Hey kids!  I will be at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in the farm area with a dirt exploration table!  I'll also be giving away two of my best family-friendly recipes!  Come meet our underground recyclers!

The TV SHOW!!!

Missed the show?  Airing again tonight at 6:30, local access 14: Sylvan Circle presents: Around the World in 100 Miles, and all Mondays in April.

Dust Bunnies and A Green Spring Fling

Our TV pilot is getting good reviews!  If you missed it, it will air every Monday night at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 14 RI local access.  It will be listed under "Sylvan Circle", the excellent producers of my show!  

I got my daughter an explorer vest and she's been wearing it non-stop as we look under every log and dig through the garden.  We found our first PFB!!!  That's pleasing fungus beetle, so called because it's well, pretty.  It looks a lot like a lady bug, but more oval and VERY tiny.  It eats detritus, so it's a clean guy to have around.  We also found a night crawler, expectantly huge.  Thankfully, there were no oil beetles like I found in the school garden.  Oil beetles look like queen ants, with disproportionately large black abdomens.  They move slow and squirt out a caustic oil when disturbed.  They hide out on flowers and mimic bee behavior to get male bees near.  Then they lay eggs on the bee's back.  The bee returns to its home, where the eggs hatch and eat up the bee larva.  I caught three of these monstrosities and put them in the freezer.

We're having a spring cleaning this weekend, although we actually started last weekend going through the electronics.  One of the first things we addressed was the refrigerator.  I've tried dialing it down, but it's stuck.  Supposedly a full freezer and a sparse fridge are the most efficient.  Check.  Now to clean the coils...  Pulling the fridge out, we discover there IS an outlet behind there and the side outlet the fridge has been plugged into that occasionally gets wet and requires us to put the fridge on the "life support" extension cord for a couple days until the GFI unit gets sober is no longer needed.  We've only lived here 4 years...  I also discovered a gnome magnet, so if you've been missing your Expedia updates, that's why.  Also, there are no coils on the back of my fridge!  Oh, the newer models have them on the bottom.  So after very little cleaning behind the fridge (also peaking sideways at the back of the broken dishwasher, which is another story) and putting it back properly plugged in, I removed the bottom trim below the door and beheld the nightmare.  Not having a vacuum attachment that works, I used my washable duster I use under the furniture.  That pulled out most of it.  I found this eco-friendly cleaning spray made by J.R. Watkins that works Dr. Who "FANTASTIC" on grease and cleaned up the floor beneath and got the last of it by dipping Q-tips in a cup of the spray.  Ta-da!  Yes, truly disgusting.  At least "Life with Dogs" dressed theirs up.  We'll see what the electric bill looks like next month.  It can only help.

We're also airing out all the rugs, cleaned out the garage yesterday, dusting the blinds, and soon washing the curtains and winter stuff to be packed away.  We finally replaced the always broken dishwasher with an EnergyStar model, using our tax refund.  Now there isn't a sink full of dishes with the counter piling up.  My 1050 sq.ft. home is feeling bigger.  See below for more money and energy-saving strategies.

In garden news, we had a lovely salad from the dandelion greens and claytonia out front, mixed with Farmer's Market pea greens and goat cheese, as well as toasted walnuts.  The broccoli and peas put in over 3 weeks ago continue to grow.  Yesterday, we added lettuce and even new friends: artichokes.  I mixed in some chicken manure from Baffoni's farm and and going to try an experiment with the broccoli.  I have the broccoli in a raised bed split by a support piece all the way through.  The four plants in the bed with the hot and spicy oregano (planted last year and already HUGE) that will also have carrots, beets, and nasturtium, will get the compost/chicken manure/egg shells/coffee grounds I usually use.  The other two growing beside the rhubarb and asparagus (inches away) will get a bottled fertilizer called Biothrive from GM Organics.  We will see what grows better... 

Meanwhile, Spring Clean for Green

10 Minutes:

Clean out the filter in the dryer

Turn your fridge to 36-38, your freezer to 0-5

Sweep hard-wood and tile floors instead of vacuuming

Replace used batteries with rechargeable ones.  This also saves time and gas going out for standard replacements.  Properly dispose of old batteries.

Replace used bulbs with CFLs.  (Make old bulbs into ornaments using glass paint and wire.)

Turn off unused appliances and electronics, such as the now-empty freezer, space-heaters, the television, computer, monitor, printer, DVD/VCR player, Wii, video games

Turn off lights when leaving a room

Wash and rinse clothes in cold water.  Only run full loads.

Keep freezer stocked for best use of energy.

Allow space around foods in fridge for best use of energy.

Put a brick in the toilet tank to use less water with every flush.

20 Minutes:

Hang clothes on line or rack to dry

Vacuum or use a long-handled brush to clean refrigerator coils

Dust and vacuum baseboard vents and radiators

Clean or replace filters in air conditioner, heaters, and burners.

Arrange for an electric usage timer to pay off-peak rate, then do your laundry and dishes during those times  (Available soon? From https://www1.nationalgridus.com/SmartGrid)

Check seals on fridge by inserting a dollar and looking for cracks or lack of seal.  Replace as necessary.

Run dishwasher on full load.  Skip heat dry step.  Run at off-peak times (usually 8 p.m. to 10 a.m.)

Cook with cast iron, which retains heat and can continue to cook for a while after stove has been turned off.

Save Water:

Don’t leave water running when brushing teeth or dishes

Water in morning or evening to avoid loss due to evaporation

Sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them

Look For:

Energy-Star products

Dryers with sensors to stop running when clothes are dry

Leaks – Repair promptly to save water and heating costs

Finally, adding to my vast bunny army, a recipe:

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Baked Bunny Bao

Taste of China Meets France

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Prep: 40 minutes Rise: 40 minutes Bake: 20 minutes  Makes 25-30

Bun:

4 cups unbleached flour

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” cubes

1 packet active dry yeast

1 cup milk

zest of one lemon

Hollandaise Sauce:

3 egg yolks (reserve whites for filling)

juice of one lemon

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

Filling: 

1/4 pound Black Forest ham, cut into 1” squares

1 egg plus egg whites, poached or fried and chopped

wild garlic chives, or six asparagus, finely chopped

Traditionally steamed, these Chinese buns are baked until just golden, adding a buttery crunch to the lemony dough and savory filling.  For buns, sift together dry ingredients except for yeast.  Cut in butter.  Warm milk to 130ºF on stove and dissolve yeast.  Stir in lemon zest and add milk mixture to dry mixture, mixing until all flour is incorporated.  Knead on floured surface until elastic, about 15 minutes.  Return to bowl and cover with hot wet towel, about 40 minutes to let dough rise.

Pound down dough and form into a 3” diameter log.  Cut into 25-30 1/2” slices and roll each slice into a 4” round.  Divide ham, egg, and chives or asparagus between rounds.  Add one tsp. of Hollandaise sauce to each, reserving the rest for dipping.  Pinch each round closed, using a drop or two of water if dough won’t stick.  Turn bun over and gently push outer edges down to mold into an “egg” shape.  For “bunnies”, use kitchen or herb sheers to pinch two ears from center of bun toward first third of bun, careful not to cut through dough into filling.  Make eyes by piercing dough with end of chopstick.  Brush bunnies and/or eggs with melted butter.  Bake on parchment or greased cooking tray at 425ºF for 20 minutes.  Serve on an assortment of edible greens and flowers, such as pea greens, asparagus, mesclun and dandelion greens, dill, violets, and nasturtiums.  

To make Hollandaise sauce, have all ingredients ready.  In double boiler or small sauce pan placed inside larger sauce pan filled with about 2” of water, heat water until barely simmering.  Whisk yolk and lemon together, then add to boiler, whisking constantly until the thickness of custard, about 2 minutes.  (Overheated yolks will scramble.) Gradually add melted butter, whisking rapidly after each addition.  Remove from heat.  Stir in salt and pepper.  Best served immediately.  If made ahead and refrigerated, warm in microwave 10 seconds at a time at 50% power.

TV Show Launch

Attention Cooks and Potential Cooks:

Airing every Monday in April, 6:30 p.m. will be my sustainable living and cooking show, Around the World in 100 Miles.  That's Channel 14, Rhode Island local access.  Soon we will launch our kick-starter to raise money to publish the cook book.  Tune in and start cooking!  

Starting a Garden

Ready to start that garden you've always dreamed about, or improving the one you have?  Learn how at a free lecture I am giving at the Seekonk Public Library.  I will be covering garden design, plant choices, soil testing, compost, and companion planting.  Tuesday, March 27th, 6:30-7:30.

Project BudBurst

Got leftovers?  Make frittata!

I still maintain we'll have a late spring for the native trees due to a lack of chill time, but non-native, mostly Asian plants, are in full swing.  This is the first time I've seen forsythia blooming ahead of witch hazel.  It's been a very warm March.  In neighboring yards, I see the typical Asian landscape plants in pink and purple flower.  The lilac was first to bud, and my pear tree is ready to explode.  The flowering almond and weeping cherry are just peeking out.  Of course, there are daffodils and crocus.  Oregano is making a come back, but even the very tender marjoram and curry plants survived the winter.  The feverfew, lavender, and chives are growing strong.  The pea plants just sprouted and we put in our broccoli last night.  The kale is slow to sprout, but I think I need more organic matter in the bed to hold water.

Meanwhile, Master Gardeners have some exciting projects underway.  Volunteers will be keeping track of bloom times at the Roger Williams Botanical Center, which will help plant fans plan their visit based on what they want to see in bloom.  This is called phenology and the information can also track global warming.  Citizen Scientists (like you) can join in by going to the Project BudBurst website and reporting the first buds in your neighborhood, even tracking weeds!

Today, I'll be going to the farmer's market, hopefully finding molasses when I get my eggs, honey, apples, kale, etc.  I'm looking forward to shopping the front yard soon and foraging in the back.  I have been spending less on food since reducing my trips to the big supermarkets.  The food tastes better too.  I suffered through the last hard, tart green apple from the plastic bag my spouse picked up.  No more!

Later, I'll be digging out the rest of the bed for a new "forest garden".  I want to create layers of native plants and some edibles, like ostrich fern, that will suit the less sunny location.  Perhaps a chestnut tree... I will be joining forces with MG at the Community Garden to build one there.  They have a great plan and I hope I learn a lot.  Here is the plan: Edible Forest Garden

Finally, how would you like to have dinner on the table in 10 minutes?  Marinate a pound of meat cut into bite-sized chunks overnight the previous evening.  On dinner night, set oven to broil.  Cook meat 4 minutes per side, turning once.  Check that poultry is cooked through.  Meanwhile, pierce washed organic fingerling or baby potatoes all over with a fork and microwave about 3 minutes, turn over, then microwave 3-4 minutes more.  While potatoes and meat are cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan.  Sauté chopped Swiss chard or kale 6-8 minutes, or until tender but not mushy.  Serve.

Marinade:

2 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. curry

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Hooray for Spring!!!

Today is the Vernal Equinox, when you're supposed to be able to balance an egg upright.  More important, I think, is trying to balance our lives between our work, family, chores, and dreams.  It's a habit of mine to spend too much time working and thinking I'm also addressing my family and dreams.  Working harder doesn't make me any more money, but some work can be priceless.  I'm not talking about another job to buy the latest I-Pad, but the making of a garden with children, of planting snap peas in the cold and seeing them turn into bean stalks.  Atop those, giant fingers will pull off the edible pods, bite down, and smile.  Children become masters of a tiny world.  Last year, a few aphids set up shop, only to be quickly devoured by red and black-spotted soldiers - the lady bugs.  

Last weekend our play-date was swings and slides, rolling down hills, and looking under logs at all the creatures that have magic(k)ally returned.  We saved a wizard by spelling his name.  The five year olds raced the tricycle on the deck.  We pic-nicked on juice and apple sauce.  I made the perfect bread.

So plant something, grow something, and be ready for magic.  All it takes is some dirt, seeds, water, and love.

Vegetarian/Vegan Option

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Honey Grain Bread

Taste of Earth 

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Prep: 25 minutes  Rise: 3-5 hours  Bake 40-45 minutes

Cool: 1 hour  Makes one loaf

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 tsp. vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup multigrain cereal (such as Bob’s Red Mill)

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup warm water (100ºF-115ºF), divided

3 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. sugar

2 tbs. olive oil

1/4 cup local honey

In a large bowl, whisk together first six ingredients.  Dissolve yeast with sugar into 1/4 cup of warm water in a separate bowl.  Let sit about ten minutes, until foamy.  Incorporate remaining water, oil, and honey, then make a well in the flour mixture and stir wet into dry.  Flour hands and counter and knead bread about 10 minutes, until elastic.  Place rounded 6” X 4” dough back in bowl and cover with hot wet towel.  (I use my turned-off oven as a proofer.)    Let rise 2-3 hours, or until dough has doubled.  Grease bread pan and punch dough down.  Transfer dough to bread pan, reshaping if needed.  Let rise 1-2 more hours.  Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Bake bread 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.  Cool one hour.