<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>A Garden for the House</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com</link>
	<description>Home &#38; Garden Inspiration from Kevin Lee Jacobs</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 18 May 2012 12:41:37 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Chive Blossom Vinegar</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/chive-blossom-vinegar/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/chive-blossom-vinegar/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 17:27:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Herbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://williamsba.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/chive-blossom-vinegar</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[AAH, CHIVE BLOSSOMS.  I think the lavender-pink petals are  delicious when sprinkled over salads, pastas and other foods which benefit from a hit of onion. The flowers are in bloom for only a short time (here, mid-May to mid-June). But you can enjoy their unique taste and beautiful color all year long if you make a simple infusion called Chive Blossom Vinegar.
Chive Blossom Vinegar
White Wine (or Champagne) Vinegar
Chive Blossoms (I use 7-10 per half-cup vinegar)
A clear glass jar (or bottle) with a tight-fitting lid
Place the chive blossoms in a sterile jar, then add enough vinegar to cover the flowers. Cover with a lid. Set the jar outdoors in the sun.
In about 24 hours, the vinegar will turn a lovely blush tone. After two weeks, a deeper pink color and a wonderfully intense onion flavor will develop. At this time, strain out the blossoms, and decant to a beautiful jar.
As you might imagine, Chive Blossom Vinegar makes a welcome host or hostess gift. My bottle, pictured up top, will be given to the friends who are hosting me for dinner tonight. Because the batch is newly made, I'll leave the blossoms in the bottle. A gift card, tied to the bottle with raffia, will advise my hosts to remove the blossoms when two weeks have passed.
Think you'll make this elegant elixir before your chive blossoms are history? Trust me, on some cold, snowy day in winter you'll be glad to have this little reminder of spring. I find that when I make a dressing of Chive Blossom Vinegar and olive oil, no other seasonings are required for my salad.
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter!
Related Posts:
Greek-style Yogurt
Cheese Danish
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/chive-blossom-vinegar/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Creating a Raised Bed Garden</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/creating-a-raised-bed-garden/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/creating-a-raised-bed-garden/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 11:38:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Garden Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Herbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegetables]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/?p=8055</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[IF THE IDEA of growing a year’s supply of healthy, organic vegetables and herbs appeals to you, but the thought of digging through compacted, rocky soil does not, consider growing your crops as I do: in raised beds. You’d be amazed at how many benefits there are to gardening “on higher ground,” and how easily beds can be constructed.
You can build a raised bed from almost any material you like, as long as it is sturdy and does not contain harmful chemicals. Do not use pressure-treated lumber (including railroad ties) because it contains toxins that can leach into the soil. Bricks, cement blocks, and untreated lumber are all suitable for framing.
Even cheap pine boards can be used to frame a bed. Pine, however, is not rot-resistant, so you’ll have to replace it after four years or so. The boards will last longer if you first paint them with raw, not boiled, linseed oil. I used untreated 1-by-10 inch pine for the beds in my Herb Garden. After one season the wood turned from boring beige to graceful gray. I paved the paths between beds with pea gravel, and then enclosed the entire garden with wire mesh attached to pressure-treated posts.
For my kitchen garden, I built eight 4-by-8 foot beds from inexpensive, rough-hewn hemlock. Hemlock, like cedar, oak and redwood (these last two are pricey) is naturally rot-resistant. The boards of these beds are 12-inches high and 2-inches thick. Running perpendicular to the hemlock-enclosed beds are four 2-by-8 foot beds framed with 1-by-10 inch pine. Paths here are paved with shredded wood chips, and the garden is protected from woodchucks, rabbits, and deer by wire-mesh fencing.
As for building a timber-framed bed, no carpentry job could be easier. Simply join the corners together with galvanized nails or screws. I used 1 ½-inch nails for my thin pine-framed beds, and 4-inch screws for my thicker hemlock models. Although corner posts are commonly used for raised beds, I have not found them necessary.
Before filling a frame with soil, it is imperative to line the bottom of the bed with either corrugated cardboard or several thicknesses of newspaper. This material will smother any weeds or grass that would otherwise grow up through the raised bed and that would impede your perfect planting plan.
Of course, flowers love raised beds as much as vegetables do. I always plant zinnias in the long central beds of my kitchen garden; they attract the bees and butterflies necessary for pollinating my crops and provide beautiful bouquets for indoor enjoyment.
Raised bed gardens mean that you get to garden in perfect soil. By “perfect,” I mean soil which is fertile, well-draining, and free of rocks and weeds. My own veggies flourish in equal parts top soil, composted manure, and sand. These components were mixed and delivered by a local farm. I’ve known other gardeners who fill their beds with packaged mixtures obtained from the garden center or hardware store.
To insure ongoing fertility from year to year, and to avoid the need to purchase additional soil to refill the beds as settling occurs, I top my beds off each fall with shredded leaves. As the leaves decompose over winter, they add vital nutrients to the soil, and improve its water-retention.
Soil in a raised bed does not become compacted. Why? Because it is never walked upon. Unencumbered by hard clumps of soil or rocks, root vegetables like carrots and parsnips grow straight and long; beets, turnips and onions (that's my beloved 'Copra' above)  grow into the beautiful globes depicted on their seed packets.
If you suffer from a bad back, you will appreciate being able to plant and harvest your vegetables without bending deeply. In fact, if you build your beds high enough, you won’t have to bend at all. If you limit your beds to 3 to 4 feet in width, you will not have to reach excessively, either.
Because plants can be grown very close to each other in a raised bed, even a tiny yard can support a lavish edible garden. The four 6-by-4 foot beds in my small herb garden, pictured here, produce copious quantities of parsley, thyme, and other aromatics. I pick these herbs at the peak of their perfection, then freeze them for winter use.
A raised bed vegetable garden has less weeding, less bending, and absolutely no tilling—there are really no negatives to this type of gardening. Well, none that I can think of, anyway. Let me know if you're a fan of gardening "on higher ground," too.
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter.
Related Posts:
From Wild Patch to Woodland Garden
From Hellish Hill to Serpentine Garden
What Would You Plant in Your "Subsistence Garden"?
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/creating-a-raised-bed-garden/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The May Giveaway: Ricki Carroll&#8217;s Cheesemaking Kit</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/the-may-giveaway-ricki-carrolls-cheesemaking-kit/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/the-may-giveaway-ricki-carrolls-cheesemaking-kit/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 May 2012 13:06:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Etc.]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/?p=8093</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[EACH TIME I’VE OFFERED Ricki Carroll’s fabulous mozzarella/ricotta cheesemaking kit in a random drawing, the response has been overwhelming. Consequently I've ordered another kit for this month's giveaway. Who'd like a chance to win it?
It was Ricki Carroll who introduced me to the pleasures of homemade cheese. Her kit contains enough vegetable rennet and non-gmo citric acid to make 30 batches of mozzarella. Also included is a thermometer and a large piece of high-quality butter muslin. I use butter muslin for straining a number of cheeses, including the Greek-style yogurt I make almost every week.
For a chance to win the kit, do these two simple things:
1. Subscribe -- if you haven't already -- to my weekly email newsletter.
2. In the comments field below, tell me which cheese you love the most. Or, just say "hello."
I'd be ever so grateful if you clicked the "like" button, too. 
The drawing expires on Friday, May 18, 2012, at 11:59PM. As always, I’ll use the little number-gadget at Random. org to select a winner. The winner will be notified by email.
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter.
Related Posts:
Homemade Mozzarella in 30 Minutes
Homemade Cottage Cheese
Heavenly, No-Cook Cream Cheese
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/the-may-giveaway-ricki-carrolls-cheesemaking-kit/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>502</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Vegetarian Bean Burgers (Gluten free!)</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/vegetarian-bean-burgers-gluten-free/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/vegetarian-bean-burgers-gluten-free/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 21:00:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Main Course]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/?p=8032</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ WANT A HEALTHY SUBSTITUTE FOR A HAMBURGER? Consider the Bean Burger. It's high in fiber. It's seasoned to perfection.  And you can make the bean puree, as I do,  hours (or even days) in advance of serving. Here's the recipe for this vegetarian deliciousness which I promise even a  meat-freak will enjoy:
I've made Bean Burgers from all kinds of canned beans, including cannellini and black-eyed peas. Those pictured here were made with organic navy beans. To remove the metallic taste of the can, I pour the beans into a fine-mesh sieve, and then run cold water over them.
Lots of bean-based burger recipes call for an egg. But I've performed numerous tests with the bean-puree mixture, and have found that an egg is not required in order for the patties to hold their shape. In fact, the addition of egg tends to make the mixture so liquid that it is difficult to work with.
As you can see, the burgers develop a beautiful, golden color as they fry.  They also develop a pleasantly-crunchy crust, although the interior of each patty is smooth and creamy.
Well. You'll just  have to taste a Bean Burger, won't you?
Vegetarian Bean Burgers
Kevin Lee Jacobs, A Garden for the House (dot) com
Ingredients for about 8 patties
2 15.5 oz cans of Navy, Cannellini, or small White Beans
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 cup gluten-free oats (or regular rolled oats if you're not on a GF diet)
1 tsp each salt and Montreal Steak seasoning
1 Tbs (or more) Worcestershire sauce - Lea &#38; Perrins is GF
Vegetable Oil for sauteing the patties
Special equipment - a food processor outfitted with the metal blade
1. Rinsing the beans - To remove the metallic taste of the can, pour the beans into a colander or sieve, and then run cold water over them. Drain.
2. Making the puree - Place the chopped onion and bell pepper in the bowl of the food processor, and process until the two are finely chopped -- about 5 seconds. Add the beans, the seasonings, and the tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to the bowl, and puree for 5 seconds. Finally, add the oats, and puree until the mixture seems fairly smooth. If the mixture is too stiff for the machine to run, add a bit more Worcestershire (or even water).
3. Chilling the puree - Scrape the bean puree into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for  one hour or more.  The puree will keep perfectly well in the fridge for at least 3 days.
4. Forming and frying the patties - Pour a glug of oil into a skillet, then set the skillet over a medium-high flame. To keep the puree from sticking to your hands, wet them with water. Then, by the half cup-full or so, scoop out and form patties, and fry them for about 4 minutes on each side. In a 12-inch skillet, you can fry 4 patties at a time.
5. Serving - You can serve the patties just as you would a hamburger -- in a bun with lettuce, tomato, and a slice of onion. A homemade English muffin, in my opinion, makes a superior bun for a bean burger. And if you've grown bored with ketchup and mustard, you might prefer homemade mayonnaise, to which a clove or two of pureed garlic has been added.
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter.
Related Posts:
English Muffins
Three Minute Mayonnaise
Cheese Danish
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/vegetarian-bean-burgers-gluten-free/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>27</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Got Ticks?</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/got-ticks/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/got-ticks/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2012 02:38:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pests]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/?p=7982</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[LAST SUNDAY, while attempting to put a dent in my lengthy list of garden chores, I went on a weeding-, feeding-, planting-, edging- and mulching-frenzy. My reward for all that work? Well, later that day I discovered a blood-sucking, and possibly Lyme-disease-transmitting deer tick had attached itself to my side. What to do should you find this dreaded Ixodes scapularis embedded in your own skin:
If a tick attaches itself to you, the first step is to remove it. I used common tweezers for the job. The idea is to grasp the tick's mouthpart as close as possible to the skin, and then pull gently but firmly. Next, disinfect the site. And last but by no means least, call your doctor.
Because I found the insect on a Sunday night, I had to wait until Monday morning to seek treatment. The physician's assistant saw me immediately. He prescribed two pills of the antibiotic Doxycycline. Research has shown that a double dose of Doxycycline (200 MGs), when administered within 72 hours of the tick entering the skin, can thwart the spread of lyme. Otherwise, a full course of antibiotics will become necessary.
Lyme disease is nothing to sneeze at, folks. Left unchecked it can lead to all kinds of long-term physical ailments. As you might recall, my beloved beagle, Lily, nearly died from the disease. Since then I've treated her monthly with "Frontline." The treatment seems to be working.
You can read more about the deer tick and the bacteria it can carry in this on-line pamphlet from the New York Department of Health. The Department of Health  recommends that gardeners (especially those who work in overgrown areas) wear light colored clothing. Then the black tick can be more easily spotted. They also recommend showering immediately after gardening, or after hiking in tick-infested woods.
If you  live in deer-tick territory, mind telling me which precautions -- if any --  you take to protect yourself?
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter.
Related Posts:
The Fall Webworm
When NOT to Kill a Tomato Hornworm
Who's Eating My Apple Tree?
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/05/got-ticks/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>48</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

