Overexcited, & Now Just Plain Excited

I’m thrilled that my dwarf, container grown corn is producing. But as the title bluntly hints, I harvested several too soon almost a week ago. I should have picked just one, not a regrettable seven. :( Refusing to throw them out, I cooked them. My husband, bless his heart, helped me eat that tiny harvest despite it tasting dry and almost woody.
 

The forming kernels were not plump at all...

Fortunately, today’s harvest of two proved sweet, if still tiny. They looked much more robust before being cooked.

The other was already being cooked before
 I remembered to take a photo...

Here are a few other useful lessons learned. Husking corn before cooking is a waste of time. Instead, cut off overhanging bits and microwave the entire thing for five minutes. the steaming process makes for a perfect chew and, better still, the cob slides right out of its husk. However, it’s best to refrigerate any you don’t plan to eat right away fully intact. This helps retain moisture.

Have you ever walked into a family friend’s cornfield and picked the sweetest you’ll ever taste? Can you believe my favorite memory from those farmyard visits is playing in the big barn with their youngest son and hearing my family complain how I smelled like pigs all the way home?

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Exciting Times

It’s ridiculous that I started writing this post at least a week (?) ago. Anyway, here’s my overdue garden update.

My once weak and spindly tomato seedlings have really taken off. There are so many fruits forming that I decided to harvest a few green ones. I’m not kidding when I say these weren’t just the best fried green tomatoes I’ve ever made but the best I’ve ever eaten. My husband, not a previous fan, wants me to cook up some more…

Yum...

Finally, I was able to harvest two turning red. Again, our BLT sandwiches tasted incredible. I still need to find a good salsa recipe for canning my sweet bell peppers and these super sauce tomatoes. Fingers crossed, I won’t lose my harvest due to a natural weather event or pest invasion.

I’m so grateful to the Millennial Gardener sharing all his trials and errors on YouTube. His videos are invaluable. I learned last year that tomato plants cut off nutrients before the fruits are fully ripened.

I apologize for the poor quality image...
I need to fry some green tomatoes!

Are you aware that the time to harvest is when gently lifted fruit breaks off the vine? Isn’t nature amazing?

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A Win/Win/Win

For a mere 99 cents I picked up a box of wildflower seeds. I scattered them in the spring and finally am seeing the fruits of my very light labor. Win! There are lots more blooms today but I thought I’d share this image snapped on a brief (very hot) walk about the yard.

I need to clear out some lawn grass
around the impromptu little plot
and add a nice border...

On Wednesday, as I typed this, my brother-in-law was in town. He knew my husband’s favorite hamburger joint was soon to close, and, as done for past visits, Michael bought burgers to bring south, this time eight (!) of them. The sad ending of an era is no win, of course; I do have two more.

For one thing, I cleaned and organized more than I have in years. Win number 2. You see, Michael and the eldest brother are both fanatical clean freaks, complete opposites of us. Super short notice had me sweating buckets but I didn’t stress. I know both my brothers-in-law love us more than they abhor our messy home.

The biggest win happens to be on prominent display at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati. Another super old restaurant closed yet their bunny sign stood for many years. Then Akron, Ohio lawmakers decided to take it down. I reached out to the museum, where the beloved bunny received painstaking restoration and now towers over visitors upon entering.

A rabbit eating a hamburger may be weird but it was
the nickname the founder gave his adored wife...

Our success made local news in Northeast Ohio. I don’t mind us not being credited, the result is rewarding enough. And we hope to do the same for the iconic Skyway sign.

This location was open for 74 years...

Isn’t it nice when history doesn’t get discarded? Have you ever visited something like our sign museum?

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A Little Adventure – & – Sharing Meals

My iPhone battery needed switched out, so my husband and I traveled up to a shopping center called The Greene Tuesday afternoon. Besides the Apple store and our dentist’s office, there are 75 retail shops, a theater, comedy club, over 20 restaurants, and even apartments at the back. I’d like living there in my old age, I think. The only lack is a grocery store, but I think there’s one at the strip mall across the street, or certainly not far away.

After a quick look, this place is out of my price range;
but I really like the amenities and small town layout...

I wish our closer Austin Landing had half the dining/shopping options of the Greene and not the haphazard parking layout. Oh, well. This is the shopping center we visit for eye appointments and one thing Austin Landing has is an extensive running water feature. It doesn’t stock any koi, however, which would be nice.

Meanwhile, the Apple store apparently got hacked and our kind assistant suggested returning either that evening or the next day when their network service recovered. We opted for the latter. Still, we dined at Club Oceana and greatly enjoyed mussels in white wine sauce and a huge salad. We didn’t even try to dive into the clam linguini entrée. Our server boxed it up and this, too, was later devoured.

On Wednesday we got the battery replaced. The process took a few hours and this time we ate at Scrambler’s. As at the seafood place, we split the food order, having discovered that our appetites have lessened with age. I’m not a big fan of their crab cake benny, finding the crab cake too sweet and hollandaise sauce always a bit too rich, but it filled my belly and we didn’t have to worry about leftovers spoiling in the hot car.

After that we spent time in the air conditioned Winan’s Chocolate and Coffee shop. Their overly expensive sweets didn’t much impress me. Seated on bar stools facing the window made for relaxing people watching entertainment. I did like the blueberry flavored jellied fruit candy we split in two, also vastly overpriced at $5(USD) for four pieces. On that note, I need to get into another fruit flavor this evening. lol And I really need to make chocolate covered potato chips again. The sweet/salty combo is my favorite but not worth what Esther Price charges for a seasonal grocery store box.

Can you believe I forgot we brought home some candy? Are you a big fan of sweet treats?

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King for a Moment – & – Foodies for Life

My husband went to a routine doctor appointment and stopped at Burger King on the way home. Amusedly lamenting over my spoiling his lasts two surprises, this afternoon he got me.

He met me wearing a paper Burger King crown. I burst out laughing. Why the clerk gave it to him, I don’t know. And I neither know nor care why the chain is affiliated with Ohio State University’s football team, the Buckeyes.

I did enjoy the taste of my flame broiled whopper jr., though. If he’d called ahead to ask if I wanted one the answer probably would have been no as I’d eaten a while earlier. But by golly, I cut the burger in half and still ate the whole thing in one sitting.

Something similar happened after I saw that another fast food chain, Arby’s, brought back their chicken pecan salad sandwich for a limited time. The slices of hearty whole grain bread are rather wide and packed with equally yummy filling. But about twenty minutes after storing half in the refrigerator I went back and devoured the rest.

It’s rare that I crave any fast food, let alone rave about it. But the fresh crunchy flavors of apple, pecans, and celery perfectly balance the abundant juicy chicken chunks while a light, simple mayonnaise dressing keeps the whole thing (mostly) together. Trust me when I say that any bits that fell out onto my plate didn’t go to waste.

Is it wrong to wax poetic about fast food? Do you agree that limited releases are a gimmick, however tasty?

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Two Furry Friends

One new green pal has potential to provide tasty tomatoes this summer. I am pleased that buds are forming already.

Their fuzzy appearance is cute while a close-up reminds
me of Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors...

This blissful perpetual kitten I filmed likes huffing catnip from a toy Halloween treat bag. It has a jingle ball inside. Twice now I’ve seen Polly momentarily get it stuck on her head.

Have you been following any of the ongoing space exploration? And on an earthly note, do you think Polly stuck her face in so far because the months old ‘nip is losing potency?

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Two Simple, Satisfying Fixes

My first annoyance involves cooking. A few years ago I introduced my husband to corn meal mush. Usually fried in a pan, it should end up crispy on the outside with the center warm and creamy. But all the yummy crispness ended up stuck to my pan. My disappointed husband didn’t make a fuss but I wondered if air frying would work better with the remainder. As you can guess, success!

Fun facts about the Amish:
You may well know that the devout never drive motorized vehicles.
Neighbor/family groups hire drivers for long distance travel.
Meanwhile, the surname of Yoder is extremely common.
So, what do outsiders call these transports?
‘Yoder Toters’, of course (true story).

Another nuisance regarded my laptop. The keyboard has a ten-key number pad, which I find useful. However, the Num Lk button doesn’t indicate whether it has been activated or not. I’d roll my eyes every time my effort to key in a digit instead moved my cursor. Carefully pried off and turned upside with a dot of hot glue, it’s not pretty but will never fool me again.

While I doubt my husband would appreciate my fix, I decided he doesn’t need to know.

How the number lock kept getting turned off is a mystery…

Have you ever eaten corn meal mush? Do you own an air fryer?

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Cinderella Potatoes

My husband and I watched a YouTube video featuring the aforementioned side dish. Yesterday I got around to making it. While not difficult it was time consuming. But the end result tastes wonderful! I’ll make this again sometime in the future. In the meantime we still have three whole potatoes since my husband and I split a single one.

I think the hollow skins look like edible canoes...

Do you think you would enjoy this silky, savory treat? Have you ever heard of a potato ricer?

 

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You Win Some, You Lose Some

Last autumn I looked at my asparagus plants and deemed them destroyed by my accidental weed killer overspray. I was wrong! I’m planning to harvest some soon.

The small, tender stalks are to the right,
blending into the background...

Unfortunately, the Merlin cucumber plant didn’t survive. I haven’t even tried investigating what might have happened. Instead, I’m focused on moving forward.

Alas, his mythical magic
could not save Merlin.

And my tomato plants are moving forward, for sure. I’m delighted to report that replanting the leggy ones super deep has them perked up. The youngest sprout has not yet developed secondary adult leaves but looks healthy, as do my pepper and Swiss chard seedlings.

The reddish hues are not a problem, but rather
 caused by our broad spectrum lighting...

Do you know that perennial asparagus plants can live for many years? And that the stalks can be harvested from early spring into late fall?

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Garden Hopes & Surprises

I’m still crossing my fingers that my gangly tomato seedlings survive. One did manage to stand straighter. We still have plenty of time to order plants from the Burpee company (I think and hope if needed).

Meanwhile, I saved seed pucks from last year’s failed attempts. To my surprised delight I discovered that one of the Merlin cucumber seeds sprouted after its long dormancy. Since our friend Phoenix swears by the Straight Eight cuke variety, we bought a packet for this year.

My bonus Merlin cuke is topmost right,
foremost are tomatoes refusing to sprout,
in the middle are my rainbow Swiss chard.

We also decided to try our luck growing lemon cucumbers. As the name suggests, this heirloom breed we hope to propagate is round and yellow with a sweet taste enjoyed both raw and pickled.

We look forward to tasting any we can harvest...

Isn’t it amazing how life finds a way? Had you heard of lemon cucumbers before now?

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Looking on the Bright Side

I’m not having much luck with my coveted Super Sauce Roma tomato seedlings. The ones that sprouted are really leggy and others are stubbornly not sprouting at all. On the bright side, we have a backup plan; Burpee sells living plants as well as Super Sauce seeds. I don’t know how much those cost and probably don’t want to know. If my husband is that determined I grow them, I won’t complain about price.

The one on the far left got moved earlier in its growth;
I guess this variety needs bright light and less heat.

Sisters Terra and Polly usually follow me whenever I go downstairs. My little greenhouse setup is behind a closed door and they’ll sit outside waiting. But not every time. The pair might have been asleep when I went down the other day. I came out and saw them from the foot of the staircase.

My snoopervisors...

Do you think the vine-like little plants might survive? Did you know they shouldn’t be fertilized until their first mature leaves appear?

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Springing into Action

Last spring my husband was undergoing serious health issues. I still attempted vegetable gardening. Besides rotten weather conditions derailing my efforts, I also confused some of my seedlings.

What grew most successfully were cherry tomatoes. That’s fine except that we grew tired of the rather limited ways of eating them. Only one super sauce hybrid plant survived to provide a single, solitary fruit. After tasting that perfect tomato I was devastated by its singular harvest.

This March I’ve started eight seeds of the super sauce hybrid tomato and eight of the Jungle Parrot sweet bell pepper. Last summer those peppers were tasty but not very sweet because I didn’t foresee cross pollination with hot peppers. Oh, well.

Two tomato seeds sprouted already...

To avoid confusion when moving seed pucks for logistical reasons, I color coded all sixteen with paint on the ends of toothpicks as shown above. Fingers crossed, I’ll get the desired harvest. Despite technological advances like our heated seed starting mat and various other gear, there are zero guarantees.

A lifelong professional at our farmers market once confessed, “If farming was easy, everyone would do it.” He’s a cool dude and I missed him and his excellent produce last summer. Since our town moved the market his truck and heavy wagon have nowhere to park.

Isn’t that a shame? Should I implore our city to allow him space elsewhere?

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A Lazy Spring Update

During these last few nice days I’ve been busy preparing for the growing season. Yesterday I sowed several Swiss chard seeds outdoors. It’s a very pretty and cold hard plant offering tasty spinach-like leaves. Today I watered them due to high, drying winds.

Not This Spring Harvest, Yet...

Reliable Yellow Crocus

A Surprise of Spreading Purple!

Do you enjoy spinach or other greens? Have you ever eaten decorative edible flowers?

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A Sweet Breakfast Treat

I decided to make chocolate chip waffles for my husband this morning. The tiny bit of leftover batter turned out a waffle so cute I had to share.

Do you think it looks like a proper snowflake? Or is it more like a starfish?

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My Newest Favorite YouTube Channel

About a week ago the YouTube algorithm showed me a channel featuring Hercules Candy. Like watching pet groomers, the videos make a great background distraction. I’m watching two team members make white chocolate/watermelon ribbon candy as I type.

I once applied at a local candy shop but alas, did not get the job.
Their employment turnover is very low.

Besides fascination with the various procedures, the equipment amazes me. Much is modern while some century old tools passed down through the generations.

The eldest generation of children know next to nothing about candy making (!) because their parents wanted them to have more prosperous careers. Their son Craig is a gifted photographer who turned his passion into documenting their endeavors.

In an ironic twist, sales have since exploded. After apologizing for their low available stock, the adorable matriarch teasingly blamed her son. The entire video is long but I enjoyed the opening.

Do you know the name Hercules has historically been common in Greece like John in the United States? On a different note, can some wise reader please tell my silly self how to find Blogger’s spam folder?

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Fun with Food and Drink

Shopping at Jungle Jim’s International Grocery store, we obviously enjoy seeking unusual products. When I saw this interesting wine I had to try it. My husband kindly suggested I buy two, saving one for the novelty.

I did not enjoy the taste. Oh, well. I tried something new.

Visits to Aldi are sometimes adventurous, as well. While walking the snack aisle I saw something that didn’t belong there. It was a miniature waffle iron with a snowflake design.

I showed it to my husband, put it back, and decided to seek the product display. The low cost decided me to buy one. Rather than dig through the stacked boxes above my head, I went back for the misplaced merchandise.

Lucky for me, it was still there. I joined my husband at the self checkout with item in hand. He just hoped I would use it. And so I have, pleased how my favorite pancake mix turned out so perfectly. This took three minutes on the oiled and preheated appliance.

Merry Christmas, all!

What a fun and tasty new experience, right? Are you a fan of either waffles and/or pancakes? -

Texture is a Matter of Taste

As it happens, my first lemon dump cake proved superior. My fastidious placement of the butter pats on top made for a more even and tender crust. The dessert won’t be tossed out, though I have chucked a few tough bits of topping.

As requested by dear Strayer, I took a photo. This does taste better than it looks. lol I’m amazed how many factors affect food’s appeal.

I guess you could call this a crumble cake...

I knew someone who slipped on ice, knocking her head on the concrete driveway so hard she completely lost her senses of smell and taste. Still, she remained upbeat.

But isn’t it sad that she couldn’t lose the weight she wanted to drop? Can you guess that texture explained her tendency to continue unhealthy snacking?

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A Memorable Mistake

My first attempt blackening a chicken breast on the stovetop went without supervision. Overworked assembling other ingredients, I failed to notice smoke accumulating along the ceiling. At last I looked up and saw.

It was too late. The smoke alarm sounded before I could react. Our home security service reached out and I assured them that we needed no assistance. However, a fire truck already approached our street. I dreaded what the bill might be.

Meeting a surprising number of emergency responders outside, I mentioned understanding that my carelessness could be costly. As luck would have it, the very tall fireman led a training session and assured me there would be no cost to us.

He politely asked if they could come inside. I readily agreed. Acting respectful and kind, they all seemed amused by the situation, entertained by my goofy commentary, and happy to let me follow their little tour around our home. This memorable experience also proved our elderly cat’s deafness.

Somehow oblivious to all the goings on, Jezebel never left her spot on the couch. She did notice the emergency responders entering the room. That sweet face tilted up, and up, and up until her eyes met the fireman’s. It must have been even more surreal for her. We miss you, sweet Jezzy.

I adored that notch in her ear and always wonder if
she earned it winning some cat fight while
still a kitten out on the mean streets...

Should I somehow add Jezebel’s name to this? And since I originally intended including this tale with yesterday’s post I want to ask, do you prefer shorter or longer reads?

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Teamwork in the Kitchen

One of the cooking YouTube channels my husband and I both enjoy is Sam the Cooking Guy. While teaching us useful culinary tips and recipes, he doesn’t shy away from sharing mistakes and even little accidents like burning his tongue. His sons and one of their young friends add to Sam’s humorous, down-to-earth delivery.

His impish expression says it all, I think...

My man wanted to revisit his blackened chicken over udon noodles. I sort of balked at the idea; my appetite is reduced these days for whatever reason and rich foods are even less appealing. So he said he’d do the cooking. I couldn’t argue.

In fact, while he ran an errand today I did some prep work. With the noodles boiling away I chopped vegetables. He arrived home and expressed his gratitude. I continued doing little things like pulling heavy cream, Korean gochujang chili past, and a few other items from the refrigerator. And call me silly; I thought the noodles dancing in the water looked quite beautiful.

Blackening the thinly pounded and seasoned chicken breast, he graciously accepted my offer to pass ingredients as needed. He was over the moon with the results. Like a lot of recent meals, he’ll probably be the one to devour the majority. That’s fine with me. I enjoy feeding him because food is one of his great lifelong pleasures.

Are you familiar with Korean cuisine? Would you like to read a humorous tale of my first experience making the dish?

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