Independence Days Challenge Updater for week of 6/29

Some have chickens, I have Flamingos!

Plant: radishes, beets, bell pepper, zucchini
Harvest: radishes, peas
Preserve: Pickled radish
Prepare:
Local Foods: Corn at the farmers' Market, local beef
Community:
Making Do (Repair, Re-use, Reduce, Recycle): made a Litter bag for the car;

Do the Wabi with Robbie (and Romeo)

Picture it.... Burien 1977... A young chubby boy is walking to high school. And walks right past and keeps on truckin'. Yep. Skipped school, played hookey. Little did I know, some  35 years later, I would be leading folks on the same route.

Yes Folks -Romeo and I are you're guest leaders in this Sunday's WABI Walk and Talk and the route is circling Highline High School/ Mosher Field. So if you are around Burien, on Sunday, July 1st, around 2pm We will meet up at Burien Town Square Park and take off at about 2:15pm. No hookey just a great relaxing walk. All paved, leisurely pace.

Street Sign Furniture

Photos from Tim Delger.com

Here is an artist after my own heart. Tim Delger designs and makes unique furniture out of discarded road and street signs. A tad pricey for mem but totally inspirational. I love it when junk is recycled into funcational and creative things. I have dabbled a bit in this myself

DIY Litter Bag

Remember when I made a duct tape shopping bag? Okay, this might be proof that idle hands ARE the devil's playground. I DIY'ed a litter bag for Einstein, my Scion IQ. I basically just covered a plastic glassine envelope with duct tape (Or actually a Duct tape sheet) and used white duct tape for the border, but a person could use a paper bag as well. And you don't need the sheet. I would think you could use strips of Duct tape. I was going to put a pocket on the front to hold tissues (I sneeze a lot), but thought-No, when i dump the litter bag then I have to remember to catch the tissues. Anyway the flame motif adds a lot.I attached it with a 3M Command clip, but that is because I don't have any knobs to hang it from in the IQ. Solves the litter bag problem, and since it is a law (or was) in Washington state to have a litter bag in the car, I like to keep in compliance. Cause that's how I roll.

Nano Kitchen Garden

The Nano Kitchen Garden by Hyundai. Space age kitchen appliance? OR Space age way to grow food in your kitchen? Either/or it is a cool looking garden straight out of the Jetsons. I would like to see a time when this is as normal as a refrigerator or microwave in all kitchens.

REPOST- Portabello Parmesano!

From September 8, 2009 Portabello Parmesano - one of my favorite Meat Free Recipes!

PORTOBELLO PARMESANO

Not being a big fan of eggplant, or veal (Okay I lie, I love veal, just not how its raised) I resorted to making Portobello Parmesan years ago. I saw it somewhere on TV. I like this as much as veal. Really!
(You can use Canned tomato sauce or fresh- it works either way)
4 portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Tomato Sauce either 1 jar canned or one and a half cups fresh sauce
1 cup of fresh, shredded parmesan cheese
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, the kind you can put in the oven. Remove the stem from the portabellas. Brown the portabellas on both sides when browned, dump the sauce on top, Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Then cover with parmesan cheese. Put the whole pan in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is a bubbly brown. Serve

A Recipe for Fresh tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
6 tomatoes, chopped
3 onions, minced
2 green bell peppers, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; add tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Mix ingredients well; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays

REPOST- How I make Red Pepper Flakes

This repost is from 9/9/2010 "How I make red pepper flakes". I love them in cooking, on pizza...anywhere a touch of hot and spicy is called for!

I LOVE SERENDIPITY! When the planets allign to give me a subject for a blog post it is so cool!
There was a comment or two yesterday asking how I make red pepper flakes- it is really simple, so this one is for Lisa! (:First, what I do is spread the peppers in even layers in a food dehydrator. No Dehydrator? I think you have one and don't know it... The Oven! Spread the red peppers in a single layer on a cookie sheet and dry in the oven for 8 hours or overnight at the lowest temperature you oven will allow. If you have a gas oven, the pilot light heat is probably enough.

Remove the red peppers from the oven or dehydrator when they are dry and brittle.

Option A for crushing:
Fill a gallon sized freezer bag with the dried peppers. Put the freezer bag in an old pillowcase.
Use a rolling pin to crush the peppers. Apply pressure as your roll the pin over the bag.

Option B for crushing- Put some of the dried peppers into a food processor or a coffee grinder and process away

Remove them from the bag or food processor when the peppers are crushed as fine as you would like, and store in a container with a shaker top.

Store any extra red pepper flakes in a clean storage bag or jar with a tight fitting lid.

Riding with the Wabi

or maybe I should have called this "Robbie Wabi". Anyway I left the pooch at home and took a ride with WABI a group in Burien advocating Bicycle/Pedestrian awareness. I should have asked someone when picking out my bike if it makes my butt look big, but whatever. The video was shot by my friend Michael Brunk, an area photographer who has all sorts of neat toys like bike mounted cameras. I am the fat guy on the orange bike.
 

Garbage in my Garden!

I was sitting around one day, (always dangerous) and I was looking at the bag of chips I just polished off at lunch. Then it came to me! The chip bag is made from mylar (a plastic), it would hold water and soil! Why not use one for a planter? So I snip a small hole in the chip bag, and filled it with soil, and put an Oregano plant in it! Has worked well so far!

I planted this some arugula seeds in a paper board berry box I had just received with strawberries bought at the Farmers’ Market!, and some domesticated Lambsquarter in a sip planter I made from an Ice tea bottle. The Yellow flowers in the background are some Kale that have gone to flower, which I understand can attract bees and butterflies, so why not leave them?

Melon Bowl Salad/ Melon Bowl Dessert

Ever go to a picnic and have no bowls? Or ever just want to eat your bowl? Well when you use a half of a cantaloupe, feel free. Have been doing this for awhile now ever since a retired army/navy cook showed me. And yes he served in both branches.

Summer Salad
1 Cantaloupe or Honey Dew Mellon, cut in half
Broccoli slaw or cabbage slaw, undressed
Optional some nuts, raisins or sunflower seeds
Vinaigrette Salad dressing (I used Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Summer Dessert
Half the melon, scoop out the seeds... Now you have two bowls... Place a serving of your slaw in the scooped out part of the bowl, place some vinaigrette on it (about 2 Tablespoons), top with optional toppings.
1 Cantaloupe or Honey Dew Mellon, cut in half
1 Scoop of Vanilla Ice cream
1/2 Tablespoon of bourbon or dark rum or caramel sauce

Half the melon, scoop out the seeds... Now you have two bowls... Place a scoop of Ice Cream in each mellon half, top with bourbon, rum or caramel. Serve.

Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays

Independence Days Challenge Update- Week of 6/15

Students at the gardening class put on by Seattle Tilth and the city of Burien 

Plant: radishes, "little finger" carrots; Lambsquarter
Harvest: radishes
Preserve: Not really preserving but prolonged the life of about a dozen hot dog buns by turning them into bread pudding;
Prepare: Augmented Mom's Garden by adding a planter of Radishes, Little Finger carrots and beets;
Local Foods:bought some fresh locally grown strawberries at the Farmers' Market
Community: Attended a work party at the community garden; also attended a gardening class at the community garden
Making Do (Repair, Re-use, Reduce, Recycle):Made a mini SIP planter, planted lambsquarter seeds in it (Yes I said lambsquarter- I bought a package of domesticated Lambsquarter to give it a try!)

Up-Cycled Pet Beds

Here are some clever up-cycled pet beds I found on the interwebs:

Earth 911 has some creative re-uses for wine barrels, including this too cool dog bed.

Fried Okra show how to make your dog a Television star by making a dog bed from a console Television

A cat bed made from an apple iMac is this years thing to turn your kittie into an LOLCAT! from Atomc Attic on Etsy

Picture Condo Blues

And last but far from least, my friend Lisa at Condo Blues made a pet toy box/bed for Blitzkrieg out of a wine box

Re-Using postal shippers...

In the "why didn't I think of that" department... Why not reuse those postal shipping boxes and others. Found this neat instructable and had to try it... so easy to do!!! An of course I am thinking could also be done as gift boxes as well!

Works on other boxes too!

A mug box becomes a generic gift by turning it inside out

Travel Rob's World

It has been a while since I told what I have seen others posting about around the "interwebs", so for today I thought we would take a quick peak at other's pages:

• Over at Savvy Housekeeping, she blogged about how Amber did a complete porch make over for under $40!
• Lisa at condo blues made a cool LOLCat inspired BBQ cover to cover her cheeseburger macheen!
• Mellow at  A Life Unproccessed explains why we should eat the peel!
• Erica at Northwest Edible Life asks if you would Rub lard all over your face, and explains why you should!
• and finally at Inside Urban Green, Scientists in South Korea are developing a farming system that could allow food to be grown in any climate!

Independence Days Challenge Update- week of 6/8

Note: not a lot done this week due to having my big toe nail removed by a mad podiatrist - hopefully more done next week
Plant: Some tomato plants at Mom's;
Harvest: Mint
Preserve: Made some Mint Tea Coolers (Mint tea Ice cubes)
Prepare: Didn't make a planting bed at mom's like I was thinking last week... Planted tomatoes in pots instead of prepping a bed;
Local Foods: Farmers' Market buys Some frozen Blue berries, Roasted ear of corn
Community: Attended a summer gardening Class put on by Seattle Tilth right in our community garden
Making Do (Repair, Re-use, Reduce, Recycle): Reversed some boxes for re-use, standard recycling and composting

REPOST: Gutter Garden!

I love repost days. I get a day off and get to feel like I am contributing to the blogoshpere! Serious though I thought this was one of my better "Weird Garden Science" posts. So from 8/25/2011, and 8/15/2011 we have GARDEN GUTTER SUCCESS!
 
Just thought I would give y'all a look at the Gutter Garden all planted and happy!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN HANGING GUTTER GARDEN:

I am going to have a talk with a gal from the community garden who is a professional landscaper on adding drip irrigation to it!

I became so obssesed with the Gutter Garden I had to make one for myself! First problem is I couldn’t find the “U” shaped style gutters they used in theirs, but I did find this kind of hermaphrodited "V" shaped at Lowes for $6.19 for a ten foot section, since I am making 5 levels to my gutter garden, that was great… although the end caps were $2.77 each or $16.62. Still, Under $5 for each section… is more than Do-Able. Of course my garage has those crappy vinyl gutters, and they must come off soon so it is good to know I will have a use for them after their existence has been terminated. Anyway back to the project:
First- I cut the gutters to 5- 23 ½ inch sections

Then I drilled to holes for the Eye Hooks and for drainage
(A quick hint: Since the holes have to be approximately the same measurement on the gutter, you can stack the gutter pieces together and drill them all at once to dave some time and frustration.
Then I installed the end caps
Then I put the eye hooks in,
a ¼”-20 X 2” on the bottom,
and a ¼”-20 X 4” on the upper or inside of the gutter using a coupler nut (so I have an eye hook above and one below so a person could stack the gutters by chain
Then it is done- you can go hang your gutter garden.
I suppose a person could just build on a wall or a fence by installing the gutters like they are on your house, but where is the fun in that? Besides I needed something in this space on the front porch. Now to start planting with chard and lettuce seeds! This would also be perfect for planting strawberries. The total cost ended up being $30.75, but would of course be a lot cheaper if I reused those old gutters on the garage!

Save a Tree... Download a Coupon App!

Now, let me first say I do not have a smart phone. In fact, I kinda have a dumb phone. So I don't get to download a lot of apps (unless they are on my Kindle Fire). That, and lets add the fact that I am no Extreme Coupon King. I leave that for the people who have time with such things (and entertain me on Reality T.V.
But I read with interest on how Yowza!!, a location-based mobile coupon app, was designed to reduce mail waste and help consumers find deals. And thusly not needing paper coupons, could save a tree or two!
Imagine walking around and you see something to buy... You get out your Smart Phone and download a coupon for said item! Seems pretty good to me. I haven't heard if my Internet Darlings of the Coupon World, The Two Frugal Chicks have started using one, but imagine not having to buy 3 or 4 Sunday Papers, ladies!
As for me I will still be ignorant to smart phones, because my dumb phone serves me fine!

Reasons To start a container garden...

 Mary Mazzoni over at Earth 911 gives 5 good reasons to start a container garden. Well besides her 5 reasons Shrinking your carbon foot print, reducing packaging waste, Enjoying healthier produce, improving indoor air quality, and stop worrying about food safety) I can add a few more- 

• Home grown veggies are fresher
• And better tasting
• And Cheaper (Okay maybe not at first but once you get the hang of growing your own you will find this true as well)
• You can teach your kids where their food comes from 

And don't forget, you are stepping on one of the biggest bandwagons around! The best part is once you had a home grown piece of broccoli or a home grown brussels sprout, you probably would never go back to buying that processed shit again.

Tomatoes for Mom

Mom's apartment manager is a cool guy. He recently decided to let her have tomato plants  (in pots in front of her apartment). So I went and moved two of her pots to the area and got her two simple varieties of tomatoes- One "Early Girl" and one "Sweet One Million", a cherry  tomato. Which makes my life easier because she won't want to plant them in my plot at the community garden. Personally, I believe if apartment managers let their residents have some small spaces to garden it improves the quality of living and saves money on some of the landscaping, Sounds like a "twofer" to me! Of course I will sneak in another planter with some radishes and lettuces in it. Heh heh heh. Give me an inch, I will take a mile make a garden!

Independence Days Challenge Update for week of 6/1/2012

Plant: Nothing
Harvest: some herbs, lettuce, peas
Preserve: Made some "basil Ice cubes"
Prepare: Need to prepare a planting bed at Mom's apartment; Trying to figure out a better way for Romeo to ride when I take the bike- he absolutely hates the dog trailer!
Local Foods: Locally made and sourced Bagels, strawberry/cream cheese blend, and sweet potato bread bought at the Burien Farmers' Market!
Community: Got into a little more "guerrilla" gardening by prepping a planting bed at Mom's apartment for tomatoes
Making Do (Repair, Re-use, Reduce, Recycle): Just the standard recycling/composting