Community Supported Honey: Ballard Bee Company

Established in 2010, the Ballard Bee Company began with four hives in owner Corky Luster's yard in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. But what started as a hobby soon grew into a full-fledged business and he now has a series of hives throughout the neighborhood. The result is raw, unfiltered honey that is local not just to a specific region but to a specific neighborhood.

• Read the full post at Re-Nest

Fried Kool-Aid Is This Summer’s Viral Treat [VIDEO]

An enterprising San Diego man has invented a treat that might give ice cream a run for its money: Fried Kool-Aid.

A five-day-old video of “Chicken” Charlie Boghosian demonstrating how to make Fried Kool-Aid is verging on 100,000 views. Boghosian served the treat at the San Diego County Fair and now the Internet is buzzing. “Fried Kool-Aid” has been a trending topic on Twitter for two days.

Although “likes” outnumber “dislikes” by a wide margin on YouTube, many commentors expressed disgust about the new dessert. One man even made a video asking Boghosian to stop. Neverteless, IRL, people are lapping it up. During the fair’s opening weekend, Boghosian’s food stall went through 150 pounds of Kool-Aid powder and 1,500 pounds of flour. (The rest of the ingredients are a trade secret.)

More About: Fried Kool-Aid, twitter, youtube

Ginger Beef Stir Fry

Ginger Beef Stir Fry: "

Actually it was Ginger Venison Stir Fry. Our beef recipes become venison recipes since Mr Chiots is a hunter and we are lucky enough to have 3 deer in the freezer. During the winter we enjoy rich hearty venison stews and warming bowls of venison chili. In the summer I’m much happier eating a venison burger or stir fry. The great thing about stir fry is that you can use whatever vegetables you have in the garden. In the spring we’ll use sugar snap peas and garlic scapes, later in the summer it’ll be zucchini, carrots and onions. It’s quick and easy to whip up a stir fry.



Currently we’re harvesting those golden peas, green onions, kale and garlic scapes, so that’s what I’ve been using as vegetables in my stir fry. I was also lucky enough to find some lovely oyster mushrooms at the farmer’s market and I’m always happy to add those to just about anything.



GINGER BEEF STIR FRY

(adapted from Simply Recipes)

Sauce:

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or coconut water vinegar

5 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce (naturally fermented is best)

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp peeled, grated fresh ginger

1 tsp red pepper flakes (less if you’re of delicate palate)

1 tsp freshly ground cumin (feel free to omit or substitute other spice)

(if you want a thicker sauce add a Tablespoon of corn starch as well)

Stir-fry:

3 Tbsp coconut oil or lard

1 – 1 1/2 lb steak cut into strips

2-3 cups mixed chopped vegetables of your choice: green onions, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, garlic scapes, sugar snap peas, carrots, zucchini, etc.

chopped fresh cilantro if desired

cooked rice or noodles for serving

Mix ingredients for sauce in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet (cast iron works best) over high heat. Working in batches, sauté beef until just brown outside but rare inside, about 1 minute, transfer to plate.

When all of the beef is cooked, add more oil to pan if necessary and stir fry the vegetables for a minute or two – until vegetables reach your preferred level of doneness. I usually add longer cooking vegetables first, and throw in green onions for the last 30 seconds or so. Return beef to pan. Add sauce and mix everything together. Cook for 1 minute. Mix in cilantro if desired.

Serve over freshly cooked rice or noodles. Should serve four people unless you’re super hungry. (rice is especially good if made with some virgin coconut oil so it has a slight coconut taste)



Nothing beats a quick stir fry with freshly harvested vegetables for a summer evening meal. The great thing about this dish is that you can substitute in other spices if you’d like. Things like coconut milk, ground coriander seeds, orange zest, various chiles and other spices would pair well with different kinds of vegetables and make the dish taste differently each time.

Do you have a go-to quick recipe for using fresh summer vegetables?

Related posts:

1. Garlic Scapes


2. Garlic Scapes


3. Growing Ginger at Home

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Make 46 Freezer Meals In 4 Hours A Turtle's Life For Me

More often than not, when you think of making meals ahead and tossing them in the freezer, it's usually during the winter months. We're busy stocking up on soups, stews, chili and the like. In the summer however we're usually just as busy if not more so, and could really use the help cutting down on dinner prep time. Here's how one Mom makes 46 meals in 4 hours with little extras along the way!

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baby pumpkin

Baby pumpkins are forming! We'll see if they set.

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Homemade Nutter Butters

Right around this time every year, I start thinking of recipes I can make for my extended family when we're all together over the July 4th holiday. Pies are always a given; cookies are always a must. So this year, I thought it would be fun to bake up some nostalgic favorites that the adults would fondly remember and the kids would just love because, hey, it's a sandwich cookie.

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Home gardening statistics infographic

I came across this interesting infographic showing pretty cool information about the home gardener I thought I would share. I couple of interesting items were the average garden size and the economics of U.S. food gardens.

Calamondin (Indoor) Orange Trees

This is Prairie Smoke

It's like the Muppet of the high grass prairie perennials. From my garden.

Bloody Mary

Red Hammer 

Through the 1950s in the Northeastern U.S., while vodka was scarce, gin instead of vodka was known as a Bloody Mary; once vodka became readily available in those regions, the traditional vodka-based Bloody Mary was known as a Red Hammer for a time.

Bloody Mary (cocktail) - Wikipedia

Green Space at Subaru Automotive 

I don't know about you, but I am pretty pumped up by the way I see the green movement gaining more momentum. It's a really positive step when major corporations are looking for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.  In 2004 the Subaru Automotive in Indiana became the first automotive assembly plant to be zero landfill.  And just around the corner from the factory is a green space that serves as a home for wildlife.

Becky Bright, the environmental group leader at the campus, talked with P. Allen Smith about their green space and the wildlife it attracts.

Allen Smith:  Becky, it is quite extraordinary to have so much land around such a large manufacturing plant.

Becky Bright, Environmental Group Leader Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. Lafayette, IN:  Yeah, actually we have about 800 acres. Half of it's developed and the rest serves as part of our wildlife habitat.

Allen:  Really. So these cars that I’m seeing swirling around this large pond; this is part of the test track.

Becky:  Yes, it's part of our test track and it gets used daily during our production.

Allen:  So, you've got half of really the property, which is wildlife habitat.

Becky:  And on that we have five retention ponds, which partly serves as storm water run off them, our buildings and parking lots, but also serves as part of the backyard for wildlife habitat.

Allen:  So, backyard. Well, this is quite a backyard.   My heavens, almost 400 acres, but it is such a big facility. So on a cold and rainy day like today, the water comes off the roof of the building and the parking lots into these retention ponds.

Becky:  Yes, it does.

Allen:  And that's what brings all of these geese and ducks here.

Becky:  Yes, we have geese, ducks, blue heron, we've actually seen bald eagles, red tail hawks, as well as other animals like coyotes and deer and squirrels, snapping turtles. Almost anything you can imagine.

Allen:  That is really thrilling to have it here so close. Now, the heron is sort of a symbol of this property, isn't it?

Becky:  Yes, and actually in the middle of this pond, we have a blue heron sanctuary.

Allen:  It must be easy for you to get up every day and come to work knowing that you are making a difference in terms of the planet and doing things that make it greener.

Becky:  It is. It's nice. Nice and rewarding. I do enjoy my job.

Butterfly Garden

One of the pleasures I enjoy about a garden is watching all the wildlife that comes to visit. I am particularly fond of those little acrobats of the sky ? butterflies. They really bring a flower border to life as they flutter from bloom to bloom.

Luring butterflies to a garden is really quite simple and the plants that attract them also add a lot of beauty. Here are some tips to get you started.

Plant Selection
If you want to increase the population of these showy little guys around your place, you need to provide food for two different parts of their life cycle, as larva or caterpillars and as adult butterflies. Plants suited for the larva stage are commonly referred to as host plants and adult butterflies feed on nectar plants.

When it comes to host plants different varieties of butterfly larva have specific requirements. For instance the Painted Lady butterfly larva likes hollyhocks and sunflowers, but the Monarch prefers milkweed. Trying to appeal to every butterfly would require a large group of plants and to be honest, some of them are weedy. So narrow your selections to the ones that benefit the greatest number of larva. Host plants that feed several kinds of butterfly larva are parsley, milkweed and fennel. Others that are a little showier include Queen Anne's lace, false indigo, passionflower, asters and various kinds of sedum.

Now once the adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis it needs nectar-producing plants to dine on. There is an extensive list of plants to choose from, but they seem to be especially attracted to purple, pink, yellow and white flowers. To make it easy for the butterfly to spot your offerings, plant in drifts of a single type of flower rather than a mix of different colors.

Be sure to arrange it so that something is in bloom throughout the growing season and especially in late summer when butterflies are most active. Including some of their favorite annuals will ensure a steady supply of nectar.

To provide shelter from winds consider planting your butterfly garden in front of a hedge.

Pesticide Use
One of the most important things you can do it make your garden butterfly friendly is limit your use of pesticides. Choose earth friendly options such as an insecticidal soap and spot treat problems rather than spraying the entire garden.

Butterfly Sun Deck
Butterflies enjoy soaking up the sun. You?ll often see them sun bathing. They also appreciate a shallow pool of water. This simple project will provide a place for butterflies to enjoy both.

1. Choose a location in full sun that is sheltered from winds.
2. Dig a medium sized, shallow hole.
3. To retain water line the hole with plastic or place a shallow bowl in the hole.
4. Place a brick or large flat stone in the center of the hole.
5. Fill in around the brick with gravel.
6. Add water.
7. Over the course of the summer keep the gravel moist. Slices of over ripe fruit will also attract butterflies to the area.

Dig the Hole

Line the Hole with Plastic

Fill the Hole with Gravel

Butterfly Nectar Plants

Annuals

• Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)
• Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)
• Marigold, French (Tagetes patula)
• Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia species)
• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
• Sunflower (Helianthus species)
• Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)
• Verbena (Verbena species)
• Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

Perennials

• Ageratum (Ageratum)
• Aster (Aster species)
• Bee-balm (Monarda didyma)
• Black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia species)
• Boltonia (Boltonia asteroides)
• Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)
• Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
• Coreopsis (Coreopsis species)
• Daylily (Hemerocallis species)
• False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
• Gayfeather (Liatris species)
• Goldenrod (Solidago species)
• Hibiscus (Hibiscus species)
• Hollyhock (Althaea rosea)
• Joe-pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)
• Lantana (Lantana camara, L. species)
• Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis)
• Mexican Sage (Salvia leucantha)
• Milkweed (Asclepias species)
• Passion Flower (Passiflora species)
• Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
• Sedum (Sedum species)
• Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum superbum)
• Yarrow (Achillea species)

NEW juicer

Ginger Ale Recipe : Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces finely grated fresh ginger
• 6 ounces sugar
• 7 1/2 cups filtered water
• 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Place the ginger, sugar, and 1/2 cup of the water into a 2-quart saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to steep for 1 hour.

Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing down to get all of the juice out of the mixture. Chill quickly by placing over and ice bath and stirring or set in the refrigerator, uncovered, until at least room temperature, 68 to 72 degrees F.

Using a funnel, pour the syrup into a clean 2-liter plastic bottle and add the yeast, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups of water. Place the cap on the bottle, gently shake to combine and leave the bottle at room temperature for 48 hours. Open and check for desired amount of carbonation. It is important that once you achieve your desired amount of carbonation that you refrigerate the ginger ale. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, opening the bottle at least once a day to let out excess carbonation.

Source: Food Network

The Greenpeace Shoppers Guide

Medicinal soup

Any combination of vegies would probably do, but this is the classic set: carrots, a leek, onion, celery, potato, swede, parsnip.

Slice leeks.

Dice potato and swede (you could use turnips instead of swede, which I think is called rutabaga in some other lands).

Dice carrots.

Dice celery then take a blurry photo of it.

Mix all the prepared vegies together, stand back and admire, point shoot.

Place 1.5kg chicken in pot, along with 3 litres water (I cheated and included some home-made chicken stock in that 3-litre quantity).

Add chopped vegies (and the water level should rise to just cover the chicken)

Add two bay leaves, a few sprigs of thyme and a handful of black peppercorns.

Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and once boiling (and that can take 20-30 minutes) turn heat down low so the pot is barely simmering, but uncovered, so the liquid reduces slightly. Let it all simmer away slowly for 2 hours.

Remove chicken from the pot (it'll be falling apart by this stage) and let it cool. While the chicken cools, lightly mash the vegetables to help thicken the soup a bit.

At this stage I forgot to take a photo of the next step: ie, add 1 cup of tiny pasta. So then I had to fish out one teeny little square of tiny pasta, sit it next to a peppercorn, and take a macro shot of how tiny my teeny pasta is.

Strip all the flesh from the cooled chicken and chop into dice, add back to the pot. (Almost there!)

This photo needs a 'scratch and sniff' attachment, as it smells so chickeny/vegetably!

However, before you enjoy it, and this is the magic ingredient in turning a nice soup into a very, very nice soup: freeze it for a few days. For some reason all the soups I make taste so much nicer after they've had a spell in the freezer. Not just chicken soups, either. I won't eat my wintry pea and ham soup until it has been frozen for a while, and my leek and potato is the same, too.

All this soup shot lacks is bread. Good, crusty bread to dunk into it and mop up the last of it. My favourite lunch, a good soup with crusty dunking bread. And in the case of chicken and vegetable soup, it's genuinely medicinal. Apparently there are anti-inflammatory compounds within the bones of chickens, and provided you make chicken soup using chicken on the bone (and not just fillets) you'll get the anti-inflammatory goodies, as well as all the vegie goodness too.

OK, here's the recipe and it's an old one from the June 2004 issue of our magazine, and it's by our wonderful cookery writer Tracy Rutherford, whose recipes always work beautifully. You might notice that I haven't followed her recipe precisely in the photos above (because after a couple of batches it's fairly easy to make from memory, even if you slightly change it), but for starters I suggest you do it Tracy's way if you want to make a very nice batch of old-style home-made chicken and vegetable soup.

Tracy Rutherford's Real Chicken Soup

1.5kg whole chicken
8 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
large sprig thyme
1 large leek, sliced
3 large carrots, halved and sliced
4 sticks celery, sliced (reserve tops)
3 litres water
2 good quality chicken stock cubes (such as Massel)
1 cup (190g) stellini, or other small soup pasta

1. Place the chicken into a large, heavy-based stockpot. Cut a square of muslin and place the peppercorns, bay leaf and thyme on it. Bring the ends together to form a little pouch, and tie securely with kitchen string. Add to the pot.

2. Pour 3 litres of cold water into the pot, along with the vegetables. Bring slowly to the boil over medium-low heat (this will take about 30 minutes). Reduce the heat slightly and cook for 2 hours. The water should not be boiling during this time, just barely simmering.

3. Carefully lift the chicken from the pot – use two pairs of tongs, or a large slotted spoon and tongs. The chicken will fall apart, but into large pieces, so just take them all out. Let the chicken cool slightly, then pull the meat from the chicken, and chop into smaller, bite-sized pieces suitable for soup.

4. Meanwhile, using a potato masher, roughly mash the vegetables in the soup. Add the stock cubes and stir to dissolve. Return the chicken to the soup.

5. If you have time, chill the soup so that the fat floating on the top solidifies and is easy to remove. When ready to serve, bring to the boil, add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes. Chop the reserved celery leaves and stir into the soup; season to taste.

Once I was a sick man, but now I am on the road to recovery thanks to Tracy's medicinal soup. Thank you Tracy!

Gardening in the Shade: what to plant if you don't have full sun

I've found that a garden with some shade is ultimately more satisfying than one with full blasting sunlight. It offers the chance to create a cool retreat in which to sit and enjoy the garden or dine outdoors on hot summer days. It's helpful for extending the harvest season of crops which might otherwise bolt too quickly in summer heat, and you can enjoy all the beautiful ornamental plants that actually prefer some shade to thrive. I was just reminded of the great multitude of shade-loving plants on a hike through an old-growth section of our local forest. Under a canopy of Douglas firs and Western maples was growing a dense carpet of huge, tropical looking ferns, lacy-leaved Meadow Rue, splendid white flowering Dogwood, and delicate pink Bleeding Hearts, among many others. As we stood on a bridge over a stream in a canyon, admiring this incredible diversity and beauty, we thought we were in Paradise! Still, many gardeners face the following dilemma: They want to grow vegetables and herbs, but don't have the required 6 hours of direct sunlight per day that most edible plants need. Or, they want to grow some colorful flowers from seed, but aren't sure which will grow in their partially shady location. Depending on the type of shade your garden receives, as well as your climate and the time of year, you may be surprised at the range of choices you actually have.

To purchase Renee's Garden Seeds click here

The first step in selecting plants for your garden is knowing how much sun it actually receives at different times of year. Draw a map of your garden and note the position of buildings and trees, and when they are likely to cast shadows. The area in front of my living room window, for example, is shady in summer but sunny in winter. When a large oak loses its foliage-so it's a perfect spot for early spring-flowering bulbs. I located our vegetable garden in the middle of a large field behind our house (although I'd have preferred it closer to the back door) because our house casts long shadows to the East in late summer and fall. After you've drawn up a plan, it's helpful to understand some of the different kinds of shade, and which plants tolerate each.

Types of Shade

Partial or Half Shade: This very variable and confusing term is often defined as about half a day of direct sun. Gardeners in areas with 5-6 hours of afternoon sun may be able to grow most vegetables and herbs. However, those with only 3-4 hours of morning sun will have better success with true shade-lovers, and should choose other types of plants as the main focus of their gardens.

Dappled Shade, or Light Shade: The sunlight in these areas is filtered through trees with an open habit and small leaves, rather than a dense leaf cover. Sun falls on your garden, but it doesn't hit specific sections for as long as it would without the trees. Again, the longer and brighter the sun shines in a particular area, the more flexibility you have in your choice of edibles and shade-tolerant annuals for that spot.

Open Shade: An example of this would be the North side of a building which gets no direct sun throughout the entire day, but is not otherwise covered by trees or structures. In general, this is too much shade for good production of most vegetables.

Full Shade, or Dense Shade: In this situation the garden doesn't receive direct sun and is also shaded by trees or structures, resulting in little ambient light. The plants in this article are unlikely to thrive in such a location.

Vegetables and Herbs for Half Shade and Dappled Shade

Of all the vegetables, leafy crops are most tolerant of partial and dappled shade. In hot areas, it's actually preferable to grow them where they don't receive full sun all day, since they'll hold longer before they bolt and taste bitter. A garden grown in a partial or half shaded plot can contain lettuce of all kinds, chard, scallions, kale, radishes, Asian stir-fry greens, spinach, and leeks. Herbs includearugula, basil, parsley, dill, chervil, cilantro, chives, garlic chives, watercress, and alpine strawberries.

If you are unsure whether you have enough sunlight for these crops to grow well, start small and experiment. If you have too much shade, leaves will be spindly, soft and weak. They'll have a mild, bland flavor and lack crispness.

Flowers for Half Shade and Dappled Shade

A partially shaded location is ideal for nasturtiums, since if they receive too much intense sunlight, their leaves fry and become unsightly. They come in some hot, tropical color mixes such as " Amazon Jewel", "Alaska", "Copper Sunset" and "Whirlybird", as well as some cool pastels like butter-cream "Moonlight" and cream splashed with red "Vanilla Berry".

A variety of cutting flowers, such as our " Chantilly" snapdragons, "White Wonder" feverfew, "Marble Arch" salvia , and "Pride of Gibraltar"cerinthe can also tolerate about half a day of shade. For containers, I like ruffled "Victorian Posy" pansies.

Flowers for Open Shade

Many of the flowers that prefer shady locations have unusual, exotically-shaped flowers that give an enchanted, fairylike quality to a shady place. "Mrs. Scott Elliot" columbines, "Apricot Fairy Queen" foxgloves, and "Mulberry Rose" and "Persian Violet"Nigella come to mind. My other favorites include evening-scented "Alata" nicotiana and deep blue "Azure Bluebirds" forget-me-nots.

Tips for Growing Plants from Seed in Partial Shade

Keep your soil moist but not soggy to avoid damping off of seedlings, particularly if the weather is cool. Since water doesn't evaporate as quickly as it does in full sunlight, you may not need to water as often. Make sure to follow the packet directions and don't plant too early in the season!

Plant in well-drained soil. Dig soil at least a foot deep and add about a six inch layer of well-rotted sifted compost before sowing your seeds. Most plants are unlikely to thrive if planted directly under large trees unless the soil is dug in pockets between tree roots and covered with a thick layer of well-rotted compost.

Protect young seedlings from slugs and snails who inhabit shady places, and hide under mulch or in nearby grass. I prefer to use a granular bait made out of chelated iron called "Sluggo" because it is safer to use around pets than liquid baits.

When you thin or transplant your plants to their final spacing, plant them no closer than recommended on the seed packet, or slightly farther apart to allow some air to circulate around the plants.

If you are growing seedlings in flats, choose a location with as much light as possible for strong plants better able to withstand transplanting. Partial shade is a good place to harden off seedlings grown in a greenhouse or under grow lights indoors as they can more gradually adjust to outdoor growing conditions and don't evaporate moisture as quickly as they would in full sun.

Angry Birds Cupcakes Take The Cake

If ever a food item could provoke food fights it has to be these Angry Birds Cupcakes, custom created by the wife of Phandroid reader Khoa Ngo:

Pretty cute indeed. Khoa mentioned cupcake decoration was a hobby, but his wife’s little upstart – Sweet Dreams Bakery – might be just the thing for Android Geeks attempting a special occasion. Case and point? I think John Hodgson could use these cupcakes at his wedding.

But really, if you’re an Angry Birds lover, there’s a good chance you’re looking for an excuse to find, buy, or make something like these. Or if you’re a trouble maker, you’re just hoping someone shows up to the party with these cupcakes so you can point across the backyard at your best friend and scream, “HE STOLE OUR EGGS!” heaving them across the backyard at the unexpecting victim/pig who will inevitably get AngryBirded in the face. Unless your aim sucks or it’s a hard level, but as FPS games have taught us, real life and video games are similar because you can always restart.

I know birthdays have their traditions and all, but these AngryBirds cupcakes take the cake.

[Via Sweet Dreams Bakery]