Will someone please make these? I need a mini ice cube tray for work. It should hold about 6 cubes and have a watertight lid and a textured spot on the lid (so you can write your name on it with a sharpie).
The main reason for this is sanitation. I know people freak out when others use their hands to pick ice from the work ice cube tray (or if an auto ice maker the catch bin). Or someone will use tongs or a cup - but then they'll leave those tongs or cup in the ice bin. How does that help (your finger germs are now on the tongs/cup which is touching the ice)?
Ok, so please, someone make these and I'll buy a few.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Scandinavian Festival
The Scandinavian Festival in Junction City (www.scandinavianfestival.com) was a bit of a let-down. I had much higher expectation than a bunch of food and trinket vendors, half of which had nothing to do with Scandinavia (Italian food and miscellaneous toys).
My hope was to have something very kid friendly and "full-bodied". It appears to be a financial constraint that hampers the organizers (I'm sure they would do more if the resources were there).
The dancers were very talented and what food that was authentic was well made - but the general feel was that it was a good place for retirees to hang out and putter about.
My money-no-object festival would have:
vendors hawking their wares from themed booths (lets be honest viking era stuff is far more entertaining than modern Scandinavia [McDonald's anyone???]). I want a guy wandering around selling trollkors and Mjolnir amulets (trollkors are iron troll-crosses to protect you from the trolls and Mjolnir was Thor's hammer).
And to that effect I want several folks wandering around in troll masks (perferably slightly dorky or cartoony so as not to scare the kids).
Next, they seriously needs a whole section of vendors selling Jul themed stuff (Chirstmas). Where are the Gladelig Jul signs? Don't these guys know how important Christmas in Scandinavia is??? Denmark has Jul eve and two full days of Jul recognized as official holidays! Two full days man! So there should be a whole "Christmas in Scandinavia section. Import nisse trinkets (elves), kravlenisse cutouts, and where are the julboks (straw goats)??? This tradition type of stuff would fly off the shelves!
That brings up something else - the language! Menus should be in English (of course) but also their themed language. That is what gives it authenticity. If I can walk away knowing a little more that when I got there, that is priceless!
And where is the UFF DA! and hygge!?! That is serious culture!
They also need to have sample vendors - vendors who sell tiny samples of the more bold cuisine of scandinavia like lutefisk, brown cheese, fermented shark, sheep's head etc. etc. That would really be tasting Scandinavia.
Oh and smorgasbrod anyone? A nice deli stand could whip this up easy! Just break out the rye bread and cold meats.
Back to Jul - I want pebbernodder and all those other good Jul cookies! Tradition states that you should have several types of cookies to offer your guests so that no one leaves without eating at least a little something (otherwise the good luck/hygge may leave with them - thus the pebbernodder, a cookie so small that anyone can eat at least one).
Recipes - vendors and booths and such should be giving out recipes for free - we want to share the culture. Speaking of - why was no one selling Æbleskiver (aebleskiver if you want to google it) pans? My wife bought one for me years ago at a camping store. If they had one then THE Scandinavian Festival should have them! Goodness!
One more thing - there should be a live play of Beowulf or something put on by the local high school. They could charge admission (I'd happily pay a few bucks per person) for an hour summary of Beowulf for my kids to watch. If you had 30 teenagers total (actors and stagehands) and they put on two shows a day and had a hundred people in the audience average for each show, for the four days of the fest...
That would get the kids about $10 bucks each per show. Get your economics class in on setting this up, fine tune your profit margin, sell wood replica's of Beowulf's sword Hrunting, etc etc. My son loves stories where he can pick out good guys and bad guys, a high school rendition of Beowulf would be perfect for this.
Anyhow - that would be a great start - maybe throw in some more decorations and such. The 50th fest is in 2010 so I'll try to put my money where my mouth is and see what happens - and to anyone who wants to use any of these ideas to make the fest better, "please do!"
end rant :)
My hope was to have something very kid friendly and "full-bodied". It appears to be a financial constraint that hampers the organizers (I'm sure they would do more if the resources were there).
The dancers were very talented and what food that was authentic was well made - but the general feel was that it was a good place for retirees to hang out and putter about.
My money-no-object festival would have:
vendors hawking their wares from themed booths (lets be honest viking era stuff is far more entertaining than modern Scandinavia [McDonald's anyone???]). I want a guy wandering around selling trollkors and Mjolnir amulets (trollkors are iron troll-crosses to protect you from the trolls and Mjolnir was Thor's hammer).
And to that effect I want several folks wandering around in troll masks (perferably slightly dorky or cartoony so as not to scare the kids).
Next, they seriously needs a whole section of vendors selling Jul themed stuff (Chirstmas). Where are the Gladelig Jul signs? Don't these guys know how important Christmas in Scandinavia is??? Denmark has Jul eve and two full days of Jul recognized as official holidays! Two full days man! So there should be a whole "Christmas in Scandinavia section. Import nisse trinkets (elves), kravlenisse cutouts, and where are the julboks (straw goats)??? This tradition type of stuff would fly off the shelves!
That brings up something else - the language! Menus should be in English (of course) but also their themed language. That is what gives it authenticity. If I can walk away knowing a little more that when I got there, that is priceless!
And where is the UFF DA! and hygge!?! That is serious culture!
They also need to have sample vendors - vendors who sell tiny samples of the more bold cuisine of scandinavia like lutefisk, brown cheese, fermented shark, sheep's head etc. etc. That would really be tasting Scandinavia.
Oh and smorgasbrod anyone? A nice deli stand could whip this up easy! Just break out the rye bread and cold meats.
Back to Jul - I want pebbernodder and all those other good Jul cookies! Tradition states that you should have several types of cookies to offer your guests so that no one leaves without eating at least a little something (otherwise the good luck/hygge may leave with them - thus the pebbernodder, a cookie so small that anyone can eat at least one).
Recipes - vendors and booths and such should be giving out recipes for free - we want to share the culture. Speaking of - why was no one selling Æbleskiver (aebleskiver if you want to google it) pans? My wife bought one for me years ago at a camping store. If they had one then THE Scandinavian Festival should have them! Goodness!
One more thing - there should be a live play of Beowulf or something put on by the local high school. They could charge admission (I'd happily pay a few bucks per person) for an hour summary of Beowulf for my kids to watch. If you had 30 teenagers total (actors and stagehands) and they put on two shows a day and had a hundred people in the audience average for each show, for the four days of the fest...
That would get the kids about $10 bucks each per show. Get your economics class in on setting this up, fine tune your profit margin, sell wood replica's of Beowulf's sword Hrunting, etc etc. My son loves stories where he can pick out good guys and bad guys, a high school rendition of Beowulf would be perfect for this.
Anyhow - that would be a great start - maybe throw in some more decorations and such. The 50th fest is in 2010 so I'll try to put my money where my mouth is and see what happens - and to anyone who wants to use any of these ideas to make the fest better, "please do!"
end rant :)
What is in the Garden?
What I'm growing this year:
(Disclaimer: Just bought a house in Independence in May and the back yard was totally barren and stripped of all topsoil so progress is slow. Hopefully with a few years of composting and me accepting how this yard wants to work I'll get better results)
Annuals;
Peas -
A good crop so far, trellised well on PVC and jute. I'm trying to save some seeds for next year so we'll see how that goes.
Corn -
So far so good. Corn is wind pollinated so you are best off with square or rectangle patches.
Tomatoes -
Early Girl, Roma, and some Roma hybrid. The Early Girls are doing well and I just picked the first fruit, though they are on the smaller side. The Roma are stocky but very productive, it should be in the 90's the rest of the week so we'll see how they do (the hot sunny days ripen them). The Roma hybrids are very susceptible to blossom end rot - oh well.
Pumpkins -
A variety of seeds that were mixed together - so far 4 or 5 baseball sized pumpkins on the vine. I think there would be more if it were not for the evil Satan's Ladybug (Cucumber Beetle).
Watermelon -
Sad, sad little watermelon plants. They have not grown more than a few inches since sprouting. All around bad luck. Old seeds, too much shade from the pumpkins etc has left them in the lurch.
Yellow Zucchini -
Onions -
Garlic -
Perennials;
Salal -
Oregon Grape -
Marionberry -
Raspberry -
Native Blackberry -
Blueberries -
Nectarine -
Cherry -
Apple -
Native Strawberry -
Mint -
Oregano -
Thyme -
Rosemary -
Hyssop -
Various evergreens for Yule trees
A few shade and ornamental plants (Maples, etc)
(Disclaimer: Just bought a house in Independence in May and the back yard was totally barren and stripped of all topsoil so progress is slow. Hopefully with a few years of composting and me accepting how this yard wants to work I'll get better results)
Annuals;
Peas -
A good crop so far, trellised well on PVC and jute. I'm trying to save some seeds for next year so we'll see how that goes.
Corn -
So far so good. Corn is wind pollinated so you are best off with square or rectangle patches.
Tomatoes -
Early Girl, Roma, and some Roma hybrid. The Early Girls are doing well and I just picked the first fruit, though they are on the smaller side. The Roma are stocky but very productive, it should be in the 90's the rest of the week so we'll see how they do (the hot sunny days ripen them). The Roma hybrids are very susceptible to blossom end rot - oh well.
Pumpkins -
A variety of seeds that were mixed together - so far 4 or 5 baseball sized pumpkins on the vine. I think there would be more if it were not for the evil Satan's Ladybug (Cucumber Beetle).
Watermelon -
Sad, sad little watermelon plants. They have not grown more than a few inches since sprouting. All around bad luck. Old seeds, too much shade from the pumpkins etc has left them in the lurch.
Yellow Zucchini -
Onions -
Garlic -
Perennials;
Salal -
Oregon Grape -
Marionberry -
Raspberry -
Native Blackberry -
Blueberries -
Nectarine -
Cherry -
Apple -
Native Strawberry -
Mint -
Oregano -
Thyme -
Rosemary -
Hyssop -
Various evergreens for Yule trees
A few shade and ornamental plants (Maples, etc)
Monday, August 11, 2008
Fruit Trees
A quick and very helpful tip about growing fruit trees - if the tree is grafted (a scion spliced into root stock (that is, one type of tree top spliced into another variety of tree bottom [roots and a few inches of trunk base] -- look for the awkward bulge) make sure that when you plant it the topmost root of the root ball just crests above the surrounding soil line.
If not two terrible things will happen;
1. The scion may root out at the bulge (bad because they are grafted for good reasons, like using a dwarfing rootstock and very tasty variety of fruit top - the problem is that the top may then grow to full height instead of dwarf)
2. You can only dig out so much Oregon clay - plant the root ball too deep and your tree will drown.
If not two terrible things will happen;
1. The scion may root out at the bulge (bad because they are grafted for good reasons, like using a dwarfing rootstock and very tasty variety of fruit top - the problem is that the top may then grow to full height instead of dwarf)
2. You can only dig out so much Oregon clay - plant the root ball too deep and your tree will drown.
Blueberries
What I know now. Plant them no deeper than half the root ball into the joyful Oregon clay soil (or they'll drown) and mound up a mix of soil, manure and fir sawdust (or shavings). The manure will add nitrogen to help with the breakdown of the fir (Douglas fir is the most readily available) and thus increase the acidity of the soil (lower the pH). If you can, incorporate fir sawdust into the soil the year prior to planting. If you can't then add a fertilizer high in sulfur (or add elemental sulfur). Either way Blueberries like slightly acidic dirt and just barely damp toes. Also, pluck off any berries for the the first couple of years otherwise the bush could become stunted and low-producing.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Oregon Trails
Drift Creek Falls Trail near Lincoln City Oregon
We visited this trail the end of July with our four kids. The logging road that lead to the trail is a paved single lane road (that is, one car at a time either direction). Give yourself plenty of time on the way up and down (about 20 to 30 minutes). The trailhead has one enclosed pit toilet and no water. The trail is about one and a half miles to the suspension bridge (longest in Oregon).
The trail is an easy walk if you are not carrying much, with four kids (one in a stroller, yes the trail is stroller accessible) it is a bit much. I would budget two or three hours if you are walking, and an afternoon if you have kids with you. If you do have kids, I'd recommend packing a couple of snacks and things to do along the way. The trail is uneventful and not in any way dramatic there or back.
The bridge. Wow. A very well built, secure and impressive foot suspension bridge with a beautiful 75 foot (approx) waterfall off to your right. The trail continues to lead down to the river below.
Overall I would say it is worth it to go once if you are planning on a casual afternoon. If you have young kids with you I would wait till they are older.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/recreation/tripplanning/tillnewp/trails/driftcreekfalls1378.shtml
We visited this trail the end of July with our four kids. The logging road that lead to the trail is a paved single lane road (that is, one car at a time either direction). Give yourself plenty of time on the way up and down (about 20 to 30 minutes). The trailhead has one enclosed pit toilet and no water. The trail is about one and a half miles to the suspension bridge (longest in Oregon).
The trail is an easy walk if you are not carrying much, with four kids (one in a stroller, yes the trail is stroller accessible) it is a bit much. I would budget two or three hours if you are walking, and an afternoon if you have kids with you. If you do have kids, I'd recommend packing a couple of snacks and things to do along the way. The trail is uneventful and not in any way dramatic there or back.
The bridge. Wow. A very well built, secure and impressive foot suspension bridge with a beautiful 75 foot (approx) waterfall off to your right. The trail continues to lead down to the river below.
Overall I would say it is worth it to go once if you are planning on a casual afternoon. If you have young kids with you I would wait till they are older.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/recreation/tripplanning/tillnewp/trails/driftcreekfalls1378.shtml
More Wine
Left Coast Cellars; http//www.leftcoastcellars.com/
We went to a tasting on this past Saturday for Left Coast Cellars and here is my general impression:
2005 Chardonnay - a good light and dry wine
2007 Rose - also good and dry - very mild
We also tried the 2005 Pinot Noir blend, the Latitude 45 Pinot Noir and the 2006 Pinot Gris. Overall their wines were pleasant and dry, a little on the pricey side which results in a 6 out of 10 for the Chardonnay and Rose and a 6.5 out of 10 for the Pinot Gris. But if you prefer dry then I believe that you would rate them higher. For the reds the 2005 Pinot Noir had a very good nose.
We went to a tasting on this past Saturday for Left Coast Cellars and here is my general impression:
2005 Chardonnay - a good light and dry wine
2007 Rose - also good and dry - very mild
We also tried the 2005 Pinot Noir blend, the Latitude 45 Pinot Noir and the 2006 Pinot Gris. Overall their wines were pleasant and dry, a little on the pricey side which results in a 6 out of 10 for the Chardonnay and Rose and a 6.5 out of 10 for the Pinot Gris. But if you prefer dry then I believe that you would rate them higher. For the reds the 2005 Pinot Noir had a very good nose.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Oregon Wines
I live in the Willamette Valley so I'm lucky to have easy access to a variety of well made wines.
Here is my short list of wines I have enjoyed (I personally am a wine weenie and prefer whites to reds, I like them for their lighter flavor and easier food pairing):
Airlie Winery; http://www.airliewinery.com/
I am fond of their 2006 Seven (a mix of seven wines) and their 2005 Gewürztraminer both very smooth and drinkable. 8 out of 10 for the Seven and 7 out of 10 for the Gewürz (figuring a 10 being a wine I would stockpile, and anything 7 or higher would rate a reliable gift for a friend).
Viridian Winery; http://www.viridianwines.com/
I just tried this (it is a new winery) and am quite impressed. The 2006 Pinot Gris and the Rose were both very smooth and desirable. 8 out of 10 for both. The Pinot Noir is also very well crafted, though I don't feel I am the person to judge reds.
Emerson Vineyards; http://www.emersonvineyards.com/
The 2006 Pinot Gris is a 7 out of 10, similar to Viridian's but with a tart finish. The Pinot Noir and the Syrah we both well crafted and I consider them both solid "good" reds. The Syrah was a step above the Pinot Noir (it tasted a little more refined).
If you are in Independence, stop by the wine and flower shop in downtown (next to Ragin River Steak Co. - which is top notch and reasonably priced). They are usually open 3pm to 8pm and normally have free tastings on Saturdays and always great prices on flowers.
Here is my short list of wines I have enjoyed (I personally am a wine weenie and prefer whites to reds, I like them for their lighter flavor and easier food pairing):
Airlie Winery; http://www.airliewinery.com/
I am fond of their 2006 Seven (a mix of seven wines) and their 2005 Gewürztraminer both very smooth and drinkable. 8 out of 10 for the Seven and 7 out of 10 for the Gewürz (figuring a 10 being a wine I would stockpile, and anything 7 or higher would rate a reliable gift for a friend).
Viridian Winery; http://www.viridianwines.com/
I just tried this (it is a new winery) and am quite impressed. The 2006 Pinot Gris and the Rose were both very smooth and desirable. 8 out of 10 for both. The Pinot Noir is also very well crafted, though I don't feel I am the person to judge reds.
Emerson Vineyards; http://www.emersonvineyards.com/
The 2006 Pinot Gris is a 7 out of 10, similar to Viridian's but with a tart finish. The Pinot Noir and the Syrah we both well crafted and I consider them both solid "good" reds. The Syrah was a step above the Pinot Noir (it tasted a little more refined).
If you are in Independence, stop by the wine and flower shop in downtown (next to Ragin River Steak Co. - which is top notch and reasonably priced). They are usually open 3pm to 8pm and normally have free tastings on Saturdays and always great prices on flowers.
A Comparison of Oregon Blackberries
All three species listed below were found growing next to or through each other in Salem Oregon, August 2008.
The Himalayan or Armenian Blackberry [Rubus procerus/armeniacus/discolor]; large lobed, oval leaves (the ones in the picture are small - I've seen some as bid as my hand, though these are uncommon), the berries are prolific and ripen in late July into August, the primary canes can become as large as a nickel (or more) in diameter.
This is the most common and invasive blackberry and its shallow roots contribute significantly to streambank and riverbank erosion.
The Cutleaf or English Blackberry [Rubus lacianatus]; medium sized multisectioned leaves, berries not nearly as prolific but ripen earlier than Himalayan Blackberries, canes are not nearly as thick either but are a much darker maroon-ish color (like a good dark red wine).
This is the second most invasive blackberry.
The native Oregon (and Pacific NW) Blackberry [Rubus ursinus]; small to medium sized leaves that are double-toothed, moderate berry production, unsure of ripening time though it can be as early as June, canes are thin and ground trailing (normally, though they may find an upright path through other vegetation).
Native blackberry.
The Himalayan or Armenian Blackberry [Rubus procerus/armeniacus/discolor]; large lobed, oval leaves (the ones in the picture are small - I've seen some as bid as my hand, though these are uncommon), the berries are prolific and ripen in late July into August, the primary canes can become as large as a nickel (or more) in diameter.
This is the most common and invasive blackberry and its shallow roots contribute significantly to streambank and riverbank erosion.
The Cutleaf or English Blackberry [Rubus lacianatus]; medium sized multisectioned leaves, berries not nearly as prolific but ripen earlier than Himalayan Blackberries, canes are not nearly as thick either but are a much darker maroon-ish color (like a good dark red wine).
This is the second most invasive blackberry.
The native Oregon (and Pacific NW) Blackberry [Rubus ursinus]; small to medium sized leaves that are double-toothed, moderate berry production, unsure of ripening time though it can be as early as June, canes are thin and ground trailing (normally, though they may find an upright path through other vegetation).
Native blackberry.
Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar
A Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar [Tyria jacobaeae] in Salem Oregon July 2008 (eating Groundsel - they store the poison from the leaves and carry it through to the moth stage to deter predators).
The beautiful red and black moth was introduced to control Poisonous Ragwort.
The beautiful red and black moth was introduced to control Poisonous Ragwort.
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