Posted on 05/01/2015 12:41:21 PM PDT by greeneyes
Good afternoon Gardeners! We have the most beautiful day so far this week. Temps in 60s and beautiful sun shine and blue sky. Truly a gift from God.
I just wanted to mention to those who may have missed JRandomFreeper's post yesterday, that he has started his Chemo Therapy today, and needs your prayers. Thank you all in advance for helping with this request.
Not much has changed here. I have been taking the tomatoes in and out. Yesterday, I forgot and left them outside, but they seem to be ok. Hubby plans to plant corn this weekend. I'll wait 2 or 3 weeks before I begin sprouting my corn seeds.
Did I mention that I ordered some Evergreen Corn to try this year? Should be an interesting experiment. I left the rye go too long and now it has some seeds. They are not ripe yet, but hubby wants me to let it go and save the seed.
Problem is, he bought them at the feed store, and doesn't really know what they are other than rye. So I think I'll just pass on that. Besides, a short maturity variety will be going in there, so I doubt I have enough time left for it to mature.
I'll have to leave pretty soon to finish up some errands that I didn't quite get around to, that absolutely have to get done today. So if I go dark for a while, please forgive me - I'll be back later.
Tomorrow we planned to go to the neighboring town to visit the farmer's market, but that was before I remembered the Derby is this weekend. Probably will postpone the trip, if not we'll reduce the number of other places to visit while we are over there.
Have a great weekend everyone. God Bless.
That’s amazing to me all that you get done in a day’s time.
We are strictly manual for all our gardening stuff. No tractor or anything like that. Hubby told me that he planted 168 corn seeds per bed in the corn patch. We have 3 beds - That’s over 500 plants.
I’m going to have to double check that figure tomorrow - if I understood it right, we are going to need a bigger freezer!
He got the seeds from the local feed store. Peaches and Cream. He did not verify that they are not GMO.
Just asked for the most popular corn variety.
I’m dragging my donkey today. Went down to Wheatland on Saturday and met up with a bunch of friends for the sprint car races. Camped at the track and got home around noon yesterday.
Then I tilled the garden. Then I planted sweet corn. Then I planted pole beans. Then I planted cucumbers. Then I got Nanner out and moved a bunch of pond dirt. I have so little free time that I just can’t make myself quit while the sun is shining. Makes for some bad Mondays...
We planted our tomatoes and other vegetables last week but headed down to outside Dallas for my granddaughter’s birthday on May 1. Hope there is enough moisture back in Kansas to keep things going for the 10 days we will be away.
Peaches and Cream is a regular hybrid, not GMO, so far as I know.
In the case of corn, as I understand it GMO is merely swapping known desirable corn genes between varieties, in place of known unwanted genes. It is a shortcut for regular hybridization, without having to do multigenerational crossings and selecting...then still ending up with unwanted characteristics of one or both parents.
It also saves untold work every year in the growing of seed, because the detasseling and other isolation work needed to produce ‘true’ hybrid seed is removed.
And, without the alternating rows of the chosen parents (the pollen donors will be self pollinated, so not used as the new seed), all of the seed will be true, so a lot of space, water, and fertilizer is saved for producing the same amount of seed.
It’s not “frankenfood”.
Yeah, I know, I should do it by hand, but circumstances dictate that I probably need the labor saving device.
I've broken down and bought a microwave.
First one in my life. Ever. And I actually use it.
/johnny
We got married in 1978. Got out first microwave and dishwasher in 2009.A far as a rice cooker I wouldn’t recommend one. Best I have found is a heavy duty double wall stainless steel pot with a good heavy lid that does the water seal. Trick is to cook the rice on low and turn it off when it is 90% done and leave the lid on. Don’t stir it.It will steam and fluff up beautifully. For brown rice I always wash the rice first. Natural brown rice has a lot of dust on it. I add a good amount of water in the pot and swish the rice around with my hand vigorously and drain off the water. I do this at least 3 times til the water is clear. Then add twice as much water as is depth of the rice in the pot. Cook in the same heavy pot with water seal lid and again turn it off before it is done and let it sit. It will be the cleanest tasting and fluffiest brown rice you’ve ever had. I’ll confess I’ve never used a rice cooker. I just can’t see the need if you have the right pot. Plus I detest single use utensils and appliances.
BTW everyone I am planting about half my garden tomorrow. Out last frost date is May 19 (west Michigan) but looking ahead to the forecast I don’t think we will see a frost. Talked with a couple of local friends who garden and they are planting early. So I tilled up the garden again today - 3rd time. Tomorrow the radishes and pea pods and leafy stuff goes it. I’ll wait a bit for tomato plants and cukes. Just started yesterday picking asparagus. WooHoo!
I can cook rice in a regular pan, but I really like how easy the rice cooker works, and sorry.. right now, I've got to reduce the work load on me, while still getting the meals I need.
When the twins saw that I had bought a microwave they knew this thing was real, and at least one of them had tears.
I really wish I had a choice to do it the normal way.
/johnny
Sorry, Johnny; I’ve never used a rice cooker in my life.
I’ve steamed it 2:1, American style; and 3:1 Chinese style; and boiled, all in a Revere Ware covered pot, Guardian Ware pot, mess kit pot, and even in a 12V percolator; but never in a rice cooker or rice steamer.
I’ve fried it in a cast iron skillet; and wokked it, and even added it raw to crockpot dishes, but I have never used (nor owned) a rice cooker or rice steamer of any sort; nor did my mother before me. Neither has my wife, nor did my MIL.
Did you also post this in the Cooking Thread?
In any case, still keeping you in prayers.
I was lucky enough to watch the grandkids for the summer, and my son-in-law made rice in his rice maker every single day. By lunchtime it was ready and good to feed me and the kids rice.
By suppertime, it was still good (same pot) to feed with supper.
Lots of times, it was ready for breakfast and start the cycle over the next day.
He used it a lot, and so did I.
Not a bad way to learn, I suppose.
Thank you for your input. I'll wait until the next food thread and see what they have to say then.
/johnny
Sorry for not being more understanding! If you have seen his rice cooker before, have you tried going to Google Images and putting in “rice cooker”? Maybe you will see a picture of it and can identify it that way. Prayers up!
Dang I just did that and I can’t believe how many different kinds there are for a device doing the same thing.
That's why I think getting the info is easiest. ;)
Oh well. I'll get it figured out eventually.
/johnny
My objection to GMO, is not frankenfood. It’s the idea that seed which you buy is not really yours to do with as you wish, as you can do with heirlooms. Monsanto is a major employer in Missouri, so I do like to support their efforts when I can.
Another objection is the fact that much of the GMO produce at the grocery has been treated with Roundup, and there’s no way for the consumer to know how much. Roundup is not a product that I would use on food I intended to eat in any quantity.
I have to admit, that when I read that fish DNA is being inserted into Tomato genes, I do wonder how that would have been possible with the old hybridization techniques, what sort of testing was done to make sure it was safe. How many years did we eat margarine with Trans Fats (we were told it was better for us than butter) before we learned it was not in fact a good thing to have in our diet.
After reading “Seeds of Deception” I am not 100% sure that GMO food has proven to be 100% safe. I do have a background in the sciences, with enough biology, chemistry, and physics to give me a double major in Math and Science. No expert, but I do have a smattering of knowledge about such.
Intellectually, I think it should be safe. However, when I read that a scientist who was hired to test some GMO produce to show that it was safe, and expected to find no detriment, actually does find data that causes him to question that premise, then I have to admit to some sliver of doubt.
Of course, those involved with producing GMO foods, and the government assure us it’s ok, and they are 100% trust worthy and never wrong - right?
I’ll stick with mostly heirlooms, the occasional ole time hybrid, and no pesticides on my food, whenever possible, but that’s just me - no need for everyone else to follow suit.
Spinach and Tomatoes etc. being blamed for E-Coli and other illnesses/outbreaks is what did it for me. Had nothing to do with GMO, but that’s when I decided and started growing my own stuff.
When I was a teenager, I read the available material about smoking. I was not sure whether smoking was detrimental to a person’s health or not, so I just decided not to take the chance. That’s kinda the way I am and where I am with GMOs - I’d like to see some really good independent well designed scientific studies on the issue - something not sponsored by the industry. After all, I am from Missouri - the “show me state”.LOL
My position on GMOs is not to convince anyone one way or the other. I do think that I have a right to know whether a food that I am purchasing contains GMO products, and a right to decline to eat it, or even to stuff my self to the gills with it if I want to eat it. So that’s where I am on the subject. ((smiles)).
Hope we’re ok on the subject?
Yikes! That’s a big hope isn’t it? I’ll pray for some rain - ok?
I do have my daughter back there to provide backup, but I think the prayer may be more reliable.
Well, at least you got a little R&R on Saturday. I Slept in on Saturday, first time all week, I got more than 5 hours. Then got a few clean up chores done, and went to BBsit the great grand kids.
Now that’s not R&R, but it is a delight. LOL
So that meant Sunday was the big work day in the garden.
When the weather is nice, and the sun is shining, a person just has to be outside doing something. If not, I’d feel guilty about wasting all that nice weather by being cooped up indoors. LOL
LOL - I can relate to that!
I’m not big on GMOs; just that (most) corn is one of the exceptions, IF it is not also “Roundup-ready”. That is mainly commercial corn seed, not generally available to gardeners, AFAIK, though that may be quietly changing without labeling as such. OTOH, Roundup-ready crops don’t produce viable seeds; but planting a Roundup-ready seed only produces a plant resistant to glyphosate, but doesn’t require it be used—thought the farmers obviously will on commercial crops.
The seed saving aspect of GMOs is a concern for sure, and the court decisions on that are terrible. In the cases where where even non-GMO seed from adjacent fields pollinated by the neighbor’s GMO crop is considered a patent violation if planted, it’s a travesty.
I was only pointing out that your hubby’s corn, even if GMO, is safe for consumption.
As for the cross-species manipulation, forget it. That opens too many problems in solving a non-problem, especially in these days of seemingly increasing allergies & allergy-like diseases.
I have a cheapo Kitchen Gourmet brand 3 Cup rice cooker from, IIRC, Walgreen’s. You can cook white or brown rice in it as it senses the moisture content or some magical thing. I’ve had it for years. I think it was about five bucks. I think they’re about 10 or 12 bucks now. It came with a little steamer thing, but I’ve never used that.
I’m amazed it knows to cook white rice 20 minutes and brown for about 35 or 40 minutes.
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