Chocolate cake oh yeah!

To give me energy to dig out of the snow thats been drifting around here, I decided to try the Kings Cupboard Rich and Dreamy Molten Chocolate Cake Mix that I happened to have in my own cupboard.

Kings Cupboard products are made in Red Lodge. The mixes Ive tried are very simple ones, so if youre in a hurry or just want to pull something together quickly, they are perfect. (And by the way, they also make chocolate and caramel sauces, which you will want to eat straight out of the jar -- haha!)

Alas, not everything is foolproof, as I discovered when I eagerly pulled my molten cakes out of the oven. But lets start at the beginning . . .

The basic recipe is: pour cake mix (containing chocolate bits), along with butter, into a pan and stir until everything is melted. The box tells you to divide the batter equally among 8 ramekins. "How big??!!" I cried. Are ramekins supposed to be a standard size?

On a baking sheet I set out four 6-ounce and two 8-ounce Pyrex custard cups, figuring those ought to hold the batter one way or another. I have pretty made-in-France 4-ounce ramekins but didnt want to mess with them for this "how much batter does this make anyway" experiment.

Conclusion: I now figure the 8 ramekins could be 4-ounce or 6-ounce size, so take note of that when you try the mix yourself.

After the suggested time of about 10 minutes, the cakes werent done, so I let them bake another 5 minutes. I dont know exactly when "molten" becomes "cake," but 15 minutes was too long. The cakes were delicious, but not molten.

The directions explain exactly how to check for moltenness, and I suggest doing so every minute or so after the suggested baking time. They also fairly warn that if you do not serve them right away, they will continue cooking inside and become cakey. This is not bad -- the taste is deep, rich chocolate; sort of like a cake-like candy bar -- but you will have to buy another mix and try again to enjoy the molten version.

I leave you with a photo of how these cakes are supposed to look, according to the company Web site.

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The Sweet Smell of Partial Success

I returned fro a three week visit to Florida to welcome a new grandson who was born in St. Augustine on the 22 of May to find that I could gather a handful of really tasty strawberries from my greenhouse. The tomato and pepper plants have thrived and are setting fruit. Best of all, the blend of scents from mint, strawberries and various herbs is heady. On a visit to the Grow House in Denver during the Aquaponics Conference last September I noticed that they set potted plants with holes in the bottom nestled into the flood and drain grow beds. I followed that practice with my various nursery plants this year. I set the four inch peat pots into the gravel beds without any apparent negative effects.

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Preparing for Plants and Fish

After building the system and adding gravel, I purchased a tank cycling kit and a start-up test kit. 

Its important to cycle the tank before adding fish, otherwise your fish may be in a lot of distress, and might even die, due to high levels of ammonia.  I wont go into a lot of detail about that, since you can find plenty of information elsewhere, but its an important consideration before you get your fish - especially if you have to travel several hours to get your fishies.

The Aquaponic Source has a good overview of the cycling process.  This is also where I purchased my kit for $15.  I suppose I could have tried using regular liquid ammonia, but I figured this would be safer and faster.  I also purchased a test kit from Aquaponic Source.

Ill post some of my readings and dates in a later post - maybe when I get my fishes. 

Lessons learned - I should have tested the pH of my water BEFORE I added the gravel.  I think there is a lot of limestone or something in our rock, because adding the rock raised the pH level in our tap water from about 6.4 to about 7.6.  Luckily, although the 7.6 is a little more alkaline than recommended, I dont think its dangerously high.  However, since I had to carry in several hundred pounds of gravel one bucket at a time, I would have been pretty upset if I had to find another media source, empty the grow beds and haul in more of whatever I ended up using. 

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Signs of the Livingston market

One of the fun things of visiting a farmers market is looking at the signs. Here are a few I saw today at the Livingston farmers market.

As you can see from the last two signs, this market encourages children to participate, which adds to the variety. Trust me, the Geography Quiz is not easy.

Livingston Farmers Market

Sacajawea Park bandshell

June 3 - September 23

Wednesday, 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm

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First Photo To My Project 2

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Fish farm thrives in middle of Egypt s desert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-QMmAoF6zM

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From Beans to Marshmallow Fluffy Stuff

Theres an amazing recipe floating around on the Internet that has two ingredients, one always a crowd favorite (sugar) and the other not so much (bean juice).

I found the version I made on Chocolate-Covered Katie, where you will see a lot of attractive fluffy photos and more explanation than Ill add here.

But I do want to give you my experience so youll know what to really expect. Its never like the pictures, is it?

Here in Montana we eat a lot of beans. The best are made from scratch, but sometimes the canned variety comes in handy. But what to do with the liquid? You can add it to soup or throw it out, but why not make fluffy marshmallow stuff?

For this recipe, first drain a can of garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas. (I used a brand that included sugar and salt, a case of not checking ingredients on the label, which is a topic for another blog. Who the heck puts sugar in beans?) You should have 1/2 cup of liquid. Use the beans elsewhere. I suggest straining the liquid to eliminate any stray bits of bean.

I also recommend putting the liquid in the bowl of a stand mixer. If youre using a hand mixer, draw up a chair and maybe put on a long meditation tape or some pleasant music. If you have a TV in the kitchen, youll be able to watch at least a half-hour sitcom.

Add 1/3 cup sugar or honey or agave. Id add an optional dash of vanilla, though I didnt in this test.

On my KitchenAid mixer I started at a medium speed (4). I recommend starting with a high speed (6 or 8) because that will no doubt speed up the process.

At about 10 minutes, the mixture still looked like swirling egg whites, so I upped to 6, then 10 minutes later (still swirling egg whites) up to 8. At this point I was like, "Oh, man, this is ridiculous."

At the 25-minute mark I wondered, "Hey, is that fluff?" I could see streaks made by the wires of the beater attachment, which indicated it was thickening.

Thirty minutes from the start, success!

I was so intent on the fluffing process I didnt think to do taste tests along the way, but I sure dipped into the finished product.

Heres where your experience may vary widely from mine. I like it. In my opinion it has kind of an "off" taste. Not bad, but it makes you realize this is not the real thing. Real fluff is just sweet. If youre used to "healthy" foods that taste way different than the "regular" stuff, you wont be a bit fazed by this not being a replica of the commercial varieties.

Maybe I could have whipped it longer, but I was satisified with the texture, which was soft like thick whipped cream. It is definitely holding up after a few hours in the refrigerator.

I recommend serving it without any comment. After everyone has enjoyed it on a decadent dessert or in peanut-butter-n-fluff sandwiches, then you might reveal the secret. I doubt anyone will care. Paired with another food, you really cant tell this has, um, a secret ingredient.

I feel I could make this again.

I can guarantee I will make it for company. I cant wait to see the looks on their faces when I share the recipe.

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The Golden Book of Aquaponics 1

 Introduction: Many years ago, a friend of mine introduced to me the concept of aquaponics. At first, the idea seemed a bit crazy - take care of fish, and let vegetables/fresh produce grow with the help of the nutrients present in the fish tank. Let me be honest with you: I have no green thumb. Im no farmer, and I am certainly no fish expert.

And yet, something about aquaponics caught my fancy. It was the idea of true self-sufficiency that made me try it. I imagined myself being able to grow a clean protein source (fish) and a steady source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber (vegetables). It was really the stuff of dreams. Who hasnt dreamed of being able to pick clean and tasty food from their own yard?

And then there I was - looking at a simple blueprint for a backyard aquaponic system. My friend told me that he didnt have the time to experiment in his own yard and he thought about me when he was about to throwaway the blueprint.

I took the blueprint, thanked my friend, and embarked on my own personal backyard adventure. I never looked back. Now my own aquaponic system is steadily producing tilapia and other edible fish, and I have fresh vegetables to harvest every few months. You can do this, too! Why Try Aquaponics?

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Local Nursery Crawl March 8 9 2014

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Essentria IC3

Essentria_IC3
http://www.envincio.com/essentria/product-dload/Essentria_IC3_PIB.pdf
This product uses an Octopamine Blocker which is a lot like adrenaline to an insect.  It over excites their nervous system and kills them.  I became interested in this product when I had a severe outbreak of ants in my aquaponic green house.  While it is safe for mammals and fish I would worry about using it around crustaceans.   It is broad spectrum so you must also be careful not to kill beneficial insects like ladybugs and bees.

I used this product in my house and green house.  I did find one dead cockroach in the garage where I dumped a very large amount of Essentria_IC3 mixed at the lowest recommended strength of 1/2 oz per gallon of water.   This same ratio did nothing to the ants and aphids I wanted to kill.

I then mixed 6 oz per gallon (the maximum recommended dosage) and sprayed heavily in the green house, and on a heavy infestation of aphids on my cabbage. Once again the product failed to kill anything including the aphids which received a heavy drenching.  I waited 5 days and then mixed the Essentria_IC3 at  96 oz per gallon.  Sixteen times the recommended strength.   The good news is it did not harm the fish and it did kill the ants.  The bad news is it destroyed many of my plants and the aphids have increased.  It may be a better herbicide than it is a pesticide.

I would not recommend Essentria_IC3.  Its was ineffective in my green house and garden.  The smell is horrid, and required that I air my house out for two days when mixed at the lowest ratio.

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Pancakes two ingredients

This recipe has been making the rounds of the Internet, enjoyed by those who are gluten-free, paleo, and/or interested in trying unusual things.

Its one of the easiest things youll ever make from scratch. All you need are 2 bananas and 4 eggs. If you feel you want to add a little poof to the final product, throw in 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.

I could stop right there, but Ill add a few tips to save you having to figure it out yourself.

First, its best to have very ripe bananas, the brown ones that you might use for banana bread. Ive used kinda green ones, but the riper they are the less lumps youll have. Not that the lumps cause any problem at all -- indeed, they disappear during cooking -- but they can turn brown while waiting to be cooked.

Speaking of lumps, a hand-held mixer or even a blender is the best tool for these. The bananas are slimy, the eggs are slimy, and believe me, an electric appliance will easily blend these to perfection.

The batter will be thin, but dont worry. Magic happens in the pan.

I used a 1/4-cup scoop to measure each pancake, placing the batter in a nonstick skillet. I also used a bit of oil to crisp up the edges. I like crisp edges to my pancakes.

Dont wait for bubbles to appear as you do with regular pancakes. These will simply sit there looking frothy. I learned to wait for the edges to get not only crispy but dark brown before turning. The pancake in the photo is ready to turn.

These are very delicate pancakes, which is why I recommend a nonstick surface. Before turning, I carefully scoot the spatula around the edges to make sure the pancake is sliding on the surface and not sticking. Then I scoop it up and turn. This might take practise, but even the wrecks are tasty.

Now the difference between using baking powder and leaving it out is somewhat significant. Either way youll get a very delicious treat.

Without baking powder, the pancakes are dense. If youve made Polish pancakes -- these go by several names, but are basically 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, and 1 egg -- youll have a good idea of the texture. Id call it eggy. In this case, the banana flavor comes through strongly, and theyll be quite sweet. No syrup needed.

With baking powder, the pancakes rise up (see top photo). They have the texture of regular pancakes and even taste like them. You can kind of distinguish the banana if you concentrate, but the chemical transformation is truly amazing. I call these fluffy.

One warning: since bananas do turn brown, after about 15 minutes the banana bits in the batter will start darkening. Of course this only looks bad before you cook the batter since the pancakes will be an appetizing color when they leave the pan.

This is truly a remarkable recipe, one that is good to know when it is -20 (as it was here in south-central Montana for a week recently) and you just dont want to go to the store for flour.

To sum up:

Two-ingredient Pancakes

2 ripe bananas

4 eggs

1/4 teaspoon baking powder (optional)

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Pour into nonstick skillet (1/4-cup scoop recommended). Cook till brown on both sides.

Top with butter, honey, or syrup, or eat as is.

Makes about 10 4-inch pancakes.

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Go figure these clay animals are delightful

When you are at farmers markets be sure to watch for -- and buy from -- young entrepreneurs. They might be selling homemade cookies or homegrown vegetables. Some will be budding artists. All of them will be eager to talk about their products.

Eleven-year-old Emma Phipps is a particularly talented artist, who has created a collection of clay figurines that will delight anyone.

You can buy individual sculptures, which are about 2 to 3 inches high, but they are available in several groupings. Emmas wildlife set includes a moose, deer, elk, antelope, bear, and, upon request, buffalo. Her country set comprises a pig, cow, horse, and cowboy. And many varieties of cats of course form their own independent group.

Although you wont see them displayed at farmers markets, Emma also creates oil and acrylic paintings and especially enjoys using watercolors: "I love watercolor because it blends so easily, and you can do lovely skies."

For a 4-H project, she recently made a large (5-inch) Chinese dragon. Her general entrepreneurial endeavors can also be applied toward 4-H experience.

Emma has been forming these adorable figures since she was old enough, at age four, to play with the clay she makes them with. She learned the technique from her mother, Lynn, whose own style, which she calls the Funny Farm, is more whimsical. Says Lynn: "Emma definitely has her own style."

Homeschooled on a ranch 19 miles north of Reed Point, Emma sells at farmers markets throughout the area: Absarokee, Big Timber, Columbus, Red Lodge, and sometimes Billings. You can also find her at the Reed Point Sheep Drive over Labor Day weekend, where she sells sheep figures in keeping with the general theme of the event.

In addition, Emma does special orders for the same price as her ready-made figures.

To find Montana farmers markets, visit Yummy Montana.

PS --Its Saturday, September 24, and I have a couple of new photos of things Emma made.

First was a special order of unicorns (not for me, unfortunately!). Arent they neat?

Then, a special order for me: figures of my cats. First, the real ones.

Now, the clay ones. Can you tell them apart from the real ones? :) They are made to be grouped together like this, but they can also stand as separate figures. I love them! Thanks, Emma!

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Fun with Succulents

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Art the aquaponics

Acquaponics system reflects the values ??and culture of art Watch this video

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Cranberry salsa huzzah!

While the weather outside has been stunning (warm, golden sunshine; rainbow leaves on cottonwoods; still-green grass), I have been stuck inside working. Since mid-September I have been overloaded with work. When you work for yourself, this is a good thing, but too much of anything can be a burden.

I expect to be on a regular schedule just in time for Thanksgiving, which brings me to my latest recipe.

Despite the pile of work, I have to eat and have managed to pretty much cook from scratch rather than depend on boxes and frozen prepared foods. I even made some cranberry sauce. The two-year-old bag of cranberries in my freezer looked like it was about to take its last breath, so I scrambled around for a recipe to use it all up at once.

A hoarded pamphlet from Ocean Spray Cranberries suggested Tex-Mex Cranberry Salsa. I adapted it to my own whims and came up with the recipe below.

But before you get busy in the kitchen, consider these facts:

- Cranberries, along with blueberries and Concord grapes, are the only modern commercial fruits native to the United States and Canada.

- Washington & Oregon produce well over 500,000 100-lb. barrels of cranberries annually, 1/15 of the nations supply. (There are about 50,000 cranberries in barrel.)

- Cranberries top the list of fruits supplying healthy anti-oxidants.

Cranberry Salsa

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries

1 4-ounce can chopped jalapeno peppers

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 cup chopped red onion

Juice of 1 lime

Handful chopped cilantro

Put water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add cranberries (no need to thaw if frozen) and return to a boil. Gently boil for 10 minutes without stirring.

Pour into a glass bowl. Stir in rest of ingredients.

Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the salsa. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. (My batch almost filled a quart jar.)

This is a bit syrupy, so you might want to experiment and use less sugar and/or water.

* * *

I love this stuff on plain toast, but at the top of this blog you see a photo of it on top of cheesy toast and sprinkled with cilantro leaves. I understand that some people do not have the ability to enjoy cilantro (its a chemical thing youre born with or without). All I can say is, I feel sorry for those people. I take great whiffs of cilantro and feel revived.

Now back to work.

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Montana Roots aquaponics

Its a lush greenhouse, but there isnt much dirt to be seen anywhere, except what you track in from outside.

Welcome to Montana Roots, an aquaponic paradise in Livingston.

From the outside, it looks like just another greenhouse. But inside (as shown in photo above) there is something -- or, rather a series of somethings -- happening to create a green wonderland.

Sam and Amory are gardeners who are experimenting with a self-supporting biosystem.

Hydroponics is the process of growing plants without soil, but using any kind of nutrient in the water. Aquaponics uses fish waste within the system to provide nutrients.

In Sam and Amorys aquaponics system, the first step, still in its initial stages, is raising grubs to feed the fish.

The larvae of black soldier flies will fuel the second step, the fish. Right now there are 300 bluegill and a handful of "outcasts," as Sam calls them. Currently, the fish eat purchased fish food.

The water carrying the processed fish waste goes through rocks, then through a more solid formation where worms do their, er, dirty work. In the top photo above, you can see the plants in this biological filter overflowing on a shelf above the rest of the greenhouse.

Every step along the way is verdant.

Finally, the water reaches the main greenhouse level, where a variety of plants can be grown. Their roots reach down into the water where pumps make sure there is plenty of oxygen to feed the hungry plants.

Right now there are mostly lettuces, herbs, and bok choy. In winter, brassicas such as broccoli, mustard greens, and kale grow well. No root vegetables, of course, since they do need soil to form.

What happens in subzero Montana winters?

Sam explained that the water keeps the temperature inside the greenhouse warm enough that no heaters are necessary. Sometimes the edges of the leaves of the plants nearest the outside walls freeze, but as the day warms up, they revive.

Sam and Amory share their bounty at the Livingston farmers market.

They also share their knowledge with Livingston middle school students, who apply on a first-come, first-served basis, in the Root Down program. Beginning with a week in the greenhouse in June, 15 students learn about gardening, farming, ecosystems, and life in general as they enjoy monthly camping trips and get-togethers throughout the year. Sam said the students also help deliver produce to local restaurants and the Livingston hospital, proudly announcing they grew it themselves.

Sam said he is excited about another project. With newly obtained grant money, he will be overseeing construction of a greenhouse at the middle school so more students can learn about growing their own food and enjoy eating it in the cafeteria.

If you want to learn more about any of these projects, contact Montana Roots via their website (currently under construction) or Facebook page.

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