Weekly Garden Thread - January 20-26, 2024 [Seed Catalogs 101 Edition]

January 20, 2024 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Qiviut]

The directions I saw said to make make an X-shaped cut on the round side of each chestnut ... the shell actually peels back when they’re done ... they also do not explode!! :-)

https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-roast-chestnuts-in-oven-4113870

[Albion Wilde]

Thanks for the link!

[FamiliarFace]

We have red squirrels here. I call them country squirrels because they are beefy compared to the scrawny gray squirrels of my youth. There’s also another kind that my neighbor calls “piney” squirrels. They are much smaller, about the size of a chipmunk. I thought they were baby red squirrels at first. They are fast and very clever. The chipmunks here are a real nuisance to my yard and garden areas.

[MomwithHope]

We have no cats anymore so we use Tomcat baits to keep the chipmunk population down.

[Pollard]

Baker Creek, Johnny’s Seeds and Chief River Nursery catalogs came in so far.

I’m still loaded up with seeds from last year, some purchased not long ago for this year. Only thing I’ll be buying is 1-2 types of paste tomatoes for the field and an early, cold weather tolerant tomato for the high tunnel.

I want to can some tomatoes this year and want to see how early I can grow a tomato using the high tunnel and a cold tolerant variety. I may also grab a “greenhouse performer” hybrid slicer from Johnny’s so I can continue giving them to a co-worker who’s wife likes them in a sandwich.

1 degree here this morning but the truck started. Need to get the car from the ex-wife’s place tomorrow. I left it there when I bought the truck because she lives a block away from where I bought it. After Monday, it’s going to warm up here and I need to get back to the 30 mpg rig and save some money commuting the 80 miles round trip.

The new job position is going good and with the 8 hour day as opposed to 12, being able to get a few things done after work is coming soon(once the days get longer/warmer) and after sitting in a chair all day, I’ll actually have the energy to do something when I get home.

[Qiviut]

The next owner will be a developer so the beds will get bulldozed. I am going to tell the neighbor across the street he’s welcome to the dirt (which is really good stuff). The metal beds I am taking with me, but I will have to find dirt & compost to fill them. Lots of cows, including right next door, so maybe they’ll let me have some manure for free.

[FamiliarFace]

I’ll have to check into those. We have more chipmunks than anything. My next door neighbor keeps a tally of how many he gets rid of every month. It’s impressive.

[MomwithHope]

We just stick a cube into one of their many holes. They have two families a year. They did a lot of damage to an elevated stone patio we had. Inside was settled sand, they had a whole structure of condos. Had to put metal sheeting in between the sand and the bricks so they could not get in there.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“And my wheelbarrow is sitting in the dining room right now—townhome living, without a shed!”

LOL! Mine SHOULD be in the greenhouse, but I get kinda LAZY after I’m done canning for the season. ;)

[FamiliarFace]

Two families with how many babies? 5-8 would be my guess. I don’t know, but they’re prolific here. Thank you for your tip!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Glad to hear about the promotion! Still at the same place? What did I miss?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Well, you’ll get Top Dollar if a Developer is buying up your property. So, yeah. Share the BOUNTY while you can! :)

Maybe they can hire Beau to do all the ‘curb & gutter work?’ LOL! He’s put in more sub-divisions than you can imagine.

No matter where we’re driving, he’s all: ‘I Built That!’ ‘Did you realize we’re driving over a water main I installed?’ ‘Just LOOK at those Manhole covers I installed!’ ‘How about that Retention Pond I put in? It’s a thing of BEAUTY!’ ‘The drainage in the parking lot at the Aldi I installed is holding up really well!’

And it’s VERY ironic, as he’s the LAST person that would EVER live ANYWHERE where he had ‘neighbors.’ But he’s made a great career of building Neighborhoods. ;)

[Pollard]

What did I miss?

A few posts from the past two weeks. :~|

I went from Maintenance Tech to Maintenance Inventory/Purchasing.

Same pay and the pay top out is lower but I'm mostly at a desk now and I don't want to thoroughly learn a new trade, Industrial Maintenance, at 58 years old, so it works.

Straight 8:00 - 4:30 - Mon - Fri. Being on my feet on concrete for 12 hours a day was killing me.

Might not have to learn a new trade but I guess I have to learn office politics now as an old blue collar guy.

I have confirmed a suspicion I've had for a long time. Office people don't do squat. Chat about personal stuff for an hour, no problem. If you go to the production area, walk fast like you mean business and/or it's important.

Kinda like real politics.

[FamiliarFace]

So I’ve been trying to match up the prints, and I’m not sure it’s a possum. It’s been complicated by more prints. Not sure at all what’s down there. I don’t see the digits or the pattern for a possum. Still learning. Thx for your help!

[Liz]

Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi / for when that spinach comes up
Tender little dumplings (dried, frozen or homemade) in less than 30 min – an easy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup diced onion ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt 2 cloves garlic minced ½ teaspoon dried thyme 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ stick 2 tbl flour 1 cup whole milk ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 16 oz gnocchi ½ cup grated Parm 4 oz garden fresh spinach 1 lemon juiced

Instructions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium high heat. Keep it at a rolling boil until you’re ready to cook the gnocchi. Heat a large high sided skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion. Season with kosher salt and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is soft and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute. Add the butter and stir until it has completely melted. Sprinkle over the flour and stir until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Cook a min. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. If there are any large lumps of roux, whisk them until smooth Bring the sauce to a bubble and cook just until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon– about 5 minutes. Once thickened, remove offheat and add the ground nutmeg, s/p.

While the gnocchi cook, add parmesan, spinach, and lemon juice to the cream sauce and stir to combine. The spinach may not fully wilt yet– that’s okay! Scoop out the gnocchi (a spider strainer works best here) and add them to the spinach cream sauce. Toss to combine.

Tips You can use fresh, homemade, frozen, or gnocchi for this recipe. You can use 2% milk or even half-and-half in place of the whole milk. While I love nutmeg in a gratin dish, you can skip it if it’s not your thing. Substitute the Parmesan with your favorite melting cheese, such as fontina, gruyere, or pecorino. To prevent your sauce from separating, be sure to cook it over low and slow heat. Sudden changes in temperature can cause the emulsion to break. If your sauce is too thick, add ¼-½ cup of milk and whisk until it reaches the desired consistency. If your sauce is too thin, add ¼-½ cup of hot starchy water from the gnocchi pot and toss to combine. Storage: Store Parmesan spinach gnocchi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You had me at Gnocchi! :)

For some reason (must’ve found a DEAL somewhere) I had four packages of Gnocchi in the pantry, so I’ve made this soup a number of times this Fall into Winter...and today is one of those days as I have everything needed on hand. :)

Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/232277/creamy-chicken-gnocchi-soup/

Instead of all the cream and half-n-half in there, I sub a can of Cream of Chicken (or Mushroom) soup and it turns out just fine.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Congrats, then! :)

“If you go to the production area, walk fast like you mean business and/or it’s important.”

In the Army, if I was stretching my legs after HOURS of typing or computer work, I’d walk around with a TOP SECRET (empty!) folder in my hand to look like I was an important courier going from my office to the Command wing.

Worked like a charm! ;)

[Pollard]

Yep, my dad told be a long time ago, when you’re walking around the shop, carry a piece of paper. It makes you look important.

[Liz]

Gnocchi ......and ALL those divine vegetables......yum.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Something I like about Menards, at least the one here, is that they have a small grocery section in their store (canned and dry goods only, no green grocery!) Guys who have to make a building materials run can pick up things for dinner to take homee. (Also have a wall of cleaning products!)