Thursday, May 08, 2008

Rhubarb Sorbet

If you've been reading this blog for long, you'll know I tend to feel like I have to follow difficult and ugly topics with some sort of pallet cleanser. This be one of those.

Isn't rhubarb neat:

Not as neat as it will be once it's future place in a strawberry rhubarb pie is realized, of course, but look at that structure.

Speaking of which, we have a mystery that perhaps gay Mormon men would be best qualified to solve. Here's our garden:

We've already planted and so maybe it's too late. Nevertheless, last year, everything outside of the planter boxes did great, from the strawberries to the grapes (the pumpkins, not so much, but that was due to Allan's "help" weeding the garden). Everything in the planters, though, did terribly. We got hollow radishes (hollow!), the tomatoes produced next to nothing and what was produced was bland, and the carrots were tiny. The soil (top soil, unlike the sandy stuff outside the boxes) was put in two years ago and fertilized by cattle. Is it possible that we fertilized it too much? And if so, how would we correct that next year, if the same happens?

Another problem: after last Tuesday's TV, there's begun an ugly rift in our home. I'm not sure how, but we've, for the first time, got pulled into American Idol. Mia Culpa, may Thom York forgive me. And, yes, I know it's wrong, yet I still watch. I know it's wrong because that evil show has split our family apart, with Rob and Brian firmly in the David A. camp, and Allan and I in the David C. camp. I'll not confront Rob; he makes our dinner. Instead, Allan and I are working on Brian, but he won't see past the fact that we are remotely related to David A. David C. is just so much more creative and, let's face it, cool.

Yeah, I said it. Bring it on.

Anyway, uh... Hey, my hand is getting much better:

I'm not sure how happy I'll be with it. The doctor (pre-surgery) told me that I should experience immediate relief, as "95% of his patients" have. It is better now, the numbness is gone, but it still gets annoyingly uncomfortable at long use and it was not near "immediate relief". The doctor (post-surgery) now tells me that I should expect to wait 9 months to get the full benefit. Pff, doctors...

13 comments:

Kengo Biddles said...

FWIW, the doctor told Miki 18 months...

Daniel (Old Account) said...

I must confess to having a secret crush on David A. I mean come on, he's adorable--such talent for someone so young! He won me over way back with his rendition of Imagine. David C. lost my vote with his butchery of The Music of the Night. He should never have picked that song.

Craig said...

I didn't think his music of the night rendition was too terrible. I'm just glad that hippie got voted off last night. He SUCKED!

Also, David C.'s voice is a little too raspy for me. With rock songs that's fine, but for other stuff, it distracts. And David A. is a cute little flamer - if a bit young.

And Rhubarb is one of my most favourite vegetables masquerading as a fruit (cause it's sweet-ish).

Also, are your planter boxes filled just with top soil and fertiliser? It may help to mix some regular dirt in there with them. It could be that there is too much fertiliser/too many nutrients in the soil and that can be toxic to plants.

Also, they may hate you.

Java said...

The only think I know about American Idol is what I read on the blogs. I know lots of people's opinions about the contstants, but have none of my own. I like it that way.

I've never seen a rhubarb in that form. I've only seen them in small pieces with strawberries beside them. What an interesting fruit/veggie.

Is it enough that the garden looks beautiful? Because it does. As for actually growing things in it, I dunno.

da Marmo said...

Ah Rhubarb pie. Definitely an acquired taste for me. As are many of foods I now enjoy but couldn't stand as a kid.

Molly Sue said...

American Idol....I can't watch. I get to grouchy at bad singers and overly judgemental jackasses...oops, did I say that?

As for the planter boxes, there I can help you. If your raddishes are hollow that would indicate that you are using too much fertilizer and probably the wrong kind. Miracle Grow...bad. I would gently remove what you've planted and ammend the boxes with mixture of peat moss and "Dr. Earth" and be easy on the overhead watering. My biggest problem with this method, what to do with ALL the freakin tomatoes at the end of the summer.

yay gardening!! I love gardening!

Craig said...

The best kind of fertiliser (I think) is peat moss from Canada.

And molly sue, that's not a problem at all.

Can them, make salsa to can, you can even take green ones and make mincemeat pie filling, fried green tomatoes, etc. Making pasta sauce with home-grown canned tomatoes is so much better than store-bought tomatoes.

I just really love tomatoes.

Scot said...

Kengo:"FWIW, the doctor told Miki 18 months..."

I'll ignore that...

But okay, Peter, you want a piece of me? !

I'll grant you that there's no denying that David A has a good voice, maybe the best there, I also liked his take on Imagine, and, sure, he is as cute as a homeless puppy, sneezing (maybe in a field of wild flowers, or something), but that's also a bit of the problem for me. None of the bands of which I'm a fan could really be said to be cute or have master vocalists; to me, to be an appealing artist you have to foremost be creative and provocative. And maybe David A will take on those qualities, once out of American Idol and from under, what seems to be, some oppressive control. Also granted, David C probably isn't going to write music I'd buy either; he is though the most front-man-esk of all those on American Idol.

Eh, but I know I'm not going to convince another on such a controversial, heated topic. I can't even convince my son. Yesterday he had his grandma take him to see David A and just before we left for the Jefferson Jackson Dinner last night I found where Brian had written "David Archeleda" on my white board with a heart in between "David" and "Archeleda." [sigh] At least Alan agrees.

Craig:"I'm just glad that hippie got voted off last night. "

Amen.

"Also, they may hate you."

No way, I am, technically, a fruit.

Java "Is it enough that the garden looks beautiful? Because it does."

Ah thank you. It's half the battle.

Da "Ah Rhubarb pie. Definitely an acquired taste for me. "

To me, it must be strawberry rhubarb pie. As far as I know that's the only thing for which rhubarb is useful, but, in that capacity, it's more than worth growing.

Molly "with mixture of peat moss and "Dr. Earth" and be easy on the overhead watering. My biggest problem with this method, what to do with ALL the freakin tomatoes at the end of the summer."

Okay, I talked to Rod and he did try the peat moss this year, but we'll have to look for the Dr. Earth. And I agree with Craig; I'll eat your tomatoes... sun warmed, off the vine, just a little green... with a pinch of salt. mmmmm...

Craig "peat moss from Canada."

Whatever, Canada fanboy.

Craig said...

Okay, I talked to Rod and he did try the peat moss this year...

I thought it was Rob.

Or is there someone else...?

Scot said...

How can I be expected to remember the names of all the men in my life?

Craig said...

How can I be expected to remember the names of all the men in my life?

...indeed...

Anonymous said...

I grew up eating something my mom called "rhubarb crunch," which was an oatmeal-based cobbler with sweetened rhubarb filling. Delicious! I've only had strawberry-rhubarb pie once, but it was an abomination. Of course, this was at Village Inn, so maybe I should not be surprised?

Craig said...

No, you shouldn't.