MAY 2023
Wednesday 2023.5.31
Growing Tomatoes
I've been asked to share some of what I learned about growing tomatoes in containers. As is typical for me, I do a lot of research before I attempt anything new. I found the following video on YouTube to be the most helpful for beginners like me.
Next Level Gardening (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w-7RoH_uic)
He has other videos that are also informative. I recommend them because not all the useful information is in one video.
The Tomato Plants
Some people grow their tomatoes from seeds. That's useful if you start them indoors before the end of winter and then transplant them outdoors after any risk of frost. I prefer to buy seedlings. I can see them at the nursery or garden shop and select the ones I think might grow best, based on how healthy they look.
In the future, I might try growing tomatoes from seeds if I can remember to buy them early enough, like toward the beginning of January. I live in Southern California; so the risk of frost is so minimal I don't need to think about it. However, I need to put notes on my calendar — "Buy tomato seeds." At my age it helps to get reminders.
I'm repeating myself, but tomatoes come in two basic types — determinate and indeterminate. Determinates grow, bloom, and produce fruit; then they're done. They usually perish. Indeterminates keep growing, flowering and producing fruit throughout the season. If they survive the winter, they'll continue through the next summer, and maybe on and on.
Search the internet for "oldest tomato plant" or largest. You'll see some amazing pictures and videos.
The Container
I am currently using a large planter, 24 inches (61cm) in width and 14 inches (36cm) deep. Do a little math and that amounts to about 27 gallons. Two years ago I grew a tomato plant in a five-gallon bucket, which measured 13 inches (33cm) deep and 11 inches (28cm) wide. The bucket is probably the smallest anyone would use for a single tomato plant.
My current container might actually be too small. According to the directions that came with the tomato seedlings, they should be planted about 36 inches (91cm) apart. There is plenty of room above the pot for the branches to grow, but there might eventually be too much crowding of the roots in the soil, stifling growth and fruit production. I won't know until later in the year. If that proves to be true, next year I'll grow only one or two plants in the pot.
The container should have holes in the bottom to allow for drainage. When using a five-gallon bucket, I drilled a few holes in the bottom.
The Soil
A good potting mix gave my plants a good start. However, there is a limited amount of nutrition available in the pot. The plant will use up some of it; some nutrients will leech out of the pot when excess water drains out the bottom. So I plan on supplementing my soil regularly with a good fertilizer formulated for tomatoes. I use Vigoro brand "Tomato & Vegetable Garden Plant Food Plus Calcium." More on calcium in a moment. And, again, a note goes on the calendar around the beginning of each month — "Feed the tomatoes."
The package recommends working some into the soil every three months. My plants are in a container; so they don't have access to adjacent soil. My plan is to dissolve a little into water once a month and then pour it into the soil.
The Cage
You can't watch a video about growing tomatoes without seeing some sort of support for them as they grow. Tomato cages are available at garden centers and many hardware stores. I bought the tallest available, 54 inches (137cm), but a healthy indeterminate tomato plant can supposedly grow to 8 feet (2.4m) in height. So I bought a second cage I can invert and secure to the top of the first cage, adding more support.
Again, search the internet. Some tomato "trees" can reach 15 feet (4.6m) in height.
Getting Started
A few recommendations in the videos seemed to work well for me. Prepare the soil. The potting mix is good for starters, but it can be enhanced. Tomatoes need calcium. In the garden, supposedly there is plenty of calcium in the soil. In a pot, however, the calcium is limited to the potting mix, if it contains much calcium at all. So, a good additive to the soil is some gypsum powder. I mixed it into the soil.
Another good additive is phosphate in the form of rock phosphate. After digging the hole into which I planned to place the seedling, I put a small amount of rock phosphate in the hole and then placed the root ball of the seedling directly on that. Supposedly it gives the roots a good head start.
Another trick I tried was to start shallow. Although my planter is 14 inches deep, I started with only about four inches of soil in the pot. Look closely at tomato plants. The stems are hairy. Those little hairs are future roots, if they encounter moist soil. Plant the seedlings and let them get started. After a couple weeks I pruned off the bottom branches and added more potting mix, filling the pot maybe an additional four inches. Again, after a few more weeks, I pruned again and then added more soil, nearly filling the pot. All the stem that was below the soil formed new roots, giving my plants a good root system to support future growth.
The Little Nasties
I hate aphids. Those little tiny insects killed one of my citrus trees. They attach their greedy little mouths to the stems and leaves and suck out sap. Good for the aphids, but bad for the plant. Thankfully, I still had some neem oil. I sprayed the plants weekly for four weeks, killing the bugs. My plants seem to be much happier for it. The aphids will come back; so now I plan to spray my plants every three weeks. It's on my calendar.
Finishing
After the last addition of soil I began to see weeds. It's unavoidable. Where there is exposed moist soil, seeds, borne by the wind, will eventually fall and germinate. I pulled out the weeds and then covered the top soil with a good layer of wood chip mulch. It supposedly does two things. It helps the soil retain moisture and it helps prevent weeds from settling in.
I did some additional pruning too, removing several of the bottom branches. This also helps to discourage weeds because it allows the top to dry more quickly, denying any seeds a moist bed on which to germinate. And it also discourages insect pests. As I was pruning, lots of little flying insects, like gnats, came flying out, probably living on the moist soil. After adding the mulch the insects disappeared.
In Summary
That is a fairly good summary of what I currently know about growing tomato plants. I think it was Sir Isaac Newton who is credited with saying, "If I have seen a little further it is because I have stood upon the shoulders of giants." I am not a gardening genius. Before I grew my first tomato plant I knew almost nothing. If I had relied on my little knowledge, I probably would have failed. I can't recommend enough watching the videos on YouTube. I still watch them, to pick up bits of information I either missed the first time or forgot since.
Sunday 2023.5.28
Happy Memorial Day
Besides being a day to remember and honor the men and women in uniform who gave their life defending democracy and the United States of America, it is also the unofficial beginning of the summer season. You can start wearing white tomorrow. For others, it might be considered the beginning of the barbecue season. Here in SoCal, we can barbecue any time of year. Most of you, at least here in the USA, will be enjoying a three-day weekend.
Weird Dreams
I am still having weird dreams as my body continues to clean up the remnants of this cold virus. In one dream I went shopping at Target and somehow left the store and got lost in their gigantic and sprawling warehouse. I wandered around for what seemed like hours, trying to find my way back into the store. I even lost my shirt along the way. All I wanted was a bag of potato chips.
That dream was followed by another in which a friend and I also became lost in the Target warehouse. In that dream I found my lost shirt.
The Tomato Plant Diaries
On Thursday I did a close inspection of the tomato plants. I saw very few aphids.
A little after dusk I used my UV flashlight to search for tomato worms. There was no sign of leaves being eaten, but I wanted to see how well the light worked. I bought it two years ago when I had one tomato plant growing in a five-gallon bucket.
The idea of the UV light is based upon tomato worms being very difficult to see among the foliage. They're green. However, when lit with UV light at dusk, the worms glow like a neon sign. I wasn't sure how well the light might work. I saw no signs of worms. However, the yellow nylon strings I used to secure the tomato cage to the planter lit up brightly. The flashlight works.
I tied two more branches, not so much to support them and prevent them from falling over and breaking, but more to train them upward along the outside of the tomato cage. At some point in the future I might need to provide some support. For now, this is more about training.
As I inspected the plants I found more tomatoes developing. I don't want to be accused of counting my chickens before they hatch, but I did see a total of ten green tomatoes of different sizes. There are dozens of yellow flowers. I still expect to begin harvesting in July.
As for height, if I stand next to the plants the tallest leaves are now up to my chest, almost to my neck. Soon, the branches will be above the third rung of the tomato cage. It almost seems impossible to believe these thriving plants began from little seedlings barely a few inches tall.
The pot is now so full of soil, it will absorb nearly two gallons of water. I also noticed on top of the soil something that appeared to be the first germinating weed. I'll keep an eye on that. If it does develop, I'll cover the soil with a layer of wood chip mulch to discourage weeds.
One photograph I look forward to taking is of me, standing next to the plants, the tallest of the leaves extending a little above my head. By then I will have attached the second tomato cage to add more support.
Learning from Past Mistakes
This week I looked at the photos I shot of my first Early Girl tomato plant, grown two years ago. Back then, the plan was to train the vines to spiral upward abound the outside of the cage, which appeared to work well. However, in July, when there were several ripe tomatoes ready for harvest, powdery mildew set in and killed many of the leaves. Although I tried to save the plant, the damage was evidently too severe. The plant failed to survive into late fall and winter. I hope to prevent that from happening again this year by regularly spraying with neem oil.
Wednesday 2023.5.24
Sickness
Not much has been happening here lately. I continue to recover from this cold. The worst of it has passed, but I'm not fully well yet. I'm sleeping again, thankfully, but I've been having some weird dreams.
In one dream I was on the East Coast, in Rhode Island, on a beach, the eastern end of which was well known for a population of some of the most venomous snakes on earth. However, if you could catch one, it would sell for a lot of money. I caught one and told a friend about it. He decided it might be a good source of income, so he started catching them too. I knew it was only a matter of time before he would be bit, a bite no one ever survived. I decided I would remove his identification from his clothes if he was bit and abandon him there. As an unknown, the state would bury him as a John Doe, saving his parents and me a lot of red tape and money.
Other than the cold, little else occupied my mind. My mail gathered in my mailbox. Some bills were close to being paid late.
But Not Too Sick to Cook
Yesterday afternoon I experimented with Popcorn Chicken again. I couldn't remember whether or not I ever tried cooking it in my air fryer (AF). The original recipe calls for frying in oil, such as peanut oil or corn oil. For ease of cleanup, I wanted to use my AF. I did drizzle a little olive on top of the chicken pieces before putting them in the AF.
And, as I am prone to do, especially when I am not feeling well, I washed up as I went along. When the chicken went into the AF to cook I washed the last of the utensils. The cooked chicken went onto a paper plate. There was nothing to wash but the fork, which made the evening even more pleasant as I sat in front of the TV nibbling Popcorn Chicken.
As for the flavor, it was okay. It needed salt, but maybe that was because of my cold, which makes most foods taste bland. Would I make chicken this way again? Probably. It's easy and there is very little cleanup.
And Speaking of Food…
Costco has Kingsford charcoal briquets on sale again, $6.20 off two 18 pound bags. I was never much of a barbecue kind of guy. I'm at home with a skillet.
I bought my Weber grill a few years ago to use for videos. I did Barbecue Chicken, Chicken Wings, Grilled Duck, Grilled Lollipop Chicken, Party Wings, Slow Braised Goat Shanks (which were done at a park), even Venison Backstrap.
The problem, as I see it, is the amount of work involved when cooking for only one person. It's a lot easier to place a pan on the stove or arrange pieces in the air fryer or Instant Pot. Maybe if I were to grill a dozen chicken legs and freeze most of them for heating later in the microwave oven….
One thing I am looking forward to, if and when I get a bumper crop of vine-ripened tomatoes, is fresh Tomato and Basil Soup. That's something I can portion and freeze for enjoying later, like in winter. Imagine a steaming bowl of that soup with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side.
And One More Thing
In a comment on my American Chop Suey video someone said she occasionally adds button mushrooms. I never thought of that. The grocery stores sell jarred pasta sauce with mushrooms added. Why not give that a try? It seems delicious. The next time I make Marinara I'll try adding some mushrooms.
Sunday 2023.5.21
The Catheter Diaries
No? Okay, that subtitle might be a dumb idea. But when you are old you can get away with stuff like that.
I haven't written much about self-catheterization, or cathing, lately. It's not a pleasant topic to discuss. I've been doing well enough. I've settled into a routine that is working for me. Gone are the days and nights of agonizing about my lack of success. And I think the shedding of all that angst helped me relax more, which makes it easier to insert the catheter.
I should mention I have two types. The pocket catheters work most of the time, but when they won't go all the way in I use a straight-line catheter. It's slightly more rigid and although it requires a little more force, it pops into my bladder and I can enjoy some relief.
Finally, I'm breaking the rules a little. These are single-use disposable catheters. What do you do when you have only one or two? I have boxes of the pocket catheters and, as I said above, they work most of the time. The straight catheter is my Plan B. After each use I rinse it well, inside and out, and then submerge it in an alcohol bath for several minutes. That kills bacteria. Then I store it in a ziplock bag with some of the lubricating liquid the catheters are packaged with.
So far, I see no signs of infection and I am much more relaxed about cathing.
The Tomato Plant Diaries
I like that subtitle. I'll continue to use it.
I've been doing some research about tomato cages. It turns out I am using mine all wrong. The plants are supposed to grow up inside the cage, one plant per cage, and the cross bars support the branches as they become laden with fruit. I potted three plants around the outside of one cage.
In an earlier blog I discussed how I secured the cage to the pot using nylon cord. This setup is very strong. It would take a powerful wind to knock this over.
I use gardening tape and string to support the branches and train them upward along the cage. The tape is stapled into a wide loop, giving plenty or room for the stem to expand.
Then the loop is attached to the cage with string, which can be adjusted later if the plant needs more training. When branches become burdened with fruit and need support, I can tie them up the same way.
The current cage is good for about 3½ feet (1 meter) of plant growth above the top of the soil. I expect the plants to be taller than that by the end of July. So, as mentioned in an earlier blog, I bought a second cage that I can invert and attach to the top of the current cage, adding another 55 inches (1.4m) of support. That's a total of 8 feet (2.5m), which is how tall this variety of tomato plant typically grows in a season.
With this setup I expect one tomato cage to be enough for three plants. The season is still young; so I'll know more as spring and summer progress.
Meanwhile, I'm trying not to be a helicopter farmer, hovering over the plants several times each day to look for progress or anything that needs attention.
I Learned Something New This Week
If the plant tape is too tight, such that it restricts the growth of the stalk, that's called "girdling." In one video a man used a plant taping gun, which is beneficial for someone who has a farm or vineyard with many vines that need securing. He recommended taping loosely, such that the pinky finger can fit in the loop along with the vine. That allows plenty of room for the stalk to expand over time.
It's Bad for You, But it's So Good
As summer approaches, I've been craving Vanilla Ice Cream. I hadn't made it in several year. The first important issue was my old ice cream maker. Would it work? Yes, with a little patience. At first the motor wouldn't spin, but little by little it started to move and within a few seconds it was running at full speed. First hurdle done.
Mix the ingredients in a saucepan. Put some water in a larger saucepan, bring to a boil and nest the smaller pan in the larger one. I no longer have my former pans. The ones I have now don't nest as well. But, it was enough. Heat until the mixture starts to thicken, then remove the smaller pan. Cover and place in the refrigerator to cool overnight. Second hurdle done.
On Thursday I assembled and started my machine. Pour in the base and let it churn for about 20 minutes. The end result is a delicious homemade ice cream that is sweet and rich, more like a frozen custard. Maybe too rich. Moments later I was sick, kneeling before the bathroom throne, retching. Nothing came up, thankfully, but I learned it will take some time for my body to adjust to this level of richness. So I've been eating only very small amounts since then.
It's Just a Common Cold
On Wednesday I came down with the symptoms of a cold — sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, stuffed up head, etc. I still have some of those free covid tests the government was dispensing a while ago. I followed the directions and it came out negative. It's just a cold.
Today, four days later, the symptoms are still lingering, but I am finally on the recovery side of this sickness. I was miserable. It wasn't the worst cold I ever suffered, but it was up there among the winners. By the end of this week I expect to be fully back to normal again. Although there is nothing pleasant about having a cold, one positive outcome is that it wasn't covid. I'm thankful for that.
Wednesday 2023.5.17
The Tomato Plant Diaries
Thank you Nancy for that subtitle.
Sunday afternoon I put the last of the potting mix in the planter. There was still room for more; so I used some I had saved from my former citrus trees. In the process I also pruned off several lower branches. The leaves were yellowing anyway. The stalks that are now under the soil will form more roots, making the plants stronger and giving them more growth potential.
As mentioned in Sunday's blog, the leaves are up to the second rung of the tomato cage. That's about two feet above the new layer of soil. The branches aren't tall enough yet for tying. Maybe next month.
Two feet doesn't seem like much, but including the seven inches of soil I've added to the planter since they were first planted, that's about 2½ feet of growth in seven weeks. Not to be overlooked, they've been growing outward too, not just upward.
A second tomato has started to develop. The first one is still growing. It will be another six or seven weeks before that one is fully ripe for harvesting.
There are many yellow flowers in several places and more still in the bud.
And Speaking of Plants
Well, fake plants. Yesterday I potted another artificial tree. Five down, three more to go. A young neighbor helped me. I only needed someone to hold the tree upright while I filled in with sand and stone. It was a bit breezy and the wind kept tipping it over.
It helps to have an "abilibuddy" when I'm doing a project outdoors. He said he's available to help me when I need it. He only lives across the street and he's home everyday.
Strange Packages
It started with a beeping noise. I wasn't sure where it was coming from; so I went outdoors. I think it was a smoke detector in a neighbor's house. They were home — no reason to call 911.
Then I noticed it. A backpack and a large plastic bag leaning against the side of my home. The pack looked like it contained clothing. There was something electronic in the plastic bag. Time to call the police.
I didn't dial 911 because it wasn't an emergency. I called the police dispatcher. She said she'd send an officer. An hour later the police still hadn't arrived, but a young woman on a bike did. She explained she placed it there because there was too much to carry. So she came back for the rest of her stuff. I called the dispatcher and cancelled my request, not that they were ever planning to drive out this way eventually anyway.
The Last Friend
It's the end of another era. The only local friend in the area moved up to Portland, Oregon. He and his wife are going through an unpleasant divorce.
He was useful and reliable. When I needed surgery last year, he brought me to the hospital and then drove me home both times. I couldn't ask for better. Now I'll need to rely on Uber.
Simple Things
As I get older, I appreciate the simple things of life. The fact that I have my own portable washing machine for doing my laundry is a blessing. It's fully automatic, except that I need to roll it into the bathroom and hook it up to the water and the electricity. It's not as fancy as a full-size washing machine, but it gets the job done.
Although something as droll as doing laundry wouldn't make most people smile, I am still pleased I don't need to use the machines in the trailer park laundry room. And now that I have a new desk fan, clothes that used to require 24 hours to dry are now ready to put away the same day.
Sunday 2023.5.14
Happy Mother's Day
Hopefully you'll give your mother something special today. Or, if you're a mother, hopefully you'll get something special today. Diamonds? Why not? Speaking of which…
Restaurants
CNN ran an article detailing why many restaurants hate Mother's Day. They are overwhelmed with diners, the people are not always the most pleasant, and what struck me as sad is that some people make multiple reservations at different restaurants so that mom can choose the one she likes best, but then they don't cancel the others.
My mother passed away in 1988; so there won't me any dinners with her. However, I do have a photograph of her grave maker and I looked at it. I can't visit her grave to place flowers on it because it is located on the other side of the country. However, she was remembered.
Town Hall
Did you watch CNN's New Hampshire town hall meeting with Trump on Wednesday? I did. I saw every appalling minute of it. The first sentence out of his mouth was a lie and he kept the lies coming for the entire 70-minute clown show.
Will his performance damage his position with Republican voters? Certainly not. But among independents his popularity is in decline. They're tiring of his antics. He needs their votes because his base alone isn't large enough to win him the election. The coming primaries will be informative.
Probably the real question is "Why?" What was CNN trying to accomplish with such a ridiculous town hall meeting? The audience was pro-Trump. They cheered, laughed and applauded his insults and attacks. Was CNN seeking ratings? Are they in desperate need of revenue? Or was the network trying to demonstrate that Trump is not qualified to be president? In which case, why not seat a more diverse representation of the electorate? Personally, I'm left to conclude CNN wanted sensationalism to improve their ratings.
The network has been taking criticism for their choice to broadcast such an abomination on Wednesday, as reported from CNN itself: "CNN and new network boss Christ Licht are facing a fury of criticism — both internally and externally over the event."
I believe airing a town hall meeting with the ex-president was not a bad idea. Let the public see how unqualified he is to be president again. However, I think CNN might have avoided much of the negative feedback if they had assembled a diverse and balanced audience of Republican, Democratic and independent voters. Instead, they stacked the deck against themselves.
Maybe this guy said it best:
Michael Fanone, a CNN contributor and former police officer who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, criticized CNN for the town hall before the event in a Rolling Stone commentary titled "CNN is hosting a town hall for a guy who tried to get me killed."
"I don't believe for one second that this is about journalistic integrity. It's about ratings and money," Fanone wrote. "Sometimes things are exactly as they appear, and this appears to be an attempt by a major media outlet struggling with its ratings to attract disenfranchised viewers."
Maybe CNN was also trying to attract some of the disenfranchised Fox viewers after Tucker Carlson was fired.
The Other Elephant in the Room
According to the Independent, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he will not back George Santos's proposed re-election bid.
The Girls
I can't resist talking about my Early Girl tomato plants. This morning they got their fourth treatment with neem oil. Before spraying them I inspected the leaves and I saw almost no insects. There was a little spider and maybe an aphid or two, but otherwise the leaves and stalks looked clean and healthy.
Now that the initial infestation has been controlled, the plants will get a neem oil spray every three weeks. I learned the product is effective for controlling insects for 22 days. Some insects are desirable. They pollinate the flowers. Two years ago when I had a tomato plant growing in a five gallon bucket, it was placed in the side yard where it would get plenty of sun. When I sat on the deck reading I'd occasionally see a hummingbird visiting the flowers.
My current plants are now up to the second rung of the tomato cage. They've done well since I planted them nearly eight weeks ago. Soon I'll need to tie them again to train the branches up the tomato cage. And in the next week or two I'll top off the soil with the remainder of the potting mix I bought. Meanwhile, I inspected the soil and I saw no weeds sprouting. That's encouraging.
Wednesday 2023.5.10
Neem Oil
It's only May. I believe my tomato plants will easily keep producing through September and into October, maybe even into November. I expect to see a lot aphids during the next five to six months.
As planned, on Sunday I gave the tomato plants another treatment with neem oil. I saw only a few aphids, so this stuff is working well. But I'm almost out of it.
At Home Depot a 32-ounce (1 quart) bottle of the spray sells for $12. The concentrate, which makes up to ten gallons, sells for $14. Which would you buy? Consider the savings. It was way more than enough to pay for a one-gallon sprayer, which cost only $12. I'm pleased.
I learned something new this week. I was researching neem oil and learned that it is absorbed into the plants where it protects against insects like aphids. The important new information is that it lasts 22 days; so it is best to spray every three weeks after the initial infestation has been controlled.
Another advantage of neem oil is that it can be used to control fungal infections, such as mildew and mold. The tomato plant I had two years ago suffered from an attack of powdery mildew. By the time I started treating it many of the leaves were already dying or dead. I'm hoping a regimen of spraying the plants every three weeks will help keep them healthy.
More Tomatoes on the Way
The Early Girls are living up to their reputation. The plants are flowering.
I did more research on this variety of tomato plant. It is very popular for producing fruit early. The fruit ripens in seven to eight weeks. It is also a favorite among many farmers because it is resistant to most pests and diseases that attack tomato plants.
It's Confirmed
A while ago I think I mentioned milk as better for hydrating the body than water. A recent research study at Scotland's St. Andrews University confirmed it. Milk has nutrients that water lacks and milk causes the stomach to hold liquid longer, allowing more time for the body to absorb it. That's good to know. I love milk.
The Trump Trial
Or at lest one of them. Yesterday the jury in the rape and defamation trial returned its verdict. Not liable of rape, but liable for assault and defamation of E. Jean Carroll.
CNN interviewed one of his attorneys (and with Trump's reputation, she'll never be paid) yesterday evening. Why? We all know she is a paid liar. What are we to learn from her answers? Maybe we're supposed to read between the lines? Change every "No" to a yes and every "Yes" to a no and we might get close to the truth? And speaking of trials…
The George Santos Investigation
In a press release by the United States Attorney's Office - Eastern District of New York, "Congressman George Santos is charged with fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and false statements". He is expected to appear before a judge later today.
This puts House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a difficult situation. He was asked to remove Santos from Congress, but doing so would force a special election in New York, a blue state. If a democrat is elected, it would reduce McCarthy's already narrow GOP margin in the House.
Sunday 2023.5.7
Weather
There was an odd news item in the local media this week. Someone at the National Weather Service predicted the coming rain storm might exceed the record for May 4th rainfall. It's not a surprise. It rarely rains after April here. We might get an odd storm once or twice, but I don't expect to see much rain again until November.
We received about half an inch where I live. No area in the county received an inch. I checked the soil of my tomato plants with a meter. Deep in the pot the soil registered as normal, not wet. And speaking of weather…
Unusual Weather
No rain was in the forecast for Thursday. Late in the evening I heard rain pounding on the roof. I looked outside. Sure enough, it was raining, a lot. It lasted for maybe half an hour, maybe a little longer. There wasn't a constant downpour, but it was heavy at times. I hoped for some lightning and thunder, but that didn't happen. However, it watered my tomato plants well. And speaking of tomatoes…
The First Tomato
The first tomato of the season has started to develop. I am looking forward to many more to come. As for aphids, I don't see any, but I'll spray the plants with neem oil again today.
Instant Pot Pasta
I know it can be done, but it is supposedly tricky. There are web sites that tell us how to calculate the cook time. In my case, I wanted to make a big bowl of chicken and vegetable soup with pasta.
One web site provided a basic mathematical formula, but that was followed by a simple chart. My pasta shells had a cook time of 11 minutes; so IP cook time was three minutes. I set mine up with two cups of frozen homemade chicken stock, about a cup of dry macaroni, a chopped chicken thigh and a generous portion of frozen mixed vegetables. I used the pot-in-pot method with about a cup of water in the IP pot and my soup ingredients in a stainless steel bowl set on a trivet.
Because of the frozen ingredients, it took a while for the pot to reach full pressure. But that was okay because there was no tending. Just set it up and walk away. After the cooking time, let the pot depressurize naturally for five minutes (I did mine at seven) and then release the remaining pressure by venting the pot.
The pasta was cooked perfectly. This made two generous bowls of soup, one for lunch and another for enjoying later in the day. I will probably never make chicken soup any other way. This was too easy. In fact, it's so easy, I started making soup one bowl at a time.
I thought I had only two cups of frozen stock remaining; however, when I looking in the bottom of my freezer for more chicken trim, I found another eight cups of stock.
Garlic Toast
I found another use for those square rolls they sell at Costco. Divide in half, slather with butter, sprinkle with garlic powder and roast in the air fryer at 360° for 12 minutes. It makes a great snack. Have that with your chicken soup. And speaking of toast…
Ants
Did I finally eradicate all the ants in my yard? I've blogged about the ants many times. I had protein ants, not sugar ants. The bait traps sold in Home Depot were ineffective because those are made with a sugary syrup or gelatin. Friday evening I toasted another Costco roll, but this time I spread a little honey on it. I left the knife in the sink. Yesterday morning there were several ants on the knife. It was time to experiment.
I mixed some honey with a little boric acid powder and placed it in the cabinet beneath my kitchen sink. That's a place where I occasionally see ants. Then I waited. The next day there were a few ants around the bait, but none had gone to the honey.
And speaking of honey…
I Learned Something New This Week
If you have a jar of honey in your cupboard you might have seen it crystalize into a solid mass. It can be softened by placing the jar (if it is heat proof) in a pan of water and then bringing the water to a simmer. It will likely crystalize again later because water has evaporated from the honey over time.
America's Test Kitchen says to mix a little corn syrup into the honey when it is soft to maintain its viscosity. The corn syrup has a different kind of sugar in it that prevents the honey sugars from linking up. I'm giving it a try.
Lunar Eclipse
Friday's lunar eclipse wasn't visible in North America; so I watched it via a live cam on YouTube. We live in such a marvelous age.
Wednesday 2023.5.3
A Little Light Gardening
Actually, maybe heavy handed gardening. On Sunday I pruned off several lower branches from the tomato plants and then added several inches of new potting mix. I have a little left over, probably just enough to nearly fill the planter before adding a layer of wood chip mulch to the top to discourages weeds. Then I sprayed the plants thoroughly, even the undersides of the leaves, with more neem oil.
Before splaying, I did an inspection. There were still several aphids and other nasty bugs, but far fewer than the first time I saw them. The spray appears to be working well.
While I was outside I also sprayed the weeds. Although my yard is covered with sand stone and the gaps between the stones filled with mortar, little seeds find their way into the cracks and germinate. An occasional spray with herbicide is all that is needed. And that's far easier than mowing a lawn every week or trimming back all the Dymondia that formerly filled those gaps.
I gave the tomato plants a generous watering, and watered the herbs too. I'm not sure if it was necessary, but I sprinkled a little plant food on top of the fresh potting mix I added to the pot. Maybe I should have applied it before adding more soil, but it should be okay.
A Little Light Weather
I've been watching the weather forecasts. They have been predicting some late season rain here in SoCal. The forecast was 70% chance of rain today, 80% tonight, tapering off tomorrow. The numbers always change as the day approaches. Today there is a 30% chance of showers, but tonight has changed to 90% rain with possibly a thunderstorm.
I can't help but wonder how my tomato plants will benefit. As I mentioned above, I sprinkled a little fertilizer on top of the soil. Rain should help dissolve some of it, letting it trickle down to the roots.
Got Pork?
I shopped at Costco yesterday. Besides the usual things like half and half coffee creamer and salad fixings, I bought another bag of pork shoulder butt* and pork belly. I portioned those for making sausages and froze them.
*I didn't know this for most of my life. Pork butt doesn't come from the rear of the pig. Shoulder was once considered a fairly useless piece of meat; so it was packed in wooden barrels called butts and sold cheap.
I heard something amusing on TV on Monday. "Anyone who loves sausages or the law should never see either of them being made."
I've mentioned it before in this blog. When comparing the price of Italian sausages and the meat I buy to make them, the pre-made sausages are more economical. I make my own for two reasons. I control what goes into them (no nitrates or other chemicals) and they're fun to make.
I had more than enough pork belly for these portions. After doing a little math, to keep the ratio of 30% fat to 70% meat I need to purchase eight pounds of pork to use up the remainder of that belly. I'm thinking I might buy ground pork to make things a little easier. Or I might just divide the remaining pork belly pieces and use one each time I grind the other meat for sausages.
Canned Tomatoes
While I was out shopping I also went to the local grocery store to buy more canned tomatoes. The best are San Marzanos. They're a little expensive, $5.99 per can, but worth it. And they were on sale at $1 off the regular price. So, even better. I bought three cans.
I tried growing my own plum tomatoes several years ago. The plant is a "determinate," which means it lives for only one season. The Early Girls I'm growing now are "indeterminate." If they survive the winter they might produce fruit again next summer.