Spring! It's Spring in the garden!

Took some pictures of the garden the other day...

 The onions Michael Ford planted look great.  The collards are starting to bloom.  I think I'll let them so the bees will have something to forage.  Did I tell y'all I have a bee hive in a hollow tree about three hundred yards to the east?  Yup.  Just like in the Hundred Acre Wood.

The Walking Onions are bunching.  These are cool little onions.  They make little bulbs at the top of a flower stalk, almost in place of a bloom.  When the stalk dies, it falls over next to the plant and the onions grow again, then flower, then replant themselves even farther over.  Too cool. 

 More onions.  These are McCoy's Special CTexas Bunching Onions.  This patch started from four little four-inch pots a couple years ago.  I just kept dividing them and setting them about six inches apart.  Now this, despite me giving lots away.

 The potatoes are popping their little heads up, too.

Mmmmmmm ... dinner!  

What's Nellie doing back there?  Hunting wabbits?

 "Nothing!  I'm doing nothing!"

That's what Old Dogs do best.

 A sign of spring.  Can you see them?  What a wonderful sound they make.

March Birthday Cakes - or, What Can Be Better Than BEER CAKE!

This month, a coworker was turning 21.  That's a milestone birthday, so I thought something special was in order.  That week was incredibly hectic, so didn't really have time for anything fancy.  I had a recipe for Rich Guinness Cake in my "To Try" book, so decided to make that to mark the occasion, bring it in on his actual birthday on the 16th (Bonus: Guinness cake doing double-duty for St. Patrick's Day!), and call it good.

The bottle of Guinness is real.  (I WISH I was that good.)

But I'd had a thought that building a cake in the shape of a pint would be so cool.  I've wanted to try sculpting a "3D" cake for a while now.  It would be fun, funNY, and fabulous!  ... But ...  With so much going on this week, I didn't think I'd be able to pull it off.  So I relegated it to "next year" or "someday".

I always do that.  I always think of learning how to do something that sounds interesting, or building some cool thingamabob I dream up, or trying something new that piques my fancy, but I have a bad habit of saying "someday", "maybe next time", "one of these days...", instead of actually doing it.

A year or two ago, I made a resolution to stop doing that, to push myself instead of procrastinating and relegating things to the SomeDay Pile.  I've done pretty good at breaking that habit.

That's why I teach preschool now, give classes and talks at libraries and garden clubs, and have an orchard out back of a huge vegetable garden with raised beds and an asparagus patch in it.  It's also the impetus for the Monthly Birthday Cakes for everyone at work - I'd been wanting to learn to bake tasty, pretty cakes for years, so jumped right in, thinking that if I screw up it wouldn't matter.  I mean, who complains about free cake, right?

So the thought of building that pint cake kept bugging me.  I really wanted to do it.  But I didn't have the time.  I really didn't - one of my other resolutions a while back was to quit stretching myself too thin with too many things to do and to make time for myself, time to do things that feed my soul.  I try to only do things now if I really enjoy them.

Regular wheat-flour cake on the left, gluten-free on the right.

The resolution to scale back is at odds with the one to chip away at the Someday Pile of course.  So what's evolved from these conflicting resolutions is this: When I am faced with Doing Something Cool And Fun Just Because I Can, I put it in the Maybe Pile.  Every so often, I take a look at that pile and see what's floated to the top.

For days, Pint Cake was on top, jumping up and down, yelling, "Make me!"  I kept thinking about how I'd do it, turning ideas over and over in my head - use wire to support it ... no, didn't have any food-safe wire ... bamboo skewers, yes! ... glass, what to use for glass ... homemade gummy! ... but it would leave a seam ... hmmm ... maybe dark chocolate would be shiny enough ... mmmmmm, dark chocolate ...   And on and on it went.  So I decided I'd give it a try, but NOT make a plan to definitely do it.  I would just play, and maybe learn something even if I didn't end up with a Pint Cake.

When I baked the Guinness cakes for that month, I poured a little extra batter into a shallow pan to fool around with.  I cut out some circles, small ones and bigger ones.  I stacked them, put toothpicks in them, thought of how much that would hurt if someone bit into them just right, removed the toothpicks, restacked them, thought maybe glue would be better, put dowels in them, and otherwise cogitated and ruminated on just how to do this. 

Ultimately, I succeeded!!  And it was so cool.  My first sculpted "3D" cake.  And I'm insanely proud of it. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

How I made it (recipes below):

While baking the other cakes, I poured a thin layer of extra batter into a 4" x 18" cake pan.  It baked up to about an inch and a half tall, or thereabouts.  Using round cookie cutters in two sizes (2 1/2" and 3"), I cut four pieces from the cooled cake, two of each size.  

Out of a cardboard cake board, I cut two round pieces the same size as the smaller cake pieces and stacked them to form a base, then stuck three wooden skewers through the two layers of cake board, spacing them out in a triangle pattern a bit apart from each other.  

I love how he looks drunk almost more than I love the pinky.

I slid the cake pieces onto the skewers, top down, small pieces first (for the base of the glass).  Once I got them skewered and snugged at the bottom of the skewers, I noticed the cardboard bases were a bit bigger than the cake, so I trimmed them with an exacto knife.  

Once I was happy with how it was sitting, I covered the sides including the cake board rounds with extra-strong chocolate ganache.  I refrigerated it 'til it was hardened (I left it in overnight, but an hour in the fridge or half an hour in the freezer should do), then took it out and added another thicker layer, then back in the fridge.  Once it was hardened again (overnight again, but as before, less time would do), I took it out of the fridge and let it sit about half an hour while I made the icing for the other cakes.  Then I smoothed the sides with my warm hands.  It was still quite hard, but the warmth from my hands was enough to melt the chocolate just so that it was a bit pliable, enough that I was able to sculpt it into a more realistic shape than it had been in, with slowly sloping sides and crisp top edge.  

Took them just three short hours to finish them all off.

Lastly, I rubbed on some coconut oil to give it a bit of sheen like glass, using a piece of plastic wrap to rub with so I didn't leave more fingerprints (be sure to rub long enough that all the chunks of unmelted coconut oil are melted and smoothed out).  Then into the freezer for an hour while I iced the other cakes.

Next, I trimmed the wooden skewers to just above the top of the cake, leaving enough to stick up a bit and help hold the icing that would be the foam.  For the foam, I used some of the cream cheese icing I'd made to ice the other two cakes - removed some from the mixing bowl before adding the green color, and slightly tinted it with cocoa.  Then back into the fridge with it.

I glued it to the cake plate with some of the ganache, then put it back in the fridge.  It was stuck on so well that when I took it out of the fridge the next morning, I could turn the plate upside-down and it stayed on!  But, when I tried that trick an hour or so later at work, it fell off.  ACK!  Luckily, I caught it and only put a couple fingerprints on it.  Whew!  So much for showing off! 

Rich Guinness Cake

I filled it with the rest of the ganache. A seam of chocolate in there was nice.

from Food.com

2/3 cup stout beer, such as Guinness
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2/3 cup sour cream

♣ Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter one 8-inch round cake pan. Line with parchment or wax paper. Butter paper.  

♣ Bring stout and butter to a simmer in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa; whisk until smooth. Cool slightly.  

♣ Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl to blend; set aside. Beat egg, yolk and sour cream with electric mixer in another large bowl to blend. 

♣ Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture, and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat 30 seconds on slowest speed. Fold batter using rubber spatula until completely combined.  

♣ Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 50 to 55 minutes, or until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Transfer to rack; cool.

Extra-Strong Chocolate Ganache

I saw this in a thread on Cake Central.  A poster was raving about how firm it was and what a wonderful base for further decorating.  It's a LOT like the recipe for White Chocolate Ganache on Food.com. 

♣ 3 parts extra-dark chocolate (can substitute others from the baking aisle - add sugar as needed if using baking, bittersweet, or unsweetened)
♣ 1 part heavy whipping cream

Warm the cream in a double boiler over medium heat.  Add the chocolate, broken up into small bits.  Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted, fully incorporated with the cream, and smooth.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3 to 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Mix the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on low until fully mixed and smooth.  Add the sugar, one cup at a time, allowing each cup to mix in thoroughly before adding the next.  Continue adding sugar until you get the desired consistency.
Optional: You can add a teaspoon or two vanilla or other flavoring of your choice, as well as color if desired.

This is fast becoming my go-to frosting since you can use it for a main covering as well as piping, it's so versatile (any kind of flavoring or color goes with it), and everyone LOVES it (and it IS good - better than regular buttercream).  I've gotten so many compliments on it.  It's one of the main things people ask about.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I think he liked it.

The Impulsive Tomato Planting Party - or, I Have Great Friends

Every time I plant large-fruited tomatoes after March 15th, I don't get anything from them.  It's usually just too late by then for the plants to have time to mature and start setting fruit before the heat sets in and shuts them down. 

This year, I was busier than normal. ... No, that's not right - I was as busy as I usually am despite trying to cut back. *sigh*  I'm sure y'all can relate.  So when the second week of March rolled around and the tomato beds were still empty, I got a little nervous.

I shouldn't have.  Michael Ford and I had planned to get the plants in the ground after work on the 14th.  That evening he called and said, "Planting party tonight, hosted at your house! Heather and I are on our way!" 

My first thought, bolstered by my social anxiety (yes, I have it - you can laugh at Loudmouthed Me now): "Oh, crap!"  My second thought, coming quickly on the heels of the first: "Well, you've wanted to get to know Heather better. Here's your chance." 

I got excited about the prospect of fun in the garden - doing something you love with a friend who loves it as much, and getting to know a new friend better who apparently loves doing this same thing or she wouldn't be daft enough to agree to drive an hour to stay up late planting tomatoes in the dark. 

Oh, crap!  It was getting dark!  I already had some Christmas lights out there and a full moon was expected that night, but I knew we needed MOAR LIGHT.  I ran around looking for the extra Christmas lights (My third thought: "Now where did I put those extra Christmas lights?!"), found them, grabbed them, and headed to the garden in the dying daylight where I strung them up along the beds we were going to plant. 

They arrived shortly after with a six pack, a bottle of wine, and a fifth flat of tomatoes.  I LOVE friends like that! 

We grabbed the beer, the wine, the bottle of bourbon, the five flats of tomatoes, and headed to the garden.  Michael had already put compost on the beds a couple weeks before.  I had the row-cover frames in some beds already set up, and rebar and pipe for the others was at hand.  All that was left was the fun part.



Michael laid out the plants while Heather and I started planting.  I wanted the cherries at the northeast end, the large-fruited ones next, and the Romas furthest south.  This way, in July when I cut the large-fruited ones back but leave the still-producing cherries standing, the cherries won't shade out the cut ones while they're resprouting.  Determinate canning tomatoes like Romas usually are done for when they finish that main flush of fruit.  With them grouped together, I can pull them out and have a large area to replant instead of holes here and there in the whole patch - plus, they're at the southern end so whatever I replant that area with won't be shaded out by the still-standing tomatoes that are left.  Grouping them this way also makes for easier picking later - I can easily get all the canners in one basket, the slicers in a second, and the cherries in still another, with no sorting needed later.

I had only planned on a couple-or-three beds for tomatoes.  You know how that goes...  we filled those up quickly and realized there were many cultivars left that didn't get represented.  I looked up at the other beds, picked one out, and we filled that one, too.  It was then I realized just how many tomatoes five flats are.

I looked at the flat Michael was holding, looked at the beds that were left, thought about what else I wanted to grow that year, and tried to do the math to figure out if I would have enough room for it all.  Math + Bourbon = injuries from the mental gymnastics.  However, Bourbon + Tomato Planting = GO FOR BROKE!

Seventy five plants later, we were done. 

It was such a nice feeling sitting with my friends, sharing the dinner I'd hastily thrown into the oven earlier, enjoying the satisfaction of what we'd just accomplished, knowing the tomatoes were warm all tucked in under the row covers, us all warm inside, too.  I don't know what made me feel the most warm: the electric fireplace or the bourbon.  Ah - it was the friendship.  Yep, that was it. 

It's coming...

*Cue theme music from Jaws*

 dum dum

Dum dum

Dum Dum

DUM Dum

DUM DUM

DUM DUH DAH DAAAAAHHHM!

My new orchard!!

It's so big I couldn't fit it all in one picture.

I'm SO excited!  Can you tell?!!!!  Did all the exclamation points give it away?!!!

I've been dreaming about doing this for years, and this year was the year.  I had a blank spot that needed an orchard and a video game console I didn't really need.  Michael Ford, a coworker and friend and landscaper, had a need for a video game console and the know-how to plant an orchard.  Weren't we a pair.

Michael did a great job, too.  I wasn't sure where to put each one, so with his advice I made up my mind.  I kinda' helped a bit with the placement, but he did the final spacing and shifted things so it looks nicer (See those diagonal lines?  That was his idea and I really like it.  A lot.).  After I hemmed and hawed and finally made up my mind, Michael went to work.  He mowed the dead weeds down and started digging.  I'd put a half yard of cow manure compost in my little Toy truck, so he backed that right out there to amend the soil in each hole.  He also put a couple inches on top of the ground around each tree to sweeten the soil outwards and encourage roots to grow out to get it.  I like that, too.  But most importantly, he planted them at the correct level, all with their root flares showing, just like they're supposed to be. 

So there are thirteen trees out there - two plums, two peaches, three apples, two pears, and four figs.  Here's the map:

I have two Gala Apples because I didn't realize I already had one at home in a pot, and I have two Florida Crest Peaches because someone put one in the TexKing Peach bin when I bought them (and I didn't double-check the tags before buying them. *slaps forehead* Live and learn...).  Oh, well ... let's say those will be my best producers!  Yeah!  That's it!

I have lots of room off to the right of the map for expansion to the east.  Just need to remove a fence over there and cut down some scrub hackberries.  I hope I'll have that done by next year.  I want more peaches, some more apples, maybe a couple more pears, some persimmons, a few more figs, a couple-or-four pomegranates.  I'll put in some apricots, too, even though they don't reliably produce - I love them, and I've got the room to spare.  And some citrus, too!  I'm thinking satsumas, Meyer's lemons, and whatever else is hardy.

It's so nice to dream.  But it's even nicer when those dreams become reality.





 

Backyard Chickens 101

This is the speaking note outline for my class on keeping backyard chickens.  I'll likely flesh it out more in the future.


Why keep chickens

• Home-raised eggs are healthier than conventionally raised, especially when free-ranged (Mother Earth News did a study)
• It’s fun - and good for the blood pressure to watch them, like an aquarium
• Bug patrol
• Free fertilizer
• To help teach kids where food comes from

What kinds of chickens would be good for you - some characteristics of some breeds

Silkies (and other banties) are the ultimate pets and are good mothers, but don’t produce large eggs

Rhode Island Reds and Sex Links - production layers

Buff Orpingtons - friendly, good layers

Cochins - friendly

Cuckoo Marans - dark chocolate colored eggs

Ameraucanas - “Easter Eggers” - to get kids to eat eggs when they don’t like them

Heritage Breeds - you might consider them since demand helps breeders keep breeding them, thus preserving them - LivestockConservancy.org

Roosters - not needed for egg production, some can be mean, most are loud

What chickens need - Basic housing and feeding

Have everything set up ahead of time, and ensure it’s all working

STRONG coop and run - BackYardChickens.com page on coops - also consider Chicken tractors (portable chicken coops)

1. size is relative: good starting point is 4 square feet per chicken in coop, 10 in run
2. if free ranging it’s still a good idea to build a run (vacation, in case predators show up, inclement weather, etc.)
3. the bigger the coop and run, the easier it is to take care of them and the less behavioral problems you’ll have - PLUS leaves room for more chickens later
4. Roosts - make them sturdy, not like swings - one foot per bird minimum for a few birds
5. Droppings boards below roosts - optional, but help keep coop clean and preserve floor space - empty into compost pile
6. Nests - one nest for every three or four hens - line with hay/straw to keep eggs clean
7. Chicken wire over all surfaces
8. Make it well-ventilated, but able to close up in the few cases of really cold weather, inclement weather
9. Chicken tractors - portable chicken coops
10. Electricity is handy to provide light during winter months to encourage laying throughout
11. Good to have a way of separating them just in case - a small cage (2’x2’ at least, 3’x3’ would be much better) is handy as you can also take it out of the coop to quarantine new arrivals or a sick bird
12. commercially made feeders and waterers, or homemade feeders and waterers at BackYardChickens.com
13. Cleanliness - the larger the coop, the easier to clean - rake it out and compost it all
14. Bedding: use organic hay, straw, rice hulls, coir fiber, shredded paper - use pine or cedar only in WELL-ventilated areas and NOT for chicks/youngsters since the fumes can be toxic
15. Deep Litter Method - essentially piling more bedding on top of old - composts in place, put on garden when you clean out in spring
16. DE - in coop and run and dusting spots and food grade - NOT POOL GRADE

What to Feed

1. laying pellets to avoid waste
2. grit - chickens don’t have teeth, so need grit so their gizzards can grind food - not needed if they have access to bare ground
3. calcium supplement maybe - watch their combs, if it’s light colored, give them calcium for sure - deficiency not common if feed layer ration or in free-ranged birds in our lime-y soiled area
4. DE in with feed to avoid intestinal parasites
5. kitchen scraps
6. trays of “grass” (grains grown in shallow pans outside the coop, then given as a treat)
7. bugs!

Gathering Eggs

1. don’t wash them until you’re going to use them to not remove protective coating
2. collect eggs every day in hot environments
3. float them to test for old eggs

To brood or not to brood

Buying adults

1. avoids the messiness of brooding inside and higher death rate from starting with chicks
2. can be cheaper if you just want a few chickens
3. avoids “surprise roosters”

But brooding from chicks is

1. fun - allows more bonding
2. allows for more choice of breeds
3. sometimes cheaper IF you want more than a few chickens - someone like me it would be good, for someone who just wants three maybe not good

How to brood 
Have everything ready beforehand, ensuring it’s all working - read, read, read also to learn, learn, learn
1. 90-95 degrees at chick height, decreasing 5 degrees every week
2. draft free
3. rubbermaid tub is good
4. no newspaper to avoid spraddle-leg - paper towels the first few days/week, rice hulls, fine coir fiber, corn cob chips
5. keep it clean - DEFINITELY
6. light for heat - 100 watt INCANDESCENT - foot and a half above the floor at one end
7. feeders - most anything shallow - marbles in water
8. feed - chick starter crumbles - non-medicated if you vaccinated - FRESH
9. about two months ‘til they’re fully feathered and can go outside full time, 4 to 5 months to laying age though varies with breed
10. WHEN to get chicks - March is good, because it’ll be warm two months later
11. Integrating into the flock - I usually don't have problems doing it at night all at once, once they're fully feathered out, but do watch them CLOSELY the next day. If problems arise, I separate them in a cage, but keep them inside the coop.

Problems you may encounter

NOTE: If using any type of medication, be sure to read the package to find out about how long, if at all, you have to avoid eating the eggs, and if you have to retreat.
Predators - build a strong coop and run, with wire flat out on the ground a foot all the way around

Picking each other - “Pecking order” - usually caused by too confined a space, nutrient deficiency, or boredom

Coccidiosis - chicken looks depressed, isn’t eating, possibly blood in feces - time to call the vet

Mites (body) - tiny little beasties on chicken's body - keep DE in coop, liberally spread everywhere at all times, especially in their dusting spots - use ivermectrin wormer if you have to

Mites (leg) - scaly leg mites - tiny little beasties that burrow into the legs making them look scaly - keep DE in coop, cover their legs with Vaseline, repeat every few days for a couple weeks

Lice - you'll notice nits on the base of feathers - DE, then pyrethrin based insecticide if needed (repeat spraying in ten days to kill newly hatched eggs)

Intestinal parasites - DE in their food, worm with ivermectrin wormer if you have to

“Leather eggs” - give them calcium

Finding a vet - You likely won’t, so bone up on common diseases beforehand

Egg bound - massaging the abdomen may help, but sometimes nothing will 

Other weird things, but not really problems:

“Fart eggs” - small, undeveloped eggs usually laid by young hens

Molting - usually late summer, early fall - lasts a few months

Winter pause of laying - give them light to help keep them laying

Broodiness - let her do it because you can’t stop it - maybe substitute other kinds of eggs, or plastic Easter eggs that you later substitute for chicks (slip them in at night) or don’t substitute if you don’t want to deal with chicks (the hen will eventually give up, after a month or so)

Where to get chickens and accessories: local is usually best as you can see the chicks and assess their vigor and health, also allows you to just get a few (hatcheries usually add male chicks for warmth to orders of less than twenty or so)

• Your local feed store - ask them if they order chicks - sometimes as a “Co-op” order
• Ideal Poultry - mostly just chicks, cheaper than most other places, $25 minimum order
• Murray McMurray - McMurrayHatchery.com minimum order is 25 chicks during cold, 15 other times
• Callahan’s - chicks and adults
• Hill Country Poultry.com - all ages
• Tractor Supply

Definitions:

1. Chicken - either sex
2. Hen - female of laying age
3. Pullet - young female
4. Straight Run - males and females together, unsexed
5. Sexing - the practice of physically determining the sex, not always accurate

Laws:
No matter what the laws are, it’s always good to be a good neighbor.  Imagine if you had a dog instead of chickens: you would keep them quiet, not have too many, and keep them in your yard.  Same with chickens.  This is especially important in areas where there are no ordinances allowing chickens as it would be easier for your neighbors to cause problems for you concerning your chickens than your dog. 

There isn’t any need for a rooster.  This will go a long way towards keeping things quiet.  You don’t need a rooster for eggs - only for fertile eggs.  And three hens should be sufficient.  Depending on breed you’ll get about two eggs a day from three hens.  That’s almost a dozen a week. 

And check your HOA bylaws, if you have an HOA.  The city you live in may allow chickens, but your HOA may prohibit them.  

City of Austin: I didn’t find any law prohibiting chickens, nor addressing how many or of what sex, so I think they’re allowed but regulated as small animals. You can find more in Title 3 (Animal Regulations) of the Austin Ordinances.  From my reading it seems you can keep chickens (the ordinances specifically list “fowl” in some of the sections), but they must not be allowed to roam at large, must be kept in an enclosure at least 50 feet from an adjacent residence or business not counting your own, the enclosure must be kept clean enough that it doesn’t become a nuisance from odor or flies, and you can’t have more than 100, though it’d be a good idea to keep a lot less than that so your neighbors don’t lose their cool or you your sanity.  Also, the ordinances specifically prohibit noisy animals, so if you want a rooster, get a quiet one.  (That’s a joke - there ARE no quiet ones.)

City of Bee Cave: There is no city ordinance regarding chickens except that livestock sales are restricted to agricultural districts.  I confirmed with Michael Polley, Senior Code Compliance Officer of the City of Bee Cave, that this means chickens are neither allowed nor not allowed.  He told me that they likely would be considered as pets and problems would only arise if they became public nuisances. 

City of Lakeway: City ordinance prohibits livestock except in agriculturally zoned areas.

Dripping Springs: Still not sure exactly, but according to the city secretary, they are essentially prohibited but allowable with a Conditional Use Permit.  How easy that permit would be to get I have no idea.

Helpful links:

Feathersite.com’s Poultry Pages

Mother Earth News.com

BackYardChickens.com

LivestockConservancy.org