son considers it comfort food.

I like spaghetti but with a chunky sauce. SO, I make a huge pot of sauce starting with two quarts of purchased spaghetti sauce and using all kinds of veggies. I make sure to keep stirring it until I think it is all done then I package it away in square-ish 16 oz containers and put away in the freezer. For a meal I just pull one of those out, drop the contents in a bowl and stick in the microwave to thaw out. In the meantime I'm cooking the spaghetti and buttering a couple of slices of bread for my meal.

These worked great, especially when I was teaching at the local community college, but it still works well when I need a good meal.

Karen Donnachaidh wrote:I am amazed at the talent I see displayed on this page! I would love to be the recipient of any of these fine wares. Lucky folks.

My humble gift is almost ready to be delivered (tomorrow) to my in-laws at the retirement home. As I posted above, applesauce, sliced pears, grape jelly, cranberry jelly and orange marmalade. The marmalade recipe made exactly 6 half-pints, so I only had a taste when I scraped the pot and licked the spoon. Delicious! But, it looks thin in the jars (moves when you invert the jar). Oh well. Now, I'll make some buttermilk biscuits (mother-in-law's recipe) and it's ready.

When I moved back to IN from CA, as a 65 year old dude who had never cooked much, I learned the canning process all over again. Had to do that as a kid and hated it but it kept us fed through the winters. Learning new with squeaking through the Y2K fiasco I needed to do some prepping. You learn as you go, not just from reading and recipes. I developed an Apple Sauce recipe from an on-line version, one that "I" liked! I have a Niece who not only owned a restaurant, but also made & sold lots of Apple Butter is a very good cook. It was great, but, yuk, apple butter, when you could make apple sauce? It's a no-brainer. I gave the Niece a pint of my apple sauce. She eMailed me for the recipe! And that was one of the best "gifts" I've ever received!   :-)    So, sometimes gifts can come from very unexpected sources!

Some hints for you: Try a Cranberry/Orange Jam from recipes on-line. Also, instead of Buttermilk Biscuits try making Biscuits from just TWO ingredients from recipes on-line. They come out GREAT with fluffy layers that taste great right out of the oven, split open, and smothered with butter! ENJOY

Gary Crocker wrote:I really like this Wood Oyl for butcher blocks, cutting boards and wooden utensils:
https://www.kramerize.com/products.htm
The other Kramer wood products are fantastic, as well! This is a small company and it feels good to support them.

Thanks for posting that Gary. I'll pass on the word in our CNC meeting coming up this week. Some of the guys are making cutting boards all the time, usually using end grain or inlays as decorative motifs.
There are many solutions and oils people use on their boards. You just have to be careful that those are not detrimental to humans. Beeswax is a good one, especially if you melt it before applying as that gets into the grain better.

Thanks, again

leila hamaya wrote:i have done a lot of sheet mulching but unlike most of the posters here i add a lot of soil on top of the sheet mulch, more similar to "Lasagna"  gardening.

Been there and done that and other ideas in gardening. I built four raised beds  3' X 15' and it took a LOT of soil to fill those. After 3 years or so I decided to try Electro-Gardening and planted copper wires through the beds running from approximately 8.5 ft antennas. SO, this year, to not get the wires wrapped around my tiller, I decided to use a 3" auger like those used for planting bulbs. I dig down 5" to 6", drop some good top soil down the hole and plant my seeds in that.

It may be a lazy man's way of gardening, but those who plant bulbs have no problem growing their flowers out. And it is really easy on the back and knees when planting!

Ra Kenworth wrote:I have forest so I collect fallen dead branches, pine cones, etc., any brush that has been cleared, plus hydrangea branches come fall, Jerusalem artichoke stems which can reach over 15' high,  

I built a 2' X 6' raised bed for a friend and will build one more for her sister. To fill, I just had a couple of straw bales that I put on the bottom, assuming that they would eventually disintegrate into compost. That took up a good 8" to 9" - then I layered clay soil with manure/compost. Last was the approximate 9" layer of good top soil for the plants. I started with a kit of corrugated metal at 11" and added 2" X 12" under that. With the extra length added with the four corner posts that made the working height just right to be able to stand and work any plants growing.

This worked great for the old lady as she didn't need to bend over or get on her knees to tend her garden. She loved it.

elle sagenev wrote:My absolute favorite knife is a cheap fish filet knife I bought at Walmart. I use it every single time I butcher anything. I recently got some Jero knives and they've been cutting things really well.

I also purchased a cheap knife but don't remember where, just that I couldn't afford a hefty price. It is a 'Railton39R2351 Stainless, Japan. I've had this at least 30 years now and have never sharpened it or had it sharpened. Living alone it doesn't get a lot of use cutting meat, but when that job comes around it still does a great job cutting up the larger chunk into stew meats. I do have other knives but I've used this one for so long that it still usually is the first one I pickup to do many other jobs cutting up cloth, rope, cardboard boxes, opening packages and mail. I bent the tip about 1/2" back and just took it to the shop and hammered it back straight. I don't know what I'd do with out it!!
Long live my knife!!