Kinnexa's Profile
Food Network?
I've given up on foodnetwork.com unless I have a lot of time on my hands, or a good book and an adult beverage to enjoy while I surf. The entire site is just way too slow.
What are you drinking right now?
Tremont Independence Day Summer Ale. It's a Shipyard product, and say what you will, it's a decent brew for a decent price. Tremont IPA isn't bad either.
Amei Halal Market, Portland, Me
I haven't shopped for camel meat, but maybe you might try Lewiston? There's a large Somali population here too, and several halal markets and Somali groceries on Lisbon St. If you can't get it here, I bet someone here will be able to tell you where!
What are you picking?
My mostly container garden is in central Maine. The raised bed is planted with radishes and kohlrabi - nothing ready to pick yet, but lots of foliage. (It's been a month and all I see of the radishes are very thin, bright red roots at the bottom of the leaves. Will I ever have veggies?)
I'm harvesting thyme, cilantro, catnip, and dill weekly. I just cut back the rosemary to spur growth (and to put some in my roasted carrots). My cherry tomato plants have upwards of half a dozen blossoms each, but no fruit yet.
Food Heresy - conventional wisdom says this, you say that.
I like room temp white wine! And I'll drink a full-bodied red with just about ANY food.
everyday coffee
I don't drink much coffee anymore, but when I do it's Equal Exchange, which is a fair-trade brand I can get at the supermarket as whole beans. I grind it coarsely and brew it in my French press.
OJ & Guinness?
YECCH! --Purely my opinion, of course. I like Guinness and I like orange juice, but not at the same time.
NY State's new Bottle Bill
Here in Maine we have a 5-cent deposit on all beer, soda, water, and juice containers (even plastic jugs of cider and those tiny cans of V8 - only cartons are exempt) and 15 cents on wine and liquor bottles. It's sort of a pain to corral all the empties and drag them back to the store, and there's still plenty of trash on the roads. On the other hand, the 'extra' money comes in handy around vacation time, after we've forgotten it came off our grocery bill to begin with, and I'm told before the bottle bill was passed there was even MORE trash around. It is possible to redeem out of state containers here, but there's a fine if you get caught. If the clerk isn't familiar with microbrews and such, it's a problem - I've been accused of trying to redeem 'illegal' bottles because the label isn't immediately recognizable, or even because the label says 'from Canada'...
Somethings Shouldn't Be Made "Vegan"
It's the labels and attitudes I can't stand, on all sides. I very rarely eat meat, mostly because I'd rather eat lots of cheese and drink gallons of beer and still be somewhat healthy - plus I don't much care for meat, can't afford it, don't know how to cook it, and would like to depend less on animal foods in general...but I don't label myself "A VEGETARIAN" or anything like it, don't preach 'meat is murder', etc. Being a sanctimonious ass about food, whatever type of food, is disrespectful to the food and to the consumer. Honestly I don't know why some people are so interested in what I eat, what I don't eat, and why! And why they're so scandalized when I satisfy my occasional KFC craving.
Somethings Shouldn't Be Made "Vegan"
Yes, definitely not bacon. Probably not cheese either.
Do you use margarine?
Not only did I grow up with the stuff, but we called it 'butter' - I think when I finally tasted real butter I was in college. These days I don't use a whole lot of fats, mostly olive oil and spray for cooking, but for toast I do like Fleischmann's olive oil spread. Sparingly. All the other 'healthy spreads' are too watery for my taste.
What mustn't you run out of?
BEER! (Of course.)
Cheese, pasta, skim milk, seltzer, some type of fresh veggie, black peppercorns,wine, decent bread. And beer.
Planting by the moon?
I also recommend the Farmer's Almanac (NOT the 'Old Farmer's Almanac' - look for the one published by Geiger Brothers). There's a pretty detailed list of planting dates, etc. by the moon, with the explanation "many people believe they get the best results" following the phases of the moon. There are also tables of the best days to do just about anything, including digging post holes, quitting smoking, baking bread, and castrating farm animals. A very entertaining read, and worth a try! Can't hurt, might help.
Getting a Late Start
This year I've planted herbs and tomato plants in all sorts of containers, from actual plant pots to plastic tubs and 5-gallon buckets, an old aluminum stockpot, even the outer part of an ice cream maker I picked up at the town dump. I've drilled holes in the bottoms and so far everything's working out fine. I discovered the top of a hooded cat box in the back of our shed and couldn't resist: After a thorough washing, I set it upside down and planted tomato plants in the back and marigolds in front spilling out through the door. As long as it's clean, has some sort of drainage, and isn't made of something that's going to leach into the soil, it can be a plant pot!
3 luxury items I want to try to keep
Decent beer, fresh veggies, freshly grated Asiago.
When we're broke it's 'economy' brew, whatever's on sale, and (gasp!) shaker cheese under the green lid.
Vegetable gardens and (4 legged)pest management
A motion-activated sprinkler! Instant cat toy, and hours of entertainment for the humans. I don't know what it would do for dogs or wild pests, but unless your cats are completely brain-dead this is THE way to keep them out of your garden.
vegetables & herbs you really ought to grow from seed
Has anyone tried direct seeding in containers? My soil is really lousy and I don't think I'm up to making raised beds this year, so I have a container garden of herbs, mostly from purchased plants, although I am trying a few small seeded pots. Starting seedlings indoors is out of the question - no light to speak of. I have no green thumb and generally don't do a lot of fussing over my plants, but I'd love to harvest little radishes and kohlrabi from my garden. Is it worth trying (and inexpensive) in a trough with good soil? Any other suggestions for easy-to-grow container seeds? Thank you!
thanks chowhound! also, what's your plan for spring and summer herbs?
I stopped at Lowe's for a bag of soil and got sidetracked by the racks of 'Bonnie' herb plants in peat pots. I'm somewhat lazy and my thumbs are pale green at best, and the plants looked in good shape and very appealing ("Great for Kids!" says the wrapper.) I got my soil plus common sage, spicy basil, Thai basil, rosemary, and catnip. Tomorrow they go into the containers - rain is forecast for the rest of the week, and I do hope the Farmer's Almanac is wrong for once about 'wet snow'.
I used restraint at Lowe's because there's a nice little nursery next door to my vet's office that always has big, healthy chives, dill, and lavender in huge pots at a decent price. Also I'm screwing up my courage to start some German chamomile seeds I picked up - got to be outdoors because we have no sunny spots in the house. And yes, the cats are getting their own, separate garden. :)
thanks chowhound! also, what's your plan for spring and summer herbs?
I usually dry the leaves first, but I'm planning to try it fresh and bruised 'cause it sounds interesting. My cats show very little interest in the dried herb, but I stashed my plant on a high shelf until I get a chance to plant it just to be safe! Some of my dearly departed kitties would just about kill for the stuff, and drool over a catnip-stuffed toy for days...I sat down with a nice mug of catnip tea and had to literally fight them off my lap!
I've read that catnip tea usually makes one relaxed and pleasantly calm, or rather depressed, so be forewarned. I find it calming, sort of like chamomile, and good before bed - that is, if I can enjoy it without wrasslin' the cats.
thanks chowhound! also, what's your plan for spring and summer herbs?
I've been doing very haphazard container gardening - a few plants out on the doorstep - for a few years, and this year I'm ready to expand (ran out of herbs last winter). I'm still limited to containers because the soil is all sand here, and I want to be able to bring the plants in when it gets cold (zone 5- central Maine). I'm making plans for dill, chives, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, chamomile, basil...whatever I can afford, all from plants because seeds just don't grow for me. I'll put a pot of catnip in a separate place FAR AWAY from the rest of the herbs, so my cats and the neighborhood kitties don't destroy my garden. I do like catnip tea now and then, if the cats will leave me alone long enough to drink it! - I also like pine tea in the spring: cut the new tender growth off the end of the branch and steep. Mmmm!
thanks chowhound! also, what's your plan for spring and summer herbs?
I've read that you can freeze entire sprigs of rosemary, and when they're frozen you can easily remove as many leaves as you need. Has anyone ever tried this? When I try to dry herbs indoors they always end up full of cat hair...
last meal cooked
Does frozen pizza with surimi on top count? Cooked in the nuclear oven? ...If not, this weekend I plan to make a huge stir-fry or maybe roast with Brussels sprouts.
electric kettle recommendations
My Black & Decker (the one referred to above) arrived yesterday. I'm happy with it. First of all, I didn't see any instruction to use it with the lid off. With the lid on it heats well and the handle stays cool. I did find that I need to pour by holding the round handle in the middle - if I grab it at one end, sometimes a small amount of steam does escape where the lid meets the kettle. Holding it in the middle gives me a nice pour with no burns. I also like the large capacity (1.7 liters) and the water level window, although the window does tend to fog over. If you have really big hands it may be a pain for you to remove the lid, which is directly underneath the handle, but I haven't had a problem with it. Works for me, and at $45 on amazon.com, a reasonable compromise between quality and price.
Seriously Now -- Which countertop appliances do you leave out on your counter?
Been there, done that. Boy, what a mess!
Your "Go To" Beer?
I can usually find a Sam Adams Boston Ale or even Geary's Pale Ale on run-of-the-mill menus around here. If all they've got is crap macros I'm probably in the wrong place - but if I really want a beer I'd opt for Bud over Miller and Coors only if it's free and I'm desperate.
Family foods I thought was normal
My mother was a little strange. In the summer we'd have corn on the cob for dinner - just corn on the cob, a big plate stacked high in the middle of the table. Nothing else. I had to do the dishes and remember seeing 6 or 8 cobs stacked up on my father's plate. If there was "mush" or pancakes for dinner, same deal: nothing else. We also got bologna fried in butter - excuse me, 'oleo' - with Worcestershire sauce, which was the only way I'd eat bologna. She liked (but I never tried) raw onion sandwiches on white bread with 'oleo'. Then there was the "Black Cow": half milk, half Pepsi. Funny, but I don't get nostalgic for this stuff!
Family foods I thought was normal
I loved PB and kosher dills! My father introduced me to peanut butter & pickle sandwiches, but he usually preferred the sweet chips. I think only dills or shredded carrot (maybe a tart apple) can make peanut butter taste good.
Family foods I thought was normal
My mom had a dish she called "bloody beef" - really just a sort of medium rare roast, but now I realize it was the only meat she did NOT serve baked to a dry, gray lump. I'm sure I got funny looks when I told my friends what we had for dinner!
Does anybody make a half-decent ice cube tray?
I have the Oxo trays with the slide-off covers. They're great at keeping freezer nasties out of my ice, and they don't crack when I flex them. The covers don't slide as smoothly as I'd like; I end up spilling water all over the tray, which then freezes in place. I'm going to try waxing them with a piece of paraffin...other than the lid problem, I really like them. They're not cheap, though.
