tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post7261464569997272302..comments2024-03-21T05:30:03.220-04:00Comments on Science teacher: Stalking the Bloomfield dandeliondoylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-76257528794639510522009-03-11T17:16:00.000-04:002009-03-11T17:16:00.000-04:00Dear Monkey Wrangler,I am thrilled to see your wor...Dear Monkey Wrangler,<BR/><BR/>I am <I>thrilled</I> to see your words here--this country would be a whole lot better off if you taught biology.<BR/><BR/>Yesterday Obama's comments on education depressed the snot out of me--either he made a deal with a few folks in the business world, and he realizes what he says is not true (but he's being expedient), or he truly believes it.<BR/><BR/>Then you pop in talking of purslane and yeasts and beer and onion and blueberries, and, well, my whole day improved.<BR/><BR/>America is not about Washington. It's about our backyards.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the reminder.doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-17380045655952621832009-03-11T13:25:00.000-04:002009-03-11T13:25:00.000-04:00Hey Doyle, this is awesome! I just tasted purslan...Hey Doyle, this is awesome! I just tasted purslane and wild onion in the last year and plan to again when possible. Ooooh yeah, blueberry and huckleberry too. But dandelions are a bit too bitter for eating raw for me, although.......ten days ago I went and harvested about 1/2 pound from my neighbors yard and boiled 'em with some ginger, molasses and tangerine, then added sugar and poured it over the last dregs of wild beer I had around to get it going. I can't wait to bottle it. I think I'm gonna like having wild greens this way.Monkey Wranglerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15108118712307836658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-48545277916578503662009-03-08T13:39:00.000-04:002009-03-08T13:39:00.000-04:00Dear Kate,Hokey smokes, I forgot about the peas! T...Dear Kate,<BR/><BR/>Hokey smokes, I forgot about the peas! This morning I was going through a checklist--the lettuce has been planted, start the peppers inside in a week or so--but I kept thinking I was forgetting something.<BR/><BR/>Snow peas!!!!<BR/><BR/>I'll put some in the ground today--thanks for the reminder!doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-86847700624475479322009-03-08T13:28:00.000-04:002009-03-08T13:28:00.000-04:00Finally warming up here in Illinois. I will be ab...Finally warming up here in Illinois. I will be able to get the sugar snap peas in this week. It's rained and rained over the past 24 hours so things should start to warm up. The bulbs are still hiding, it has been so cold.<BR/><BR/>I have purslane aplenty in the garden. Haven't summoned the urge to eat it though as it also ends up in the compost. Maybe this year. We are expanding the garden to add two more raised beds so we can plant more greens. One of my students this week referred to the warm up outside as "pre-summer." Yep, we teach 'em good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-37015946385524559862009-03-07T16:34:00.000-05:002009-03-07T16:34:00.000-05:00Dear Charlie,I thought about it, but it's more sug...Dear Charlie,<BR/><BR/>I thought about it, but it's more sugar wine than anything else--unless you have a sekrit recipe that's mostly dandelions.doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-41095695878278346642009-03-07T14:19:00.000-05:002009-03-07T14:19:00.000-05:00Ever take a shot at making some dandelion wine? M...Ever take a shot at making some dandelion wine? My grandmother still has bottles in her basement from the prohibition era.Charlie Royhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09335346223868916197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-52403419339272779442009-03-06T18:22:00.000-05:002009-03-06T18:22:00.000-05:00Dear John,Bovine breast milk is a fine piece of al...Dear John,<BR/><BR/>Bovine breast milk is a fine piece of alliteration, and one I'll likely inadvertently use it in the next decade or two, should I live that long.<BR/><BR/>As far as gardening, think Nike--just do it. Throw some dill seeds in it, or basil. You cannot go wrong.<BR/><BR/>Growing your own food, even tiny amounts, changes your life, or rather makes you aware of the life we truly live as opposed to the nonsense spouted by those who died long ago--they still breathe, so technically they're alive, but still....<BR/><BR/>(I can send you some seeds if you want.)<BR/><BR/>Dear Jeremy,<BR/><BR/>The strange looks from folks is part of the fun. If time is an issue, just chunk some dill or radish seeds in the ground, and forget about them. Better yet, throw some strawberry plants in a good spot--you never have to do anything once they get started except eat them. Potatoes are another plant and forget veggie. Or squash.<BR/><BR/>The perfect is the enemy of the good--a package of pumpkin seeds cost two bucks. Throw them in the ground and don't look back. If they grow, great! If not, well, two bucks is the cost of a lottery ticket.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Dear Kathryn,<BR/><BR/>First off, I really enjoyed your blog--don't know how I missed it before, but I'm going to follow it now. Great stuff!<BR/><BR/>I was a career changer as well--teaching is tough, but the returns are fantastic. The first couple of years will leave you as sleep deprived as having twin infants in your home, but it does get better.<BR/><BR/>March 6, 2009 6:19 PM<BR/>Deletedoylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-81871194332608029352009-03-05T23:06:00.000-05:002009-03-05T23:06:00.000-05:00I'm a bit further north so the glacier is still re...I'm a bit further north so the glacier is still receding but this post made me realize that spring is coming. I also graze on some of these plants. I am now longing for purslane taboulleh and purslane raita; others dread it as a weed, I crave it as a food.<BR/><BR/>I am a career changer student teaching right now. Thanks for the great blog - beer, milk, oysters, science, education and everything else!Kathryn Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16757414380685368592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-62237864972036411402009-03-05T21:40:00.000-05:002009-03-05T21:40:00.000-05:00Never tried a dandelion before. We do have some c...Never tried a dandelion before. We do have some coming up here, although I might catch some strange looks if I start chewing on one. <BR/><BR/>As far as growing my own food, it's not for a lack of space, but a lack of time. It's always fun to eat things you've grown yourself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956989639073843954.post-9727579001785429602009-03-05T21:12:00.000-05:002009-03-05T21:12:00.000-05:00This makes me want to start gardening. Seriously,...This makes me want to start gardening. Seriously, we have a huge planter and I've always wanted to do it. . . Perhaps after I enjoy a tall glass of bovine breast milk. (I'm not sure if this is entirely accurate, but I have an affinity for alliteration)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10956056168256756705noreply@blogger.com