rumblestripz

Busy Busy

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:40:00 +0000

Back from the beach. Back to work. Beach was great, coming back to a kitchen ceiling that had a leak in it wasn't so great. But it is fixed and so that means drywalling the ceiling next weekend, awesome. Started trim on the shed yesterday, a...nd it is looking great. shingles get pained the next couple of days and then they are going up. Busy Busy. Oh and I have to get to the front part of the shed hopefully right after doing the shingles. Then it is onto digging the pond, awesome.

Sorry for the delay

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:24:00 +0000

Sorry for the delay in posting I have been very very busy. Here is a great video about locally grown food. The second half has to do with roof gardens, kind of what I am going to do on top of the shed. Also check out the new shed pics here (they are at the bottom of the page), fyi there will be more very very soon.

Kicking Butt

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Wow so it has been awhile sense my last post but for good reason. As you will see below much progress has been made on the shed. I am hoping in the next couple of weeks to have it completely closed in with doors and windows. It has pretty much encompassed my entire life as of right now and will till it is done enough for me to be able to claim victory and destroy the old shed. Well enjoy the pics.

Much progress has been made

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:02:00 +0000

Sense the last post I have been able to put up the main skeleton of the shed. I have all eight post up and all the beams attached to those post. It took a lot of effort to flush mount the beams but I think it will be worth it in the end. I have already ordered and received the joists for shed. I started to put some up yesterday and made a little progress before the rain. Hopefully it will dry out over the next couple of hours and I can make a little more progress. I would love to have the joists on the bottom of the shed completed before Saturday comes but that doesn't look likely to happen. The good news is that the joists should be all done by the end of the weekend. I am also hoping to have the rafters of the shed up as well be the end of the weekend. Needless to say there is a lot to accomplish, wish me luck.

Here are the latest pics

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:50:00 +0000

So they aren't in any kind of order but check out all the pics here.

Footers are done!!!

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Okay so the footers are in the ground and rock solid at this point. I was able to get the concrete poured on Friday with the help of Pickard. Its been back filled and we should be ready for post and beams next weekend. It was a little questionable on whether it would get done but at 8:30 on Friday night I poured the last of the footers and I we beat. Big thanks to Dillon for letting me get it all done and taking care of me. I will have pics up tonight. I have a bunch of them.

Footers this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:54:00 +0000

So I think with this dry weather I might be able to actually pour some footers this weekend. I have pretty much got all the dirt moved from the first 6 footers and now am finishing the last 2. Then its time to build the footer forms and level. I am homing that the small amount of water that is in the footers now I can clear out by Friday or Saturday. My latest pump has kind of died, though I have cleaned it and we will give it another shot today. If it is dead then I will have to buy my 3rd pump for this project. I will post pics as I take them. Lots of progress could hopefully be made this weekend.

Pics

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:31:00 +0000

Here are the pics from the material in the backyard now.

It needs to stop raining

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Wow so we might actually get a week with no rain. I really wanted this to happen over the next two weeks but I am going to try and get my footers poured here on Friday if the rain can hold off. I actually got a number of supplies last Friday which is making me really excited to start making some progress. I got in 42 80lb bags of concrete, 2x10 by 20' beams, 2x10 by 10' beams, 6x6 by 10' posts, post anchors, anchor bolts, and a bunch of hardware. Now if it just holds off on raining till like the beginning of next week I might be able to get the footers in and set for building in June. I will try and get pics of the new material and the tanks up here soon.

Rain Tanks have arrived

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:36:00 +0000

So I have my first set of rain tanks finally. They where really easy to assemble and I have made my trench just about right for the width. Now I can focus on digging the trench deeper. I should have some pics up tonight. Other then that I am just waiting for the backyard to dry out and then I can get going on the footers. I have the bases in and they are going to work out great. I think I have come up with a different solution for the pond and rain tank enclosure but will have to think about it some more. I have so much geotextile (weed gaurd) that I can cover the whole yard pretty much. This is actually going to workout great because I think I will do that and then do about an inch of top soil on top of that. Then I am going to plant Creeping Bentgrass which is the grass they use on putting greens. It is shallow rooted and it does well in the shade and can be cut very short obviously. So much to do just now enough time or resources. I will have to start working a bunch of extra shifts with the Nats to make up the difference.

Progress, progress, progress

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:53:00 +0000

Wow so I had a very productive Saturday. I basically spent 5 - 6 hours in the backyard digging. I have 5 of the 8 footers now down to 36 inches, which was no small task. I will hopefully in the next couple of weeks be able to dry the footers out and get to pouring concrete though the way things are going it might be awhile with all this rain. I have the concrete, footer base, and footer form all on back order so that when it is dry I will be able to get right to work. I am still drying to decide if I want to get a cement mixer or do it by hand. All in all it is very exciting to be making good progress. I hope to have the material for the first phase of the drainage system in the next week or so. Then I can go ahead and start to get that part taken care of and show progress in that department. Well I have pictures of the footers but haven't uploaded them yet so I will get that done tonight and show those off.

I do get to it

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:35:00 +0000

So here are some pics of the back yard in all of its glory. Note the ditch is completely filled in these. I have actually pumped it completely dry. In the back are the holes that have been started for the footers for the shed and deck. If you click the pic you can see more on the progress of the back yard.

I also put up some pics from the White House Easter Egg roll, just click the pic.

Backyard is coming along

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:26:00 +0000

Well I have made some progress on the backyard over the weekend. I finally resolved my pump issue and now have something that is getting the job done. The center channel is completely drained and I think I will be able to get down the other 3 to 6 inches I need to on that. I have pumped the footers for the shed and those will probably get dug deeper tonight. I had most of the old metal shed picked up this weekend with all the garbage that came along with that. I used the footers to water the garden we planted this weekend and it worked out pretty much as I hope the new retention system will. No pics to post yet but I should have some here in the next couple of days. Ordering the first part of the retention system today I hope. Below are the concepts for the shed and retention system.

These are the kind of things that happen to people I know

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:25:00 +0000

So we where are the White House on Monday for the EER. Hill, is a girl, and was Abe. We took pedicabs from the WH to the Stadium and we all talked to the pedicab guys, we where in costume also. So Hill and the pedicab driver kind of hit it off and this ended up on Craig's List:

I picked you up today at the White House. You were the Abe Lincoln mascot for the Nationals heading back to the stadium after the Easter Egg Roll, I was a devilishly handsome pedicab driver. I asked if the outfit weighed a lot, and I almost crashed into Thomas Jefferson when you replied in a sexy girl-voice. We talked about biking in DC, apartment and job hunting, and my admiration for your Gettysburg Address. I kept peering back as we rode to try and make eye contact, but your enormous mascot head was in the way. When I dropped you off I didn't ask for your phone number, because I evidently have no testicles.

If you get this shoot me an email. We can go out for coffee, a romantic bike ride, and celebrate your 200th birthday.

Love,
The Pedicabbie

Hope everyone enjoyed that!

Shed Design

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:56:00 +0000

So I thought I would put up some of the drawings I am working on for the shed in the backyard. Enjoy!

Busy Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:30:00 +0000

So to show how busy it has been as of late I wanted to put up what my weekend consisted of. I started out Friday night going to the night club and working till the wee hours of the morning. Then I woke up on Saturday and went straight to work on the backyard and continuing to work on the drainage system I am going to be putting along with grading the yard.

Then got the menu planned for the week once Dillon got home. Once the grocery shopping was completed it was back home for getting the weeks dinner prepped. There was pasta (farfalle) to get made. Had to get meat ready for making Hot Italian Sausage and had to take the skin and start the cure for making cracklin.

That pretty much took most of the evening. The next morning I had to take the pasta dough made the night before and shape the farfalle. Then is was off to church for my one out of two visits a year. Back home after church to finish the pasta and various other cooking prep work. We meet up with Grandma Kate for dinner and after which I won yet another scrabble game. I then got home and finished off the sausage for the my boss at the Nats. I baked the cracklin but it didn't come out, I think I didn't cure it right so it wasn't dry enough when I put it in the over so it really just steamed and didn't pop like it was supposed. I got to bed at a decent hour because I had to be up pretty early. On Monday morning it was up at 7:30 to get ready to go to the White House for the Easter Egg Roll.

I would have pics up put someone else was taking the pics and I left my camera with them. Anyway we got on the Today Show with Al Roker which was pretty cool. Then we took some pedicabs from the White House to the Stadium and got a lot of great feed back from folks on the street. At the stadium I helped with setup work for openning day. I also got to do the Player Fan Interview which was fun, even though I had done it before. Then I just enjoyed the game doing little things here and there but mostly enjoying the day at the park. Oh did I mention that I also spend the weekend taking care of chickens, yup just a typical weekend. So if you got me beat let me know.

Chorizo, its not easy

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:03:00 +0000

So I made some more chorizo the other day and let me just tell you it isn't as easy at you would think to duplicate the flavor. Anyway it will get there sooner or later. Worked on the back yard a little this weekend and made some really good progress. I was on the phone with zoning at one point also and they pretty much make me regret ever moving some times. I will just have to get creative and push the limits of what is allowed. So I will put some pics of the backyard up this weekend to show off the progress. Let me know if you are down for some shed building fun. The more people the quicker it will go up.

Best Hot Italian Yet

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:58:00 +0000

Wow so last night I made some pretty amazing Hot Italian Pork Sausage. The two testers I used both gave it the thumbs up. I actually made the recipe up, I basically looked over a number of different books and then kind of took what I thought would be good and averaged a number of quantities and sure enough the best batch yet. I am hoping to try it out on some homemade pizza here on Thursday. It should be pretty spot on because I have found out a little more about making a better pizza dough over the last couple attempts. Well if you want to sample some of the results just shoot me a line.

Gai Pad Krapow

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:05:00 +0000

I saw this recipe and just wanted to share it. I will let you all know how it goes.

Gai Pad Krapow

- serves 2 -

Ideally, this dish should be made with holy basil, which is not to be confused with sweet basil or even the purple-stemmed Thai basil. You'll know it by its scalloped edges and clove-like aroma, but you may have a hard time tracking it down. Regular sweet basil tastes just as good in this dish, if not quite so "authentic."

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Chilis, finely chopped (use 2-3 serrano peppers for a very mild heat; 2-3 bird's eye chilis for a medium heat)
1 large shallot, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed, chopped in 1¼-inch lengths
1/2 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 bunch basil, leaves only

To serve:
Boiled rice
Fried eggs, 1 per person (optional)
Nam pla prik (recipe follows) or fresh lime wedges

Procedure

1. Heat the oil over high heat in a wok or large frying pan. When you can see waves forming in the hot oil, add the chilis, shallots, and garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 30 seconds.

2. Add the green beans and stir-fry until cooked but still crunchy, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add the ground chicken, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat into small pieces. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through.

4. Add the fish sauce and sugar to the pan, and stir to distribute. Taste, and add more fish sauce or sugar if desired.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the basil leaves and stir-fry until completely wilted. Remove from heat.

6. Serve with boiled rice, fried egg (optional), and nam pla prik or lime wedges.

Work Work Work

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:48:00 +0000

Wow so I have been very very busy as of late with work and just the repetitive motions of life. The good news is I have been using our dinners at of late to practice things like make stock. I have really gotten good at making white chicken stock and will at some point have to try brown stock. I will also have to try to start working on sauces from the stocks which is its own challenge. As for the meat well I had gotten such a huge pile of reserves that I had to work my way through that to be able to justify the making of more. I will also have to buy a big more casing I think for the next batch. I guess in personal news I had to have my wisdom teeth out last week which kind of has blown it for last week and this week. Hopefully I will be right as rain next week and back on to anything but work.

Iphone

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:09:00 +0000

So I wanted to test out posting from my new phone. Looks like it worked.

Cheeze

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:37:00 +0000

So I have been thinking about making cheeze for awhile now. I really want to make mozzarella but this will do, enjoy. Yes its CHEEZE.

Jello and liqueur

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:14:00 +0000

So the Kitchn had some very interest articles on it today. One is in reference to Jello well really gelatin which is good because I was wondering about it for a strawberry mousse I have been trying to make for a while now. I actually use strawberries and turn them into a syrup. The syrup is always to liquid so I have been trying to use gelatin to get it firm so that when I fold it into the whipped cream or meringue that it won't add to much liquid to that. Well the article covers amount of gelatin per amount of liquid so that was very helpful. The second article is all about liqueurs and fruit and the art of mixing them to make something even better. Just something I have been interested in.

Linking Technique

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:27:00 +0000

I posted about this the other day. I wanted to put up my pics of the Brats I did this weekend and also show the new linking technique I was working on.

Brats

noreply@blogger.com (TCH) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:45:00 +0000

So I did about 6 lbs of Brats last night that came out pretty well. They had a little more ginger then I would like but Dillon was a big fan. The last time I made Brats it didn't go so well because of to much salt. This time though it was the right amount and other then the ginger which wasn't bad just more then I like it turned out pretty well. I will have to investigate some additional ingredients for the Brats. The recipe I used basically adds cream and egg before you stuff the sausage which I think makes it really smooth. It is still missing something though so I will have to start a log on the Brats to figure out what to alter for the perfect Brat. Pickard has suggested we need to make jalapeno and cheddar Brats but that will be a little down the road, first we have to get or base recipe down. I took pics of this new linking technique I have learned and it is actually working out pretty well. I will put those up tonight fall all to enjoy. In total to make 6 lbs of Brats it took me about 2 to 2.5 hours of work. That is a little misleading because I actually spent a lot of time cleaning up after myself so as to not have a huge mess in the end. The actual break down of time spent on work was like 10 min to butchering, 5 min grinding, 5 min mixing, 10 min stuffing so you can see I spent a lot of time cleaning. The actual amount of time to do 15 lbs or 30 lbs wouldn't be to much different from the 6 lbs so that is a good thing. Like I said I will try and have pics up tonight from the Brats.