One indoor project, One garden project March 13, 2009

A couple weeks ago Matt and I finally got around to using the Howard Restore a finish that I’d bought a while back.   One of my coworkers had told me about it when I mentioned that we were looking at refinishing our kitchen cabinets and I really didn’t want to.  The cabinets are ok, but they’re oak so they’d gotten dinged up and a little scratched and water faded.  I was kind of sceptical that the restore-a-finish could do much by just being rubbed in. 

 I was so wrong:)!  It worked incredibly well and didn’t take long at all.  You need the finish stuff, rags or tee shirt pieces, super fine steal wool is helpful, gloves, and some paper towels.  I also laid down newspaper so we didn’t get it on the wood floor.  

Basically you pick the shade that matches closest to your finish, scrub down the cabinets so your not finishing in dirt.   Lay out the newspaper if you’re using it.  And I’d recommend testing it on the back side of a cupboard or somewhere else it wont show.  If you like it, put on gloves and use the rag to rub it into the finish.  The steel wool is helpful to buff out deeper scratches but be gentle with it.  Rub the cabinet then use the paper towels to wipe off any extra residue.  That’s it!  We did the whole (admittedly not huge) kitchen in one day.

 

Garden project.  I really wanted to build raised beds and do everything just so in our side yard this year.  Unfortunately, the economy and fate have decided that we’re going to be broke and struggling for awhile.  I’m still hoping to build some of them but I’ve needed to find some other plans.

A bunch of the areas that I was planing on putting in beds are nothing but weeds right now.  First thing I have to deal with is those weeds, and do it before they take over.  So my current experiment is to use the buckwheat to improve the soil and to out compete the weeds. 

So here’s the plan that I started on yesterday.  In the sections that are weedy and I know I’ll put in  raised beds, I’m turning the weeds over.  Basically shovel them and the dirt up and turn it over to kill the weeds with darkness and any that do turn around should be weakened.  Then in the next few days I’m going to thickly sow the area with buckwheat.  Buckwheat sprouts and grows incredibly quickly, so works really well in out competing weeds.  Most of the buckwheat I’ll till into the ground to improve the structure and add organic material.  In a couple of patches I’ll most likely let it go to seed and collect it for next year.

Gods it feels good to be in the garden again.! even if the only thing growing so far is the weeds:)

White chili March 5, 2009

I absolutely adore white chili!  Perfect recipe for a cold snowy day in March and it doesn’t take a lot of work to make.  Here’s the recipe, amounts fed 4 of us last night and Matt and I will have it for dinner tonight as well.

1lb ground turkey breast

1 onion chopped

2cans white beans- white navy or white kidney

2 small cans of diced jalapenos- you can adjust this to your hearts content.  Or use fresh ones but it wont be as spicy.

2 cubes of chicken bullion

1 large tub of sour cream

1 large bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Brown up the turkey (I like to get it really brown) in a stock pot.  Add onions and saute until tender.  Add in the chicken bullion, both cans of white beans (don’t drain), and the peppers.  Turn stove down and simmer till most of the liquid is gone.  Stir in sour cream and chopped cilantro.  Heat it back up but don’t let it boil again.

To make the veggitarian version, leave out turkey, saute oinons, add about half mash the white beans.  Other than that, you follow the same recipe.

 

This is killer good, takes maybe 30 to 45 minutes and is perfect with cornbread and honey or french bread.