Categories
Recipes

Raspberry Lemon-thyme Sparkler

Raspberry lemon-thyme sparkler

The riper the raspberries and the colder the sparkling water or champagne, the better.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh raspberries
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 T. lemon thyme leaves (strip leaves from stems; do not chop)
  • seltzer, sparkling lemon mineral water or dry champagne, chilled
  • fresh raspberries or lemon thyme sprigs for garnish

Preparation
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together raspberries, water, sugar, lemon juice and lemon thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until raspberries have broken down and mixture is thickened but not stiff. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Press through fine sieve to remove seeds and thyme leaves. Let set at room temperature until cool. (Do not refrigerate, as it will get too stiff. The mixture should be the consistency of a thick syrup). 

When ready to serve, whisk raspberry mixture to make sure it’s smooth. To make a non-alcoholic sparkler, fill a chilled 10-ounce glass about 1/3 full with crushed ice. Pour 1/3 cup raspberry mixture over ice. Top with seltzer or lemon mineral water, and stir. To make a champagne cocktail, pour 1/4 cup of raspberry mixture into a chilled champagne flute, and top with dry champagne; do not stir. Garnish with fresh raspberries or lemon thyme sprigs.

Makes approximately ten 10-ounce servings. 

Categories
Recipes

Lavender Lemon Cooler

Lavender lemon cooler

You can also make this with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil instead of the lavender flowers.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 T. fresh lavender flowers
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice; or use half lemon, half orange juice
  • seltzer or sparkling water
  • lemon slices or fresh lavender sprigs for garnish

Preparation
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add lavender flowers, and heat just until mixture simmers. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain; refrigerate lavender syrup for at least 2 hours.

To serve, fill four chilled pint glasses one-third full with ice, preferably coarsely crushed. Add 1/4 cup lavender syrup and 1/4 cup juice to each glass. Top with seltzer or sparkling water, stir, and garnish with lemon slices or lavender sprigs.

Makes 4 pint-glass servings.

Categories
Recipes

White Wine Punch

White wine punch

Lemon balm is also known as sweet balm, balm mint, Melissa and bee herb. Some medium-dry wines to try are pinot blanc, pinot grigio, viognier and chenin blanc. 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ripe white peaches or nectarines, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 2 T. lemon juice sugar to taste
  • 4 ounces fresh lemon balm leaves, washed, dried and coarsely chopped
  • 3 quarts medium-dry white wine, chilled
  • fresh lemon balm sprigs for garnish

Preparation
Purée peaches or nectarines in food processor until smooth. Pour into a glass bowl, add lemon juice, and stir in sugar to taste; try starting with 1/3 cup. Add the lemon balm leaves and 2½ cups of wine. Stir to blend, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, press the puréed-balm mixture through a fine sieve, working in batches.

Pour sieved mixture into a chilled punch bowl, and stir in the remainder of the wine. Float fresh lemon balm sprigs on top, and serve.

Makes 3 quarts.

    Categories
    Urban Farming

    Garden Rooms

    Garden sink

    Photo by Rick Gush

    The garden sink we use is perfect for washing freshly harvested produce.

    I’m a big advocate of making gardens legitimate living areas, and not just wild areas that are separate from the homes where we live. These days, with wi-fi connections so easy to establish, lots of folks enjoy being able to use their computers outdoors. I already take advantage of that sometimes, and we have a big table and several chairs that can be used for garden work, writing work and outdoor lunches. The surrounding trees provide nice shade, and the place is comfortable enough that I take naps up there sometimes. (I’m also a big fan of afternoon naps.)

    Back when I was designing gardens, two of my favorite projects were for clients who allowed me to construct their gardens as a series of outdoor rooms. For the first clients I built a deluxe outdoor kitchen, complete with a beautiful, tiled sink; permanent barbecue, refrigerator and a set of waterproof cabinets. Next to the outdoor kitchen was an outdoor living room with a set of couches, tables and chairs that made for a wonderful entertaining area. Outdoor functions were more convenient there without the hosts having to go back and forth inside the house. 

    In the second garden, I built a whole outdoor office for a busy lawyer who enjoyed being able to work outdoors for many months of the year. It wasn’t much of a trick to run power and telephone lines out to the office, and we built a big desk and set of waterproof bookshelves waterproof that could be closed up easily when the weather was bad.  There was even a discreetly hidden outdoor bathroom through a side gate. The client told me that this was his favorite feature. When I wrote my garden book, Gardening for the Criminally Negligent, the bit that got the most positive response was the page that advised garden designers to “make a place to pee in the garden.” Admittedly, it was mostly males who appreciated this practical advice.

    In our own garden, one of the most useful features is the garden sink up on the top level. This garden sink is really useful for washing freshly harvested produce and very nice for scrubbing pots, muddy tools and dirty hands. It’s an unusual sink — really, just a pair of slate tablets surrounded by bricks, which that make a basin. There’s no drain, and the water just runs off into a pile of rocks at one end. The water runoff then flows into the soil of the adjacent raised bed, where we grow lettuce. The kiwi vine planted above the lettuce bed also likes the water, and the mints planted right next to the edge grow well in the moist conditions.

    The one thing that we don’t yet have in the garden is electricity, but I have a couple of ideas as to how I can arrange to run a power line up there. I’d really enjoy being able to have a music system up there, and perhaps a gurgling fountain. Who knows, if this all works out, we might be able to rent the house out to tourists and live up in the garden during the warm months!

    Read more of Rick’s Favorite Crops »

    Categories
    Crops & Gardening

    Garden Sentiments

    Jessica's garden is full of plants with special memories for each
    Photo by Jessica Walliser

    I made two batches of strawberry jam last week and am looking forward to a nice harvest of snap peas to nestle into the freezer. Homemade tomato soup is months away but, thankfully, we still have a few bags in the freezer from last year.

    June is also a beautiful time for the perennial gardens. 

    Many years ago, a gardening friend moved from the home where she had gardened for twenty-odd years. She was kind enough to invite me over to “share” some of her treasures before she left them behind. 

    She was quite the plant collector and had many wonderful plants. I imagine her new garden is just as beautiful as her old one, though I have never seen it. 

    Many of the plants she shared with me have become favorites, especially because when I look at them, I think of her. Those are always my favorite plants … the ones with a story, the ones connected to a person, the ones that somehow played a role in my life. 

    I have many plants with a history of sorts. Lilies of the valley from my Nana’s garden, iris from a former client, strawberry plants from my friend’s son, roses from my business partner and ornamental grasses from my mother’s garden. 

    There are other elements, too, that grace my garden with a personal connection; a bird bath from an amazing friend, a container that held a flower arrangement at my wedding, a concrete handprint from my son. 

    My garden is mine because these things make it special to me. They may not be spectacular or rare, but they are treasured just the same.     

    « More Dirt on Gardening »

    Categories
    Urban Farming

    Gardener Foot Pains

    Gardener foot pain

    Taking care to wear the proper socks and garden shoes can help gardeners prevent foot pain caused by gardening activities this year.

    Many gardeners will experience foot pain this season as a result of overlooking the needs of their feet. But a few minutes of preparation and good common sense can keep gardeners comfortable all year.

    “Gardening is an exertive weight-bearing activity and should be considered a sport rather than a passive hobby,” said Dr. Paul R. Kasdan, a board-certified podiatrist and medical director for OurHealthNetwork.com. “As with any sport, one should make sure to wear appropriate foot gear and to properly stretch before engaging in the activity.”

    During gardening, the feet play an important role in movement, supporting weight and balancing stance to reduce falls. Feet also act as shock absorbers when trudging along the garden. Foot problems commonly associated with weight-bearing activities like gardening are usually caused by wearing inappropriate footgear or the lack of proper warm-up exercises.

    “To always be pain-free, the feet must be encased in the proper shoes and socks. If the shoes do not provide proper support and cushioning, then the feet lose efficiency and problems eventually occur,” Kasdan says.

    Before heading out to the garden, consider Kasdan’s shoe and sock recommendations:

    • A rounded-toe shoe with a deep toe box helps prevent corns and bunions, ripped and black toenails, toe blisters, and ingrown toenails, all of which contribute to gardeners’ foot pain.
    • Rubber soles prevent bruises when stepping on stones, and they provide good shock absorption for the gardener’s entire body.
    • Loose socks with mild elastic compression at the top will ensure good circulation to the feet.
    • Socks made of a lycra and cotton blend are very efficient at keeping gardeners’ feet cool and wicking sweat off the feet.

    Caring for footwear is important for gardeners. With more than 250,000 sweat glands in each foot, feet are among the most perspiring parts of the body. In one day, the feet can produce more than a pint of sweat. Gardeners should remove the inner-soles of their shoes and let them dry out between gardening sessions.

    Once the proper footwear is assembled, gardeners should take a few minutes to stretch and prepare for gardening activities. Kasdan recommends two exercises gardeners can use to help prevent injury:

    1. Lunge to stretch the Achilles tendon

    Facing a wall, stand about 3 feet out and lean onto the surface with arms shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, move your right foot toward the wall until it is about 1½  feet away. With your left foot straight, bend the right foot until you feel a stretch in the Achilles tendon. Hold this position for 15 seconds and repeat with other leg. Repeat several times.

    2. Rotate ankles

    Sitting on a chair, extend your right foot and rotate your toes toward you. Hold for five seconds. Then to the right, down and to the left, holding each position for five seconds. Rotate your ankle in a complete circle. Do this for one to two minutes with each foot.

    “We recommend this warm-up routine for our patients that garden and have found it to be effective in preventing symptoms associated with ‘out of shape’ feet,” Kasdan said.

    Gardeners are also encouraged to give their feet attention at the end of the day. To prevent additional foot problems, Kasdan advises his patients to wash their feet well and examine them for blisters, sores and inflamed areas. Should these conditions arise, gardeners should treat them immediately with first-aid cream or see a podiatrist.

    Here are some common foot problems to be aware of when gardening and their causes:

    Bruised toenails and ingrown toenails may be caused by:

    • Stubbing a toe or dropping a heavy object on it
    • Wearing a gardening shoe that is too short
    • Wearing a gardening shoe with a shallow or narrow toe box. (The area where the toes sit in a shoe is called the toe box). When the toe box is too shallow or too narrow, the toenails will rub against the top or sides of the toe box and may become bruised or ingrown.
    • Cutting the toenails too short or rounded. The nails should be cut straight across, and always let them be a comfortable length.
    • Kneeling in the garden for long periods of time. This puts abnormal pressure on the toes and toenails and may cause bruising.
    • Not wearing socks. Socks act as a cushion and reduce friction on the toes and feet.  Not wearing them allows toenails to be exposed to unnecessary friction and may cause bruising.

    Swelling may be caused by:

    • Gravity. This is the most common cause of swelling of the feet and ankles. When the legs are in a dependent position (standing or sitting), gravity pulls blood and our lymph fluids down to our feet and ankles. This swelling can be reduced with the use of compression or support stockings.
    • Socks that have elastic on the ankles. This can restrict the normal flow of blood and lymph fluids to the feet.
    • Uncontrolled high blood pressure
    • High heat and humidity. If you are gardening in this type of climate, then take frequent “cooling breaks,” and sit with your legs elevated.
    • Too much salt. Salt can cause water retention and swelling of the feet and ankles.

    Foot and toe cramps may be caused by:

    • Kneeling in the garden for long periods of time. This may reduce circulation to the feet and toes by constricting blood vessels, causing muscles to become oxygen-starved, leading to cramps (muscle spasms). Getting up frequently and walking will help to prevent this.
    • Socks and gardening shoes that are too constrictive. This may cause cramps for the same reason. Make sure the elastic on your socks is not too constrictive, and wear the correct size gardening shoes.
    • Being out of shape and stressing leg and foot muscles for long periods of time. Gardening is exertive. Gradually build up the time you spend gardening, and stretch your legs often.

    Throbbing and aching feet may be caused by:

    • Too much gardening for you, either due to physical problems (overweight, age, illness, et cetera) or being out of shape
    • Worn down gardening shoes or gardening shoes that do not fit properly
    • Foot pathology, such as bunions, hammertoes and heel spurs
    Categories
    News

    Combat Canada Thistle With Sudangrass

    Canada thistle weed
    Courtesy USDA/ Peggy Greb
    Canada thistle (pictured) is a perennial weed that troubles farmers throughout the U.S. University of Illinois studies show that Sudangrass can be used as a smother crop to control the weed.

    Farmers who don’t rely on or who want to minimize the use of chemical herbicides need creative solutions to win the battle against aggressive perennial weeds. In ongoing research at the University of Illinois on Canada thistle, Sudangrass is proving to be a worthy contender as a summer smother crop.

    “Sudangrass gets very tall; it out-competes the thistle for light. The Sudangrass creates shade so photosynthesis cannot occur in the thistle,” said University of Illinois weed scientist John Masiunas. “In our test plots, primarily in the northern part of Illinois, we’ve seen 95 percent control, so farmers can plant a cash crop the following year in the patch that had been infected with Canada thistle.”

    Planting time of Sudangrass is critical if used as a smother crop.

    “It’s got to be seeded in the first couple of weeks in June. If you get much past the mid-to late June, the Sudangrass is not able to compete adequately, because the thistle grows rapidly in that time period,” Masiunas said.

    A combination of mowing and tilling the Canada thistle before planting the Sudangrass is also recommended.

    “Tilling and mowing the thistle interrupts its life cycle so that it can’t put energy back into the roots,” Masiunas said.

    Mowing the Sudangrass is also important for several other reasons.

    “You can mow to prevent seed heads from forming on the Sudangrass and reseeding itself, and mowing helps to control the amount of residue,” he said. “If you let the Sudangrass grow the entire season, you’ll have a plant 7 or 8 feet tall, with a lot of shoot tissue—a lot of biomass to deal with. So when you mow it, you just leave it as a surface mulch.”

    Research on the use of Sudangrass as a smother crop, conducted by University of Illinois graduate student Abram Bicksler, originated from organic farmers’ questions about Canada thistle.

    “Particularly for sustainable or organic farmers, Canada thistle was becoming very difficult to manage and was becoming the problem weed,” Masiunas said.

    After Bicksler’s project was completed, Masiunas received funding from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education for additional research with farmers around Illinois.  For the past three years, research specialist Dan Anderson has been working with nine to 20 farmers each summer on environmentally friendly ways to control Canada thistle.

    “The farmers I’ve been working with are primarily in the northern part of Illinois,” Anderson said.

    Because of the weed’s adaptation, Canada thistle needs a longer day, so it’s not as much of a problem in southern Illinois, Georgia, Mississippi or Alabama.

    “I’ve seen some horrible fields in northern Illinois, just full of thistle,” Anderson said. “The Sudangrass was planted on patches of ground where Canada thistle was prevalent, some larger patches and some smaller. That’s one of the advantages—you don’t have to devote the entire field to this.”

    Masiunas stressed that the problem of Canada thistle is usually found in patches.

    “What we’re aiming at is to eliminate a problem in patches that occur in a field. Our purpose is not to manage Canada thistle on 100 acres but in areas that might be 100 square feet,” he said. “The hope is that the farmer would catch the Canada thistle in a relatively small patch in an intensively managed farm. If they’re doing a lot of tillage, they’re not going to have as severe a case of Canada thistle. If they’re doing reduced tillage and staying on top of the weeds, they might have a small patch of Canada thistle, but it shouldn’t have taken over a whole field.”

    Anderson said that some of the farms he has been working with also have a livestock component.

    “The Sudangrass can be mowed and left as a smother crop, or it can be grazed,” he said.

    Masiunas said that farmers might incorporate Sudangrass as an integrated pest management approach if they’re trying to diversify their management strategies.

    “You’re generally not going to get 100 percent control with any type of herbicide that you can use against Canada thistle—95 to 98 percent control is about the best you’ll get with the best application of herbicides. And we’re getting a similar level of control with Sudangrass.”

    Categories
    Homesteading

    Jelly Report and Adopt-A-Cat Month

    June is Adopt-a-Cat month
    Photo by Kelsey Langlois

    Well, my first fir tip jelly venture nearly went up in flames—literally.  A word to the wise: When making fir tip jelly (or any other jelly, for that matter), always use a larger pot than you think you’ll need. When you get to the part where you bring the pectin/sugar/lemon juice/fir tip infusion to a rolling boil it foams up—a lot.

     If your pot isn’t big enough, this flammable concoction will overflow onto (and beneath) the hot stove element, where it catches fire. This can be somewhat alarming, as I discovered for myself, particularly when the flames climb several inches above the element and set off the smoke alarm.

    Suffice it to say, I had to turn off the stove and remove the jelly before its one-minute boiling period was up. Fortunately, it still gelled, but I’m a little disappointed with the taste: The lemon juice overpowered the very subtle fir flavor. Hopefully, I can try it again with a stronger infusion before the fir tips mature too much.
     
    Now, jumping onto a totally unrelated subject, I just found out that June is Adopt-a-Cat Month and figured I’d spread the word and make a plea on behalf of the myriad homeless felines out there: If you’re looking for a purring pal to share your home, why not consider adopting your new kitty from a shelter or rescue group? 

    I’m including a picture here of the undisputed King of Beasts in our household: 10-year-old Sunshine, who we adopted seven years ago from a local shelter. Curious, confident, and independent, Sunny rules over our other two indoor tabby cats:  my sensitive soul mate kitty, Tiger, another former stray, and portly, playful Bastet, who we found starving and crying in a blackberry patch on our property as a tiny kitten. Every year, we also foster a never-ending procession of rescue cats and kittens—each one unique, and deserving of a loving home.
     
    If you (like me) don’t have the time or room for another pet, you can still do something huge to help prevent the tragic deaths of so many wonderful felines in our nation’s shelters: Make sure your own cats are spayed or neutered, and spread the word that spaying and neutering pets saves lives.
     
    ~  Cherie 

    (Editor’s Note: For more information on adopting a cat, visit our sister site, CatFancy.com.)

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    Categories
    Animals

    Teeny Tiny Horses

    The miniature horse being fed
    Photos by Sue Weaver

    We have Miniature Horses at our house, four of them, in fact. But ours aren’t teeny, tiny horses; they’re cobby girl (that’s a nice word for short-legged and tubby) and 36 inches tall.

    Big minis like ours or the teeniest of tiny horses, most Miniature Horses are registered with one (or both) of two organizations: the American Miniature Horse Registry and the American Miniature Horse Association; check ‘em out!

    Some teensy Miniature Horses are dwarfs, like the famous Thumbalina (she raises lots of money for charity—way to go, Thumbalina!) and Koda, a tiny dwarf horse from Australia.

    Slick the horse is only 26 inches tall

    Some teeny-weenies are just as small but they’re proportionate like the minis our friends Gib and Melba Mullins raise at Ridgerunner Miniature Horses in Bakersfield, Missouri. That’s Dad at their Web site petting a colt named Gunny; Gunny didn’t come up to Dad’s knees!

    A few weeks ago Mom and Dad took pictures of the newest itty-bitty Ridgerunner colt, Ridgerunner’s Bubbas Heir To The Throne. That’s a long name for an itty-bitty horse, so they call him Slick.

    Slick’s dad, Bubba (Ridgerunner’s Moonlight Bay) is only 26 inches tall! That’s how big Slick will be when he’s all grown up (he’s destined to be a Ridgerunner breeding stallion too). Here are some of the pictures Mom took. Don’t you wish you had a teensy horse like Slick? Mom does too!  

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