aquak9's WunderBlog |
|
| Posted by: aquak9, 12:02 AM GMT on September 26, 2011 | +7 |
| Permalink | A A A |
|
Aqua is a good dog who loves to play in the rain, splash in puddles, and dig in the garden dirt. Jacksonville, Florida is home.
|
Tropical Blogs
Tropical Weather Stickers®
 |
84 °F
Light Rain
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
RainmanWeather.com
Jacksonville, FL
|
|
| Elevation: | 26 ft |
| Temperature: | 81.1 °F |
| Dew Point: | 73.2 °F |
| Humidity: | 77% |
| Wind: | 3.0 mph from the East |
| Wind Gust: | 10.0 mph |
|
Updated: 1:37 PM EDT on May 22, 2013
|
|
 |
Get Free Weather Stickers® |
 |
Upload Your Photos |
 |
Weather™ API for Developers NEW! |
 |
Become a Site Member |
 |
Find us on Facebook |
 |
Follow us on Twitter |
| Copyright © 2013 Weather Underground, Inc. | About Us - Contact - Support - Employment - Press Releases - Terms of Service - Privacy Statement |
Page: 1 — Blog Index
You lucky girl! LOL
Your okra looks great and that watermelon? Ooooh....
hahaha- glad you enjoyed it all. Too bad the tomatoes and okra aren't growing at the same time...oh I'd never leave the house.
The season does not change slowly here. One week we are in the 100's/80's the next 80's/60's. Can't complain about the 2.5" of rain over the last two weeks.
That is a cool looking base to your desert rose. My desert rose bloomed for the first this last week.
Whats a Local parade without local watermelon,fried chicken Gizzards(lovem)and good weather...men.
You got it covered.
How do you use your Okra?,I have only cared for it fried or in some sort of Tomato based stew.
I will check bact tomorrow,now I gotta go get cleaned up after fishing.
Love ya :O)
Save the seeds ...
A great evening for weather lovers here tonight- storms rumbling in slowly, specks of drizzle, all dark with bright lightning and distant thunder.
aSig- well since we only seem to get about a month of real winter here, we do get to enjoy the slow autumn. Bummer that your area changes so quickly. I don't know how I'd handle it. Would love to see your desert rose. WE've been lucky so far with ours.
Bugg- I figured ya'll would get some rain outta that low that formed off of our coast. Right now, everything seems to be moving up from the south. I still think Season™ is over for the most part.
wab- those are some watermelon seeds I got last year, from a ten cent bucket. I don't think they're heirloom, and most of the seeds are poorly developed. It's probably just a hybrid but I wanted to see if I could grow them. It's always a surprise.
Ylee- Max Mayfield was the head of the National Hurricane Center for many years, a truly respected member of the meteorological community.
The parade looks like it was a load of fun! We have a Christmas Parade the first Friday in December, and as we were walking home from dinner the other night (with niece and grandsons), I realized it was 2 short months away. Watch how fast it goes!
Our gloom finally cleared to an absolutely gorgeous day. Warm up expected tomorrow with the hottest day on Wednesday. My cantaloupe plant looks horrible. Not sure the biggest one will every completely ripen.
That watermelon looks delicious! If I lived closed, I'd invite myself over for some - I love good sweet, juicy watermelon! You rock girl!
Guess what vegetable I ate tonight for my dinner, let me give you a hint - flat Italian beans that I had frozen a while ago. Delish!
.
Real nice pictures and I hope next year you successfully harvest 6 watermelons.
Looks like your garden is thriving and producing yummy veggies and fruits. You should be proud of your "little corner of the world".
I love small town parades and celebrations and attend whenever I find an opportunity. Yet you've shown me something I've never seen before -- fried chicken gizzards!?! I've seen some folks chop them up real fine to add to stuffing or gravy. But gosh! my cats won't even eat them (raw or roasted or boiled). They're so tough. Must be a special southern secret to making them edible, cuz I know southern cooking is goo-oo-ood.
And I've never seen okra growing before. Well, I tried. In San Diego and Portland (during an unusually hot summer) and absolutely no luck at all. I think it just wasn't hot enough, because all I got were stunted little plants that never even blossomed.
Now, as to the watermelons, that's another thing entirely. Most times, when I hear someone say they don't like watermelons, it's just because they never got ahold of a Sugar Baby or other small, sweet variety. You now know the kind -- that just "pops" with sweet juice the moment a knife pierces the rind. Nothing better in this whole wide world. So, so glad the melon worms didn't mess with your watermelon. Enjoy!
Thanks for all the treats!
Thanks Ylee
I would like to know what the dinner conversation was too.
Can you be discrete yet give a hint?
I know inquiring minds and the curious cat and all,but Any hints?
The flys at the parade arent talking.
I think there is a fly on the wall union or something.
At least tell us how many gizzards were consumed,and were they nibbled or chomped down thoroughly.
Ya know there is the Chicken Wing consumption theory.
How much is left on the bone tells a lot.
But the degree of expertise cooking has a large influence on the results.
So a full culinary report is in order as well.
Wab
I got the opinion Aqua could be swayed when it comes to the Watermelon.
But it would take some more taste tests.
Sky I left a question for you; on another blog you posted on earlier,
WUMail is a fine response.
I understand.
Has anyone ever combined Okra,Tomatoes and lima beans?
Why does that sound good to me?
You had lunch with Max Mayfield??? Lucky you!!
I loved the parade photos and all your photos..
Your desert rose is beautiful. I have one also that I put in my blog from time to time, it blooms several times a year.
Now, I know you don't like watermellon...but I just cannot eat okra...and it was a staple on my dinner table growing up. All good southern people eat okra.. or suppose to...but not me.
I don't like it fried or boiled or raw...
but your watermellon looks wonderful!!!
This is my desert rose in April 2011..
Mine has a thick trunk going into the dirt at the base but not knarley really, it is pretty straight.
Mine it probably 4-5 years old now and has grown a lot. And it blooms several times a year... I really do nothing special except put it in a larger pot every 2 years..
I really do need to "clip" off the top of those two long stems about half way to the pot... in hopes it will encourage those stems to branch off several more limbs.. to make it a little fuller...
Okra freezes great. You can even cut it up & bread it first to go freezer to frying pan.
I've had that combination before. Bread & brown left over cooked meat, add some water to gravy it up, fresh limas, okra..cook it down a few, add the tomato..get that all good. Dump into a small casserole container, cover in cheese & dough mixed to make 6 biscuits. Oven on 450 about 10-12 mins. Till that biscuit top is golden brown. It's a staple here for a quick meal of leftover meat & what ever is in the garden or freezer.
Had a chance to get back to the GMO debate. I 1/2 think RickyRood sided with maybe GMO is the answer to get us to drag out all the sides. There is so much to this that hasn't even been touched on..it's hard to fit it in a single entry.
Because it's the best. I never bread my okra for frying. Juts a little olive oil and okra.
Hey spathy the eggplant fries were the best.
Lastnight I planted ~75 garlic cloves. Last year I planted 5 types. One didn't thrive. One was only good for garlic greens, the other three made it to harvest. 2 of those didn't store well & had to be eaten first. The last was a purple kind that made lots of cloves & stored well. Unfortunately I didn't make any note of what kind they were or where I grew each, except the purple was in the south garden & I figured out it's a softneck. Softnecks are better for growing in the south & last longer in storage. Not knowing what was what I lost the uneated hardnecks in storage. They looked like they had an outside chance to come back to life in damp soil so I put them in the north garden in one bunch..if anyone sprouts they can get their own pot. I kept a dozen or more SF purple for eating & planted the rest in a different spot in the south garden. The other 2 varieties came from Sow True in Asheville, NC.. You can order them online & they will mail them to you. Got the Variety Pack. Had German White (hardneck- North garden) & Organic California Early (softneck- south garden) in it.
Best time for planting garlic in Florida is Oct through mid December.
SB- I'd gladly have you over for watermelon. I give slices away to the nighbors and they start eating it at the doorstep. I think okra loves the heat here- mine are fading already. Sorry the cantalope did not do well- might wanna get some seeds from Bountiful Gardens, cause I bet with the right seeds, you'd grow them well.
Mom- my beans I froze, are still delicious re-heated, too. definitely one I'll be growing and sharing again next year. Glad you could still enjoy them!
UncleMush- the little one is the troublemaker- ain't that always how it goes? thanks for the smile!
Vort- he was quiet during the meal.
cosmic- I still have about 8 watermelons out there- but they are small. Maybe next year I'll try bigger ones.
Ally- thanks for visiting. Ahh..if only the whole world were as peaceful as the back yard...I'd keep all of you here and you could all pick flowers and have fresh produce.
YLee- about Max Mayfield and lunch...it's explained at the end of this post.
Briar- gizzards? well it's a southern thing too, they are chewy but delicious. Usually eaten w/the livers but it's a treat to eat them all alone. The watermelons I have cut, they have been popping open, without me even cutting them all the way. My neighbors re really loving me right now!
Wab- I am gonna force myself to eat some watermelon today. Just to hush ya'll up. :)
spathy- nothing left but bones, CLEAN SHINY bones, if it's a good wing. The gizzrds were cooked in an open area, black-eyed peas were homegrown. Best $5 I've spent in a long while. Max Mayfield is explained at the end of the post. And I still have many dried tomatoes in the fridge- think I'm gonna try to cook some with the okra, slowly, see how that works. But so far, all the okra's getting eaten raw, I'm stingy. But you can slice it and freeze it, we didn't bread it as a child- we froze it in newspaper plastic bags. They didn't have zip-locs back then.
aSig- your desert rose is beautiful; look at those thick, dark leaves. Our leaves are small, and light green. I love the contrast of colors in yours- it is a truly beautiful plant.
Gamma- your desert rose is beautiful too- ever thought of trying to braid those stems? I love the gnarled effect of ours- but it came that way from spathy. Yep, in the mail. Glad you enjoyed the parade- I did, too.
skye- I gotta do a lotta planting this weekend. It's the only time I have. Hope the moon will understand. And the GMO debate- how can there even BE a debate? It's so obvious what we are doing. There are states that have laws about distances between farms- since when is sequestering a good thing for plants? From what all we've done, it's no wonder the bees are giving up.
Just gonna go with lettuce and broccoli this year, I don't know....so many seeds, so little time. Grow well down there- it gives me hope.
Oh and I got garlic to plant- thanks for the reminder.
Now about Max Mayfield- look at he pic of the gizzards, ya'll. I had lunch with a PIC of Max Mayfield.
I did all the talking.
Feels like fall is finally here. Buster who despite getting body clipped, was still growing too heavy a coat for the weather..I think he was smiling this morning.
Pulled half the okra- nematodes tore up the roots. Got a few left for eating while I work in the yard.
Pulled all the watermelon, gave some away- maybe four of'm? still got a coule as little as apples, and some bigger ones in the fridge.
Sat outside in the sun on the warm grass, ate some watermelon with Dau. We are not fond of it, but it was sweet and wet, and we enjoyed the sharing. The colors are pretty, too- such a wet pink!
Unless ya'll wanna see piles of dirt, no new pic. Got more lettuce, monstreuax, raab, and broccoli in the seed trays; directly seeded carrots and radishes. Radishes are so fun- from seed to edible in about four weeks.
My Desert Rose was already "formed" to be straight stalked when I got it, it would have snapped had I tried to braid those stems they are too spread apart.
but i did wonder how the knarley ones got that way!!!
Enjoy your weekend1!!!
Happy October!
img src="
Fall Graphics
",>
Fall Graphics
HAPPY OCTOBER AQUA AND RAIN!
The gnarly fat base mainly happens with Desert Rose seedlings.
Cuttings dont get as fat.
You can expose the fat gnarly base by lifting the plant up and removing an inch or two of the soil on top.
Aquas Desert Rose had three lifts.Somewhere I have a vid of me lifting ours and exposing those sexy Desert Rose hips.
But unless I open a new blog with pictures of dirt, there's just nothing new here. The newly-transplanted lettuce babies are not even as tall as a dime.
So, the blog will probably get closed by the end of the day. I'll still be around via wu-mail...and elsewhere.
I love okra... I have an okra perlo recipe in my archives, somewhere... I'll have to dig it up and post it again for you.
Not exactly heart healthy but oh, so good! I guess you could play around with turkey bacon and turkey sausage links but I don't think it would be quite the same.
Lemme go look.
This was developed by a friend of mine, as a skillet dish to fix in hunting camps. They used the largest cast iron skillet they could find. I've modified it a bit.
Sorry, you anti-okrites, but I'm going to post this anyway!
Okra Rice (or Okra Perlow) (or Piliaf, to you cuisine snobs! LOL)
1 lb bacon, chopped to bite size pieces
1 package of brown and serve sausage (or the equivalent) chopped to bite size pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 package of frozen chopped okra, or the equivalent, fresh
2 cups raw rice
salt
pepper
Worcestershire sauce or Soy sauce or both, if you like....
Cook your rice, according to your own usual method, or the instructions on the bag.
While rice is cooking, chop your ingredients. You may want to put the okra in a colander, earlier, to thaw and drain. The anti-okrites may want to rinse it well to "de-slime" the okra. Whatever floats your boat.
It doesn't matter if the rice gets done before you can start the rest. It will all be combined and reheated.
I prefer to use a large electric frying pan, rather than a cast iron skillet. Whatever suits you best.
The friend that came up with this would dump the bacon, sausage, onion and okra all in the frying pan at once. I prefer to do them one at a time, as I found his way had too much grease, and the onion tended to burn before the meat was done.
Fry your bacon, remove and drain on paper towels, then do the sausage, remove and drain. Or do the sausage first, then the bacon.... (I'm flexible!)
Drain all but about 2 tablespoons of drippings, leaving the browned bits.
Dump your okra in the pan, and when it's about three quarters of the way, or so, done, add the onion. When the onion turns transluscent, put the bacon and sausage back in and reheat for a minute or two. Then add the cooked rice. Mix well, and season with salt, pepper, Worcestershire and/or soy, to taste.
Cover, turn it down as low as it will go, and let it steam together for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors.
Serve with biscuits/cornbread, and a salad, if you want.
It reheats well the next day in the microwave, if you have any left!
Aqua~ WU-mail may be down so don't get too scarce..
Should get a package off to you this week.
I cooked the dried tomatoes, with the okra
added one clove of homegrown garlic
a little flour to thicken
oh I am in Heaven, no animal fat needed. :)
unclemush- seven walkers, has the drummer from the Dead? yeah he knows I like that song.
The helo's are coming to evac this blog- pack your stuff cause we're shuttin' down soon.
I just want to say how happy I am for you two to kick the habit, and I hope you both have continued success for the rest of your lives.
Well Done!
Just want to say that I love you, Rain, Dau. Merry Christmas to everyone.
Love, mom
Viewing: 1 - 50
Page: 1 — Blog Index