Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Recipe Exchange Christmas Rolls
Ok Friends I sent off the recipe exchage chain letter and have a few back now.
I will be posting short easy recipes on 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 cards for everyone to use.
I invite anyone who would like to see there recipe on a card and shared with others to please post your recipe below.i will card and post within a fews days of your posting.
Today we have the christmas Roll recipe on a printable card
I will be posting short easy recipes on 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 cards for everyone to use.
I invite anyone who would like to see there recipe on a card and shared with others to please post your recipe below.i will card and post within a fews days of your posting.
Today we have the christmas Roll recipe on a printable card
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Simple Prim Pumpkins
This was the brainchild of franklin over on the forum board.
The great Prim Pumpkin collection.
She gives simple instructions on how to make these little cuties.
HERE
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Little Garden Parsnip
These are not wild parsnips these are cultavated seeds.
At the moment my parsnips are under the basil but I will have a photo of them soon.
This article is pulled from a local website.
Please check out the websites below for recipes and more info.
Please check out my website for gardening info.
http://www.thetincat.com/garden.html
Parsnips are available as a fresh vegetable throughout the winter, actually improving as the winter progresses and especially if a frost gets to the roots. They can be baked, boiled or fried and the leaves can also be eaten as a green vegetable, getting double value from the crop.
The problem with growing parsnips is that they have a very long growing season. They are one of the first crops to be sown and probably the last crop to be harvested. They occupy the land for the year, thus taking up land which could be used for growing a series of crops.
If you have a small garden you may decide against growing parsnips for this reason, although you may decide to grow a catch crop such as radishes or lettuce, before the parsnips become established in the spring.
Where To Grow Your Parsnips
Soil is the most important factor when growing parsnips. If you have thin gravelly soil you will only get small mis-shapen roots The best soil is rich and slightly on the heavy side, although it should not be recently manured as this causes the parsnip to fork as they do if growing on stony ground. Almost all well drained soils will produce a good crop. Level the bed off to give a fine tilth a day or two before sowing, which will normally be as soon as conditions allow in the late winter or early spring.
Parsnips dislike very acid soil and do best in one which is slightly acid, neutral or slightly alkaline, test your soil with a soil test kit several weeks before preparing the seed bed and if necessary, add lime to achieve a pH of 6.5. The site you choose for parsnips is not as important as the soil, they prefer an open sunny site, but they will also grow quite happily in a lightly shaded plot.
Sowing Parsnip Seed
The traditional time to sow parsnip seed is late winter but, unless the winter is mild, the soil is often frozen hard or too wet at this time. In most years you will probably have to wait until early spring before sowing. Although parsnips appreciate a long growing season, you can sow later, up to late spring if you have to, and still get a worthwhile crop. Ensure that the seed is fresh this year because parsnip seeds do not keep well.
Before sowing make sure the soil is well dug and free from stones to a spade's depth. Make a shallow drill in the soil about 2cm (¾in) deep. Where you require more than one row, make the rows 30-45 cm (12-18 in) apart. Sow one seed every 5cm (2in).
Because parsnip seed is so light it is advisable to wait until the weather is calm before sowing. You may be able to buy seeds that are pelleted, there are a few parsnip varieties which are available in this form. The pelleted seed is slightly heavier, so they will not blow away so easily. After the seeds have been sown cover them with soil, sifted soil is best for this, and then firm down. Water the area if the weather is dry. Germination takes approximately three to four weeks and is is quite possible for the newly forming seedlings to be lost amongst the newly germinating weeds. Weed frequently and carefully.
Many gardeners sow a quick maturing catch crop such as radish, or lettuce. This not only give you an extra crop but it also helps to mark out the rows of parsnips. If you do not wish to do this, keep your marker in position until the parsnip seeds have germinated and the rows of seedlings is obvious above the ground.
Care of Parsnips
When the seedlings are about 5 cm (2 in) tall, thin them so that they are 20cm (8in) apart. Water, particularly during the early stages of the crop, if the weather is dry and weed frequently. Be very careful when weeding with a hoe, if you damage the developing roots you may open the way for attack by canker.
Harvesting Parsnips
Parsnips will be ready for harvest in mid-autumn. One obvious They are best left in the ground for a month or so because their flavour is improved by some exposure to frost. Frost increases the amount of sugar in the roots. Parsnips can be harvested up to mid-January.
Small parsnips in light soil can be pulled up once the soil around them has been loosened with a fork. Normally the only way parsnips can be lifted without breaking them is by digging. Begin at the end of the row and dig a hole beyond but close to the last parsnip. Dig the hole as deep at the parsnip and loosen the soil around the root and then it can be easily removed without damage. Lift the next parsnip by moving the soil next to it into the hole from which the first parsnip has been taken and continue like this to the end of the row. You may find that you have to dig down much further than you expect, the end of a parsnip tapers off for a considerable length 15 cm (6 in) or more, and has a very strong grip on the soil. You may want to break off the thinnest part of the root if you want to avoid digging a very deep hole possibly 45 cm (18 in) deep for each root. Once the parsnip has been lifted, cut off the remaining leaves, these are excellent compost heap material.
Storing Parsnips
Although the best flavoured parsnips are ones that are lifted and taken into the kitchen straight from the ground, during the winter when the ground is frozen this will not be possible. To give you parsnips during this period you should dig up some roots in the early winter for storing. Store parsnips in the same way as you would carrots. Cut any leaves off close to the crowns and then pack them in layers of dry sand or peat in a large wooden box. Put a lid on the top to keep our the light and place the box in a cool, dry and airy place.
Pests and Diseases
Disease / Pest Symptoms
Wireworm Small regular holes and shiny yellow larvae
Sclerotina Rot Roots in store rotten and covered with a white fluffy mould
Canker Reddish brown, dark brown or black patches on the shoulders of the root.
Leaf Spot Small brown spots on the leaves.
Celery Fly White or pale brown blisters on the leaves, leaves shrivelled.
Carrot Fly Irregular holes in the root sometimes with small whitish grubs inside.
Sites to visit on the parsnip
http://www.gardeningpatch.com/vegetable/growing-parsnip.aspx
http://farmingfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/how-to-grow-parsnips-sheet.jpg
http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch21.html
http://ceplacer.ucdavis.edu/files/8181.pdf
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/parsni12.html
Our fav. recipe is Parsnip Stew.
Take your fav. stew recipe and replace all the potatoes with parsnips.
Wonderful change in flavor.
If you do not have a stew recipe i would be happy to post one.
At the moment my parsnips are under the basil but I will have a photo of them soon.
This article is pulled from a local website.
Please check out the websites below for recipes and more info.
Please check out my website for gardening info.
http://www.thetincat.com/garden.html
The problem with growing parsnips is that they have a very long growing season. They are one of the first crops to be sown and probably the last crop to be harvested. They occupy the land for the year, thus taking up land which could be used for growing a series of crops.
If you have a small garden you may decide against growing parsnips for this reason, although you may decide to grow a catch crop such as radishes or lettuce, before the parsnips become established in the spring.
Where To Grow Your Parsnips
Soil is the most important factor when growing parsnips. If you have thin gravelly soil you will only get small mis-shapen roots The best soil is rich and slightly on the heavy side, although it should not be recently manured as this causes the parsnip to fork as they do if growing on stony ground. Almost all well drained soils will produce a good crop. Level the bed off to give a fine tilth a day or two before sowing, which will normally be as soon as conditions allow in the late winter or early spring.
Parsnips dislike very acid soil and do best in one which is slightly acid, neutral or slightly alkaline, test your soil with a soil test kit several weeks before preparing the seed bed and if necessary, add lime to achieve a pH of 6.5. The site you choose for parsnips is not as important as the soil, they prefer an open sunny site, but they will also grow quite happily in a lightly shaded plot.
Sowing Parsnip Seed
The traditional time to sow parsnip seed is late winter but, unless the winter is mild, the soil is often frozen hard or too wet at this time. In most years you will probably have to wait until early spring before sowing. Although parsnips appreciate a long growing season, you can sow later, up to late spring if you have to, and still get a worthwhile crop. Ensure that the seed is fresh this year because parsnip seeds do not keep well.
Before sowing make sure the soil is well dug and free from stones to a spade's depth. Make a shallow drill in the soil about 2cm (¾in) deep. Where you require more than one row, make the rows 30-45 cm (12-18 in) apart. Sow one seed every 5cm (2in).
Because parsnip seed is so light it is advisable to wait until the weather is calm before sowing. You may be able to buy seeds that are pelleted, there are a few parsnip varieties which are available in this form. The pelleted seed is slightly heavier, so they will not blow away so easily. After the seeds have been sown cover them with soil, sifted soil is best for this, and then firm down. Water the area if the weather is dry. Germination takes approximately three to four weeks and is is quite possible for the newly forming seedlings to be lost amongst the newly germinating weeds. Weed frequently and carefully.
Many gardeners sow a quick maturing catch crop such as radish, or lettuce. This not only give you an extra crop but it also helps to mark out the rows of parsnips. If you do not wish to do this, keep your marker in position until the parsnip seeds have germinated and the rows of seedlings is obvious above the ground.
Care of Parsnips
When the seedlings are about 5 cm (2 in) tall, thin them so that they are 20cm (8in) apart. Water, particularly during the early stages of the crop, if the weather is dry and weed frequently. Be very careful when weeding with a hoe, if you damage the developing roots you may open the way for attack by canker.
Harvesting Parsnips
Parsnips will be ready for harvest in mid-autumn. One obvious They are best left in the ground for a month or so because their flavour is improved by some exposure to frost. Frost increases the amount of sugar in the roots. Parsnips can be harvested up to mid-January.
Small parsnips in light soil can be pulled up once the soil around them has been loosened with a fork. Normally the only way parsnips can be lifted without breaking them is by digging. Begin at the end of the row and dig a hole beyond but close to the last parsnip. Dig the hole as deep at the parsnip and loosen the soil around the root and then it can be easily removed without damage. Lift the next parsnip by moving the soil next to it into the hole from which the first parsnip has been taken and continue like this to the end of the row. You may find that you have to dig down much further than you expect, the end of a parsnip tapers off for a considerable length 15 cm (6 in) or more, and has a very strong grip on the soil. You may want to break off the thinnest part of the root if you want to avoid digging a very deep hole possibly 45 cm (18 in) deep for each root. Once the parsnip has been lifted, cut off the remaining leaves, these are excellent compost heap material.
Storing Parsnips
Although the best flavoured parsnips are ones that are lifted and taken into the kitchen straight from the ground, during the winter when the ground is frozen this will not be possible. To give you parsnips during this period you should dig up some roots in the early winter for storing. Store parsnips in the same way as you would carrots. Cut any leaves off close to the crowns and then pack them in layers of dry sand or peat in a large wooden box. Put a lid on the top to keep our the light and place the box in a cool, dry and airy place.
Pests and Diseases
Disease / Pest Symptoms
Wireworm Small regular holes and shiny yellow larvae
Sclerotina Rot Roots in store rotten and covered with a white fluffy mould
Canker Reddish brown, dark brown or black patches on the shoulders of the root.
Leaf Spot Small brown spots on the leaves.
Celery Fly White or pale brown blisters on the leaves, leaves shrivelled.
Carrot Fly Irregular holes in the root sometimes with small whitish grubs inside.
Sites to visit on the parsnip
http://www.gardeningpatch.com/vegetable/growing-parsnip.aspx
http://farmingfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/how-to-grow-parsnips-sheet.jpg
http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch21.html
http://ceplacer.ucdavis.edu/files/8181.pdf
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/p/parsni12.html
Our fav. recipe is Parsnip Stew.
Take your fav. stew recipe and replace all the potatoes with parsnips.
Wonderful change in flavor.
If you do not have a stew recipe i would be happy to post one.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Snowman Bottle Cover Prim Craft Tutorial
Found over on a great blog
Be sure to check out all her other wonderful cute Tutorials.
The snowman Cover can be found HERE
Monday, August 30, 2010
Baklava Recipe
Recipe Yield 3 dozen
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped fine nuts ( I like blanched Almonds and roasted walnuts mixed )
1 cup butter
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or cardamom (optional)
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar plus a little extra for the top
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2.Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan.
Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work.
Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered.
Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts,
layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3.Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan.
You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4.Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted.
Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5.Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar on the top.
Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.
VARIATIONS
Instead of brushing each layer of phyllo with butter, cut the unbaked baklava into diamonds all the way through, drizzle with 1 cup vegetable oil, and let stand for 10 minutes before baking.
Persian Baklava:
Using the almonds and cardamom in the filling: Omit the lemon juice and cinnamon from the syrup
and add 1/4 cup rose water or 1 tablespoon orange blossom water after it has cooled.
Paklava(Azerbaijani Baklava):
For the filling, use 2 cups blanched almonds, 2 cups unsalted pistachios, 1/4 cup sugar,
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Crush 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads and let steep in 3 tablespoons of the melted butter for 15 minutes
and use to brush the top sheet of phyllo.
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped fine nuts ( I like blanched Almonds and roasted walnuts mixed )
1 cup butter
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or cardamom (optional)
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar plus a little extra for the top
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2.Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan.
Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work.
Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered.
Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts,
layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3.Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan.
You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4.Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted.
Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5.Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar on the top.
Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.
VARIATIONS
Instead of brushing each layer of phyllo with butter, cut the unbaked baklava into diamonds all the way through, drizzle with 1 cup vegetable oil, and let stand for 10 minutes before baking.
Persian Baklava:
Using the almonds and cardamom in the filling: Omit the lemon juice and cinnamon from the syrup
and add 1/4 cup rose water or 1 tablespoon orange blossom water after it has cooled.
Paklava(Azerbaijani Baklava):
For the filling, use 2 cups blanched almonds, 2 cups unsalted pistachios, 1/4 cup sugar,
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Crush 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads and let steep in 3 tablespoons of the melted butter for 15 minutes
and use to brush the top sheet of phyllo.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
A seashell Flower
By Brianna from Dutch Harbor, AK
This is a gorgeous, romantic, and elegant craft which can be applied to a number of other crafts as an enhancement, although it is completely stunning on its own! The shells (if you live near bodies of water) are free, which is the best part!
Approximate Time: Depending on the size of rose you wish to make, this craft takes from 20 to 30 minutes.
Supplies:
10-15 cleaned oyster shells per rose
3 sticks round, all-temperature mini-glue sticks
1 low-temperature mini-glue gun
1 small to medium auger, nautilus, or snail shell per rose (cleaned with dish soap and water)
Optional: shiny, clear, indoor spray paint/lacquer (This makes the iridescence of the shells and their colors really shine through!)
Instructions:
Load glue gun with glue stick and plug in to warm up.
While glue gun is warming up, arrange your oyster shells from largest to smallest.
Find the two largest, (pieces are just as good as full shells) and glue ends together, so that the shells rest on your work surface opposite from one another.
Find the next two largest from the ones left, and repeat the process, only having turned your base about forty-five degrees.
Now that you have a complete base to work from, start finding the medium-sized shells, which usually have more of a curve to them, like the inner petals of a rose.
Take those and glue them after turning base another forty-five degrees, these two should angle up about twenty to thirty degrees, to mimic the opening of a rose bloom.
Rotate your rose another forty-five degrees and use 2-3 of the next smaller size shells, gluing them in at a slightly steeper angle, almost closing the bloom.
Take your snail, auger, or bit of nautilus shell and stand it upright in the middle of your rose, gluing and holding it there until it is cooled.
Once all of the rose has cooled securely, take it outside and place on a piece of cardboard. Spray with lacquer lightly, making sure to get in-between the layers of petals. (Don't go overboard, or the spray paint will loosen the glue and your rose with fall apart easily.)
Let dry as per instructions on your paint can.
Display in a nice copper bowl or hot-glue to another project such as one involving sea glass or drift wood; a mirror or vase.
This is a gorgeous, romantic, and elegant craft which can be applied to a number of other crafts as an enhancement, although it is completely stunning on its own! The shells (if you live near bodies of water) are free, which is the best part!
Approximate Time: Depending on the size of rose you wish to make, this craft takes from 20 to 30 minutes.
Supplies:
10-15 cleaned oyster shells per rose
3 sticks round, all-temperature mini-glue sticks
1 low-temperature mini-glue gun
1 small to medium auger, nautilus, or snail shell per rose (cleaned with dish soap and water)
Optional: shiny, clear, indoor spray paint/lacquer (This makes the iridescence of the shells and their colors really shine through!)
Instructions:
Load glue gun with glue stick and plug in to warm up.
While glue gun is warming up, arrange your oyster shells from largest to smallest.
Find the two largest, (pieces are just as good as full shells) and glue ends together, so that the shells rest on your work surface opposite from one another.
Find the next two largest from the ones left, and repeat the process, only having turned your base about forty-five degrees.
Now that you have a complete base to work from, start finding the medium-sized shells, which usually have more of a curve to them, like the inner petals of a rose.
Take those and glue them after turning base another forty-five degrees, these two should angle up about twenty to thirty degrees, to mimic the opening of a rose bloom.
Rotate your rose another forty-five degrees and use 2-3 of the next smaller size shells, gluing them in at a slightly steeper angle, almost closing the bloom.
Take your snail, auger, or bit of nautilus shell and stand it upright in the middle of your rose, gluing and holding it there until it is cooled.
Once all of the rose has cooled securely, take it outside and place on a piece of cardboard. Spray with lacquer lightly, making sure to get in-between the layers of petals. (Don't go overboard, or the spray paint will loosen the glue and your rose with fall apart easily.)
Let dry as per instructions on your paint can.
Display in a nice copper bowl or hot-glue to another project such as one involving sea glass or drift wood; a mirror or vase.
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