UPDATE: Dunkin' Donuts Mystery Lid Design

It's been several years since the last Dunkin' Donuts Mystery Lid post and I feel the need to look into this mysterious Dunkin' Donuts lid once again.

I have just one question that drives me NUTS about these lids: WHY???? Why is there such a need to overdesign such a simple, utilitarian object, the lid of a to-go cup?

Since I have lots of time to kill, I visited the Dunkin Donuts website and looked around to find some information that would satisfy my curiosity. First of all, I was wondering if they use the same lid for tea and other hot drinks of theirs. For this reason, I visited several popular places in Orange County, NY, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy airport where hot products, coffee, tea, etc., are sold.

At JFK, every kiosk had the same type of lid for both coffee and tea. Specifically, I visited one of the many kiosks at JFK's Delta terminal 2. Here they offer hot coffee and tea, cold drinks, and donuts.

On the left side of the kiosk, you can find the hot drink cups and lids.

Here is a top view of the lid. It is exactly the same one as all the other lids I've seen around NY state.

Enrich Your Mulch Pile by Adding Used Coffee Grounds

I've written several posts about my mulch piles (ref 1, ref 2, ref 3) and you probably already know that I'm really serious about mulching.

During the latter part of 2018 and beginning of 2019, I was going to a local bagel shop. They were saving their used coffee grounds for me. I would go there on Monday to drop off a 9" x 9" aluminum pan and on Thursday I would pick it up full of used coffee grounds. I would add that to my mulch piles and then mix it in a little with the existing material. Every three weeks or so I would pull the contents of the whole mulch pile out, mix it and shovel it back in again. But the amount of used coffee grounds was too little, I wanted more coffee grounds.

Used coffee grounds contain nitrogen as well as some potassium and phosphorus, plus other micronutrients. Adding them to your mulch pile is a good thing. I do NOT add, used or not, coffee grounds directly to the soil.

One sunny spring morning, I went to a Starbucks on Route 300 in Newburgh, NY, to talk to them about their used coffee grounds. I must say, I thought they would laugh at me, but I was wrong. After talking with the manager I found out that the store is very happy to save and give their used coffee grounds to local gardeners. The manager asked me to come back after a week or so because they already have someone who they give their grounds to. Sweet!

As a backup, I drove to my favorite supermarket, Adams Fairacre Farms in Newburgh, to ask them about their used coffee grounds. I knew they had a self-serve area where they sell a variety of coffees and teas. I never paid attention to that area because I am not a coffee drinker. I spoke with the manager and she stated that she would be very happy to give me their used coffee grounds. YES!!!

Well, I got a call a day and a half later from them and they told me that they had a batch ready for me. To start with, let me apologize to all cars and street-crossing people who I almost had an accident with. I drove there like a bat out of hell, parked the car and quickly walked to the coffee area and announced myself. The person working there asked me to get a shopping cart. Well that was a good sign, but I was not sure why. THEY HAD TWO (2) FIVE-GALLON, FOOD GRADE BUCKETS FULL OF USED COFFEE GROUNDS FOR ME! The funny part was that they apologized to me because they had a third bucket, but an employee mistakenly threw it out.

The point that I am trying to make in this post is that home gardeners can go to their local:

• diner/restaurant;
• coffee shop;
• deli;
• Starbucks;
• supermarket;
• bagel shop,

and any other place where they serve coffee and talk to them about getting their used coffee grounds. They will be delighted to share them with you. If you don't take their used coffee grounds, well, they will end up in a garbage can, and that will be a terrible thing.

Keep on drinking coffee!

Shopping for Coco Coir

On Wednesday, March 13, 2019, I went to Adams Fairacre Farms in Newburgh, NY to buy Coco Coir, a natural fiber extracted from the husk of coconuts. Coir is a great substitute for peat moss and peat because it is a renewable resource widely available and environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, gardeners choose to use such products as: perlite (ref 1, ref 2) and vermiculite (ref 1, ref 2) on a regular basis in order to aerate and keep their soil moist. I am determined to use only organic products from renewable resources and I refuse to use either perlite or vermiculite. When I read that you need to be cautious when handling perlite because breathing its dust can hurt you, and also that up to 1990 in Libby, Montana, they mined perlite that was contaminated with asbestos, I stay away from these products.

Soon, I will be receiving several fig cuttings and I am preparing myself for their arrival. There will be several separate posts on this project.

Here is the Coco "brick" I bought at Adams. It is compressed and it will expand almost tripling its volume when moistened.

As I was looking around the gardening products, guess what I saw!!!!!! They had Chicago fig trees. This fig tree may is a very hardy tree that will do very well in our zone 5b.

I had to act fast and immediately grabbed one package, after all, you never know how many customers can swarm this area even though they had about 20 trees. There is the tree, in my shopping cart, looking proud and happy it just got adopted by a loving family.

Happy plantings!

The Brussels Sprouts are Sprouting!

YES! Less than a week ago I set up a small station indoors and planted a few seeds and today, BAM, several Brussels Sprouts seeds have sprouted!! How 'bout them sprouts! I feel giddy with delight and I find it very hard to contain myself.

Here is an extreme close up of one of the cells.

The general location is in the upper right corner of the tray.

In the upper right corner there are three, that's right, count them, three cells that have sprouted.

Happy sprouting!

Greek Prasorizo - Leek and Rice

This was my dad's most favorite dish and my mom would make it very often for him. The recipe is very simple and easy to follow. Because leeks are grown in sandy soil, the most difficult part is washing the leeks.

The ingredients are few and can scale easily.

• One cup of rice.
• Two leeks, cut lengthwise and then cut roughly.
• One large diced onion.
• Two cups of vegetable broth.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

In this recipe I make a quick vegetable stock and use it instead of using water to make the rice. The vegetable stock adds a new dimension to this dish. Please stay away from store-bought stocks.

I made a nice YouTube video of the whole process and I think you'll enjoy it. 

This is such a wonderful dish that can be eaten as a meal or as a nice side dish.

Enjoy!

Making a Small Batch of Sauerkraut

A few days ago I made a small batch of sauerkraut. I had made a much larger batch of sauerkraut recently, but it was so good that I ate all of it. The next batch will be with red cabbage. Yum!

Sauerkraut fermentation creates conditions that promote the growth of beneficial probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your digestive system.

By the way, on Route 52 in Orange County, NY, there is a small strip of stores and one of them is called SourKrauts Automotive. I have to go there and mingle with them because I really think they are a bunch of angry Germans or some sort of sauerkraut aficionados who love cars. Once I visit them I will edit this post with the findings.

For this recipe, I used one medium head of white cabbage and one tablespoon of salt. I made a YouTube video of the whole process.

Happy fermenting...

Yesterday I Started Seeds Indoors

In the summer of 2018, I started to garden for the first time. I built one raised bed and planted a variety of vegetables. At the same time, I bought eight 5-US Gallon buckets from Lowe's to plant potatoes in. The planting and growing of the vegetables and potatoes was a huge success! Unfortunately, we had a rainy summer and aside from two green bell peppers, seven puny tomatoes, and about a dozen potatoes, the garden was a lot of fun.

I've been educating myself in the various aspects of gardening and I felt I was ready to tackle a larger project than just one raised bed.

I added three additional raised beds using pallets, and one potato tower for the 2019 season and I cannot be any happier. I see gardening as a journey, an ongoing experience and not just planting for yielding high amounts of crops.

For the spring of 2019, I bought my seeds from:

• Johnny's Selected Seeds, 
• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds,
• FEDCO

I chose three different varieties of tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and a variety of herbs. I also bought asparagus seeds and I am very excited about this particular vegetable because Ruth Stout wrote extensively about her methods of growing asparagus in Connecticut.

Here is my finished asparagus bed that I prepared in September of 2018 with a heavy layer of hay and straw.

During the late fall of 2018, I added a few inches (five 5-gallon buckets) of chopped leaves that my good neighbor Scott. gave me.

I also had to buy a few other items to accelerate the germination of seeds: a two-bulb shop light from LOWE'S in Newburgh, NY, two LED bulbs, two fifty-cell potting trays, and a six pack of Corona.

I created a short YouTube video with the finished product.

Happy growing veggies!

Greek Lemon Chicken with Potatoes in the Oven - Κοτόπουλο του φούρνου με πατάτες και λεμόνι

Recently I posted a YouTube video demonstrating a traditional Greek/Hellenic recipe, Κοτόπουλο του φούρνου με πατάτες και λεμόνι, which translates to Baked Chicken with potatoes and lemon.

In this dish I use a "secret" ingredient that makes it smell yummy and taste delicious. Our family would visit Greece during the summer months and we would have lunch at Berry Trees, Μουριές, a darling little taverna nestled in Hania (village), Evia (region). I found a Facebook post on the page Avlonari, such a lovely place and I copied the following picture that shows the outdoor seating area of this taverna.

They have indoor and outdoor seating available, but it's just great having lunch under the canopy of a blackberry tree. There, I spoke with the mom of the owner and she told me that she smears mustard on the potatoes and chicken. The mustard gives this dish a delicate flavor and I've been using it in this recipe ever since with success.

Keep eating!

Saddle Brook Farm Animal Rescue

After reading a Hudson Valley Craigslist post about getting free horse manure from Saddle Brook Farm Animal Rescue, I made arrangements for a visit.

If you don't know anything about Craigslist then you better watch this YouTube video documentary that explains everything about it. In essence, Craigslist is the poor man's version of ebay. ebay is structured, polished website for sellers and buyers whereas craigslist is a barebones website for people to sell and buy just about anything. I go to Craiglist once a week and I look around for garden-type of materials that are of interest to me.

Saddle Brook Farm Animal Rescue is a riding facility located in Walden, New York. They offer riding lessons for children and adults. Also, they welcome people traveling with horses providing stalls for their horses, a round pen to stretch their legs, and miles of trails to ride on. How cool is that!

As soon I arrived at the farm I was warmly welcomed by Opel a beautiful white dog. I'm not sure about the breed, but I am absolutely sure about the fact that this dog was not a watchdog. 

I created a YouTube video about my visit there:

At the farm I saw chickens, roosters, goats, a lama or two, horses, dogs, and cats too.

I do want to thank Saddle Brook Farm Animal Rescue for allowing me to get manure for my garden.

Goodbye Ol' Buddy, Ol' Pal!

Watch the complete YouTube video here.

In October 2018 we were forced to fell our majestic, 100 year old pin oak tree. For the past 34 years this tree had provided shade for us and a home for birds and squirrels.

In May 2018 a tornado-like storm hit the village of Walden and many trees were toppled by the storm or were subsequently cut down by the homeowners. Our pin oak was uprooted slightly and we were very uncomfortable with that. Ach!

Throughout the summer of 2018 we invited several companies for estimates but only Flanagan Tree Service LLC qualified for the job. I must say they were well prepared for this job and they had the right equipment to get the job done correctly and quickly.

It took the Flanagan crew three hours to complete the job. Bravo to the crew and management!

Now, we have just a few woodchips left and two six foot pieces that we will make into tables for the house in the future.

Find a comprehensive video of the whole operation at my YouTube channel.

RIP pin oak. You served us very well and we miss you.

Crap Guy Fieri Says

Watching Diners Drive-Ins and Dives, DDD, starring Guy Fieri, is a real treat not only because it is an entertaining show, but also because of what he says at every show.

I've been watching DDD for years and I've always enjoyed Fieri's showmanship. At some point I started to write down some of the catch phrases that he blurts out as he eats something on his show. I must say the word flavortown and phrases and that's all she wrote and winner winner chicken dinner must be his favorite ones.

Feel free to comment below and add to these phrases.

Without further ado, here are a few of his favorite frases.

• My sista from another mista
• This is a big deal for me.
• Too Legit to Quit.
• The dictionary definition of comfort food.
• The road construction signs on my heart.
• I've seen ridiculous in the burger world...
• This might have to been a contender. 
• It's got good tooth to it, good texture, good fat.
• It you have to go with a big burger, put mac-and-cheese on it is pretty gangsta.
• Some righteous pastrami on the East coast.
• ...and the locals are diggin' the new owners.
• it's monster!
• The anticipation is killing me!
• That's a ridiculous amount of <food name here>.
• That's one of the best <food name here> I've had!
• Look at this monstrosity!
• Dude, you have license on that!
• You know what? That's crazy!
• The sauce is dynamite.
• That smells dynamite!
• The glaze is dynamite.
• This dude has been knocking it out of the park...
• People must think, you guys are just crazy!
• I'm just a junkie for it.
• He's bringing a spatula out of retirement for me.
• That's off the hook, man!
• Feeds like a family of six.
• Kids must go bananas!
• That one, right there, might be going to the Fiery house!
• Eatin' some killer stromboli.
• Look at the mad skills on that guy.
• ...not super complicated, not overly processed...
• Nice job, brother.
• My sista from another mista.
• ...and that how we roll.
• Fantastic dismound, the crowd goes crazy...
• Enormous flavor!
• This is old school!
• I can't handle this!
• The pork belly turns into meat mayonnaise.
• It's like a brontosaurus burger.
• Ladies and gentlemen you are stepping into the ridiculous zone.
• It's a monster of an oyster.
• The guy is bananas!
• You need a napping center.
• ...and you are good to go!
• That should be illegal!
• Smells like Willy Wonka licorice town.
• Melt in your mouth tender.
• It's got good spice!
• It's like a canoe of pork.
• Look at that. Nice crust!
• The potatoes are cut into shoestrings.
• A little kiss from the cinnamon/nutmeg.
• ...and that's all she wrote!
• ...rockin' real deal vegetarian.
• This is the epicenter of real barbecue.
• Mmm, this <name of food> is the real deal.
• The heat is not too over the top.
• Outrageous texture.
• That is big flavor!
• The barbecue sauce is legit legit.
• That's legit right there.
• I think it'a about as legit as they come.
• That looks like a manhole cover in flavortown!
• Does Paul Bunyan work here?
• They've got a burger the size of a manhole cover!
• I don't know if I want to eat it or climb it.
• There is more lobster in this than the last dinner I had.
• I feel like I'm in lasagna surgery here at flavortown memorial.
• That is gangsta lasagna!
• The pork falls apart, a little bit of heat, old school, real deal.
• The sauce is out-a-bounds!
• ...you wanna meet me at this 45-year-old Italian joint where they're rocking it out ol' school?
• I love that noise, I tried to get it as a ringtone.
• It's an old school sauce, right upfront.
• Look at the festival of funk.
• So much salami call my mommy.
• Wow! You can serve this on my flip flop, it tastes good.
• Dude, you better be delivering.
• That roast beef is capital T tender!
• I like where you're going with this so far.
• I can eat that everyday.
• Out of the 50 that I've had, this is in the top 5%.
• I would like to have a birthday cake made of that.
• You are a dangerous, dangerous man!
• I've been stricken by chicken.

Happy trails to you, flavortown!

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow

It's 1:22pm, February 12, 2019, and in Orange County, NY, it's been snowing for several hours already. I'm indoors trying to concentrate and come up with a strategy on starting seeds indoors. Looks like I will have to bite the bullet and get two fluorescent lights for the seed project to be successful. You see, the seeds will not germinate unless they get lots of light and heat from the lamps.

Minimally, by the end of February I will need to start my asparagus seeds indoors, if I want to harvest a few spears next year. As it turns out, asparagus will grow year after year, but it takes at least two years for it to establish itself.

Who am I kidding here? I have spring fever and I'm daydreaming about my garden.

This is the view from inside the house.

Keep dreaming!

Great Vegan Lunch!

YES! A healthy and very filling lunch.

Ingredients 

• One wrap,
• some delicious hummus purchased from All Things Delicious in Pine Bush, NY,
• a spoonful of ShopRite tapenade,
• two sliced dried figs,
• a few leaves of Romaine lettuce, also known as Kos (a Hellenic/Greek island) lettuce,
• some of my delicious homemade sauerkraut,
• some extra Romaine lettuce leaves. 

UPDATE! I created a nifty video showing the making of this delicious and easy to make wrap.

YUM! Delicious, indeed!

Keep spreading the hummus!

Squirrels and Chipmunks, Go Away! Really!

After being struck with an acute, incurable case of spring fever, I went out in the backyard earlier today seeking relief from the symptoms of it. I took a look around the raised beds and I saw these holes in the garlic raised beds that were made by our "resident" squirrels.

Looks like the squirrels created these round little nests, but luckily didn't bother with the garlic bulbs. I read online that squirrels don't like garlic, but my boys don't seem to mind it. Perhaps if I made little squirrel garlic sandwiches and left near the beds they would get the news.

Next year I will replace the chicken wire with one that has much smaller holes. The one I have now is about 1.5" wide and squirrels get through it. I will buy something much smaller in diameter and show them who's the boss.

GO AWAY SQUIRRELS!!!

At the Supermarket

Recently I was food shopping at Adams Fairacre Farms in Newburgh, NY, and I couldn't help noticing their wide array of Hellenic, Greek (Hellenic is a synonym for Greek), products.

Near the deli counter I saw a cardboard box with Hellenic writing: <<ΔΙΑΤΗΡΗΣΤΕ ΤΑ ΣΕ ΔΡΟΣΕΡΟ ΚΑΙ ΞΗΡΟ ΜΕΡΟΣ>>, which translates to "Keep them in a cool and dry place". In Hellas/Greece, if you want to place quotation marks around text you use << and >> and you don't surround the text is quotes. It's very funny watching a Greek/Έλληνα, do air quotes. I've posted a YouTube video explaining Hellenic air quotes.

I went around the box and I saw it was full of KRISPIES crackers made by the legendary Papadopoulos company.

As I moved closer to the cheese counter I saw a display of Kefalotiri (Κεφαλοτύρι) by Krinos. Kefalotiri or Kefalotyri is a traditional Greek cheese that is a very hard, dry, light-yellow with a sharp flavor and it's made from sheep or goat milk.

Further down there was an impressive display case with dolmas. You may see it shown as dolmades or dolmadakia. In Greece, people almost always use the diminutive version of words.

• They don't say dolmades, they say dolmadakia
• They don't say psomi (bread), they say psomaki
• They don't say kafes (coffee), they say kafedaki
• They don't say computer, they say computeraki
• They don't say Vaggeli (my Hellenic name), they say Vaggelaki

I think you get the idea with the diminutive of words.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the dolmas was made in Politika (village name), Evia (region name), Greece! Ach! I spent such quality time in Evia when I was a young lad! Well, I had to buy several of those cans to support the Evian economy.

Pallirria is the name of the company and they have an array of products.

Later on and back at home I eat the dolmades (plural of dolmas) with olives, feta cheese and bread.

Happy eating Hellenic foods!

Education, Education, Education. Read all about it!

Recently I visited the village of Walden's Josephine-Louise Public library to lookup gardening books. The Josephine-Louise Public library is part of a much larger system of libraries that affords its patrons the opportunity to access books from many libraries. How cool is that!

I ordered two books written by Ruth Stout and earlier today I went to the library to pick them up. Here they are, side by side like two happy siblings.

I would love to write more, but I'm going to get a large glass of water and get comfortable to read my two books.

Happy deep mulching!

Greek Style Green Beans in Instant Pot - Φασολάκια Λαδερά

In Greek, this dish is called Φασολάκια Λαδερά (Beans in Oil) – pronounced fah-so-lah-kia la-deh-ra. It is a very simple recipe and it seems much more like a "stew" to me.

The ingredients are:

• 1 1/4 lbs green beans with two ends cut;
• 3 1/2 large tomatoes grated;
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste;
• 6-7 large mushrooms sliced;
• 3 large potatoes cut in large pieces;
• 3 medium onions sliced;
• 1/4 cup olive oil;
• 1 tablespoon sugar.

To Serve:

• Feta cheese, feel free to exclude this to make this a vegan dish;
• Bread.

To cook this delicious dish I used my Instant Pot, my newest acquisition. I remember my mom using her pressure cooker back in the 1960s at our home in Nea Smirni, Greece (1, 2). My parents had friended a family, Mr. and Mrs. Koutelaki, that repatriated themselves from Istanbul, Asia Minor to Nea Smirni, Greece. Mrs. Koutelaki taught my mom how to use the pressure cooker. We didn't call it "pressure cooker", though, instead we called it "Düdüklü", a Turkish name, that's what Mrs' Koutelaki called it. The pressure cooker reduces the cooking time by a lot. If you are not using a pressure cooker you should cook this dish for about one hour, with the pressure cooker, though, you only need to cook it for 20 minutes. 

I created a YouTube video that shows the complete process. Here it is.

Happy cooking!

Doing "air quotes" when talking in Greek

If you want to quote a word of phrase in the Greek language, you must surround it in << and >>. That's right. They don't use the quotes as in the English language. Have you ever wondered how Greeks do "air quotes"?

Do you remember Chris Farley's air quotes bit on SNL?

Video #1

Video #2

If you are curious about that, you need to watch the following video:

Feel free to comment about my <<Mr. Pickle's>> hat that was given to me as a gift during a visit to California.

We've made another video about Greek gestures that is a real hoot.

Keep air quoting!

Doing "air quotes" in Greek

Yes, more Greek gestures.

Here is a YouTube video I recently uploaded that shows you how to do air quotes in Greek.

Feel free to comment and follow my YouTube channel, God knows I need all the attention I can get.

Happy communicating in Greek!

Sally's Fish Market

I am writing this post to credit Sally's Fish Market, located in Newburgh, with all the fresh fish that I use in my recipes.

Their address is:

270 South William Street

Newburgh, New York 12550

Sal himself hand selects the produce down at the Fulton Fish Market at Hunt's Point multiple times a week. The produce is then brought back where the crew is eagerly waiting to fillet the fresh catch, ensuring the freshest fish available. The counter help is knowledgeable and friendly.

Last time I visited their store, they were giving away several food-grade plastic containers and I took advantage of this very generous offer. I will use these containers for growing seeds and small plants.


I always support small businesses and Sally's Fish Market is my go-to place for fresh fish.

Keep on fishing!

Determining Plant Hardiness Zone

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which you can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a particular location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature.

To determine your hardiness zone, simply go to planmaps.com, enter your zip code and press the "Zoom to Zip" button.

The site will provide a detailed map with the hardiness zone. In my case my hardiness zone is 5b or 6a. The lover the number the colder the recorded temperatures.

Each zone is identified by a number and a letter. The numbers goes from high to low or from warm to cold. The letters go from "a" to "b". The letter "b" indicated colder temperatures as compared to "a".

Click inside the map to see the exact hardiness zone for your zip code.

Happy gardening!

Baked Greek Chicken with Potatoes - YUM!!!!

Greek Chicken with Potatoes

This recipe has been upgraded and there is a video of it included at the bottom of this post.

Tasting my Sauerkraut

Recently I made healthy, delicious and probiotic-rich sauerkraut at home and today I am giving it the BIG taste test. I remove the lid, weight, and plastic seal and got my big fork ready. It was DELICIOUS!

Since I liked the taste,  I will store it in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation process. It can stay in the refrigerator for several months.

Here is the Youtube video:

Happy fermenting!

Steamed Lobster Rolls

Every time we visit Ogunquit (beautiful place by the sea), Maine, we go to The Lobster Shack at Perkins Cove for lobster rolls. Having a lobster roll using a freshly caught lobster is just heavenly.

Because I didn't want to deal with the death of a live lobster via steam, I bought three large lobster tails from Sally's Market in Newburgh, NY. The tails were already deveined and ready for use.

Since they were frozen, I kept them in the refrigerator for two days to completely defrost them.

I used:

• three lobster tails;
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery;
• 1/2 cup finely diced shallots;
• about 1/2 cup mayonnaise;
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley.

Feel free to use salt and pepper if you would like.

Here is the complete video from my YouTube channel:

Happy cooking!

Making Sauerkraut

I love sauerkraut. I love eating it on sandwiches or as a side dish.

I've created an informative YouTube video showing all the steps to making sauerkraut.

Happy fermenting!

The Mulch Pile: Aerobic vs. Anaerobic

Happy New Year! I wish you health, happiness and lots of gardening for the new year.

So far this year, the weather hasn't been that cold, snowy or rainy so I went to the backyard today to "play" with the mulch piles. I knew the mulch piles needed to be rotated because I've been adding stuff to them and they looked very dry.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, aerobic means living or active, and the word anaerobic means living, active or existing in the absence of free oxygen. Do I have to mention that these are Greek (Hellenic) words? Do I? The prefix "an" of the word anaerobic means "without".

Mulch piles need to be aerated for them to become aerobic. A mulch pile without air becomes anaerobic and this slows down the decomposition process.

Using my pitchfork, I pulled out all of the material and gave it a good toss and every once in a while I added a little hay too. The mixture in some areas was too wet and in most other areas was too dry. I made sure that any clumps of leaves were broken up and everything was nicely mixed up. I found a few larger twigs that I cut into tiny pieces because the materials break down much faster this way. I sprinkled some water and then, using the pitchfork, I tossed everything back. Phew! Done! One down, three more to go.

Once the organic material was in place, I placed a pallet in the front of the opening of the mulch and tied it with a string. The mulch needs three simple things: organic matter, water and air. Too much of any of those three items will slow down the decomposition. I try to turn the mulch about once a month.

In the spring, I will not have to buy any bagged "topsoil" or organic matter from any local garden center. I surround the word topsoil with quotes because it is mostly sand. For the first time this year I am using the Ruth Stout method of gardening. No tilling, no weeding, no watering, just watching the plants grow.

Happy gardening!

Chicken á la Brett Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and he was nominated by President Donald Trump to succeed Anthony Kennedy.

Before his nomination, Professor of Psychology Christine Blasey Ford claimed that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in the early 1980s while the two of them were in high school. Two other women also accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. Kavanaugh denied all three allegations.

The Senate Judiciary Committee invited both Kavanaugh and Ford to provide testimony about the allegation. During Kavanaugh's testimony Kavanaugh talked at length about his drinking habits while growing up in suburban Maryland.

Kavanaugh said:

"I drank beer with my friends, almost everyone did. Sometimes I had too many beers, sometimes others did." The he continued "I liked beer, I still like beer,"

Well, this recipe is inspired by Kavanaugh's love for beer.  Here is the youtube video.

Keep on drinking beer Brett!

Green Beans Cooked in Oil - Fasolakia Ladera - Φασολάκια λαδερά

I created a sweet youtube video for this traditional vegan Greek dish.

Fasolakia Ladera, green beans cooked in oil, is a category of Greek, Hellenic, dishes where vegetables are cooked in lots of olive oil and tomato. Fasolakia Ladera is a main course served with artisan bread and feta cheese.

The list of ingredients is:

• 1 1/4 lb beans with their ends cut,
• three onions,
• three medium potatoes,
• three garlic cloves,
• 1/3 cup olive oil.

I used my brand new Instant Pot for this recipe.

Happy cooking with pressure!

Getting Ready to Make Sauerkraut

Recently we had lunch at Karma Road, a vegan restaurant in New Paltz, NY. The village of New Paltz is best known around the world for its outdoor attractions, and we’ve going there since the late 1970s for a quick bite or to just walk around. Good times! I had a "reuben sandwich" at Karma Road that was just delicious. The sandwich had sauerkraut on it which accented the tempeh very well. I knew I had to make sauerkraut a.s.a.p.

Off to Adams I went to buy a variety of cabbages: green, purple, and savoy. I was thinking about adding one or two thinly shredded carrots, you know for color. Yum! This is exciting!

Sauerkraut is particularly nutritious because it is fermented. Sauerkraut contains probiotics that are beneficial bacteria that act as the first line of defense against toxins and harmful bacteria. They can also improve your digestion and overall health. I'm sold on this already.

Tomorrow mid-early afternoon I will begin the process of making sauerkraut and I'm all ready for this. I have several of one-quart Ball jars, the cabbage, the carrots, and salt. Done!

Happy fermenting and stay tuned for more of this.

Learn Greek Gestures

Do you know what a mountza, μουτζα, is? Here is a quick lesson in Greek gestures. Enjoy!

Happy Greeking!

UPDATE: Buckwheat Bread Recipe - A Gordian Knot!

After six days worth of preparing the dough, I was able to bake one loaf. Phew!

Here is the youtube video.

The next step is to create another post with a video containing the complete recipe.

Vegan Greek Chickpea Soup - Ρεβυθοσουπα

Yes! Finally I got to make this legendary Greek dish. My mom made this often when I lived in Greece and I loved it. It is simple and the taste is amazing. Did I say that it is vegan? This dish can be made leaving the chickpeas whole as I did here, or you can make a smooth version of it by using an immersion blender. Feel free to add a diced tomato if you would like.

Start by soaking a bag of dry chickpeas overnight or you can use two cans of beans, but the amazing taste and texture will not be there. Please use dry beans!

The ingredients are few and they are:

• One lb dry beans;
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil;
• two medium shallots, diced;
• 1 tablespoon salt;
• Juice of two lemons. The lemons we had in the refrigerator weren't at their prime, but I used them because I was too lazy to go to the supermarket again. If you have better lemons, one of them would suffice.

Do you know how to choose "good" olive oil? There will be a post for that soon, but for now use one that is extra virgin.

Here are the ingredients I will be using.

I soaked the chickpeas overnight and drained the water they soaked in before I started to cook them.