Spring is just around the corner!

It's time to start getting your plants ready for spring. I have a small grow room in my house that I use to grow my plants from seeds. I start the last two weeks of February and continue through March and into parts of April before I bring them outside. Currently I have chives, thyme, and oregano under the lamps. I planted chives, thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, lavender, and cilantro last week on Feb. 20. The thyme and chives sprouted within two days. I keep them in a warm box without light until they sprout. Once they're up I keep them under the lamp 16 hours a day. The oregano I found to sprout slowly in the dark (I only have two right now) so I have placed them under the lamp to see if they prefer to bask in the light and then rise. At this point I have 72 herb plants that I'm hoping will grow strong.

Yesterday I picked up my flower seeds and are starting to work with them. I planted 6 large sunflower seeds, they'll hopefully grow up to 12 feet tall. I also planted 10 mini sunflowers (hull), I'm going to plant them in window boxes that I have hang from my porch.

As you can see in the picture the thyme is in the center and really started strong. The chives are on the far right with their string stalks. I use foil around the inside of my grow room to reflect all possible light towards the plants. Heat is not an issue the lamps are fluorescent grow lights and I keep my house anywhere between 68-71 degrees.

I'll post more pictures soon!

Ski Trip to Smuggler's Notch, VT

View from top of Stirling Mountain.

Mummer's Parade - Philadelphia

The Mummer's Parade is crazy and everyone should go to it at least once or twice during their lifetime. It's such a great way to celebrate the New Year!

Trip to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Pizza Stromboli

Jimmy's Pizza Stromboli is just liking making regular stromboli except for a few changes.

1. Work dough into a pizza pie.
2. Add a light coating of tomato sauce.
3. Season with your favorite pizza herbs and spices.
4. Add mozzarella cheese.
5. Starting from one end of pizza add straight line of pepperoni.
6. Fold pizza along this line and add next line of pepperoni next to newly formed seam.
7. Repeat process until entire pizza is rolled into stromboli shape.
8. Close corners and flatten seam.
9. Cook in oven for 18min at 425 F.
   

Cheddar Cheese Farm Style

Making cheese pictures.

1. Setting 2 gallons of milk (bacteria starter 45min, rennet 45 min) so that you can establish a clean break and then separate the curds from the whey.



2. Pressing the cheese at different stages to remove all of the remaining whey. This picture shows my 20 lb press, which involves quaker oatmeal, 12 pack of Corona, and gallon of water. You should see my 50 lb press.

3. After 12 hours in my 50 lb press the cheese is ready to air dry to form a rind and then be waxed.

4. Farm style cheddar is ready to be eaten after a short 4 week aging period compared to traditional sharp cheddar that requires 3 - 12 months of aging.

i made borsht tonight which is an eastern european classic stew like soup