My windowsill garden

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Patti_is_knittinginflashes

I started a mini windowsill garden last week.

Romaine lettuce.

What I did was save the short stalk end of the Romaine lettuce, put it in about a half-inch of water, and place it in a sunny window. I change the water every day. The progress is as follows going clockwise from the top Chobani container: Sunday – April 28, Tuesday – April 30, Sunday May 5 and Friday – May 3. The first Romaine stalk I started is in the Chobani yogurt container. I experimented with the clear vs. opaque containers to see if it made a difference. Apparently it does.

I can cut and use the lettuce and start the process all over again until the stalk sends out a thick seed shoot, then I need to find a new stalk and start over. I read someplace that these can also be started in the ground but I have a lot of rabbits and doubt I would get any produce before they nibbled it all up.

I understand you can grow celery this way as well.

Will this mini windowsill garden keep us in Romaine lettuce all spring and summer? I doubt it. But it’s fun to watch it grow.

An unexpected treat

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Patti_is_knittinginflashes

Mr. Aitch and I were driving through Morgantown, West Virginia yesterday and decided to stop for an early dinner at the Tilted Kilt.

As we approached the entrance to the restaurant, a gentleman was leaving and he held the door for us. I noticed his shirt and told him that I really liked it. He nodded and thanked me.

Mr. Aitch and I sat down at our table, ordered and ate our meal. When we were finished eating, the waitress came over to tell us that our meal was paid for by the gentleman whose shirt I liked. We waved to him and as we were leaving, we stopped to thank him for his generosity. He replied that it was his pleasure to help out a fellow patriot.

What was on the back of his shirt? Join, or die. For more information about this woodcut by Benjamin Franklin, click here.

Goodbye old friend

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Patti_is_knittinginflashes

We had to say goodbye to an old friend this weekend.

Now before you get out the tissues, let me say that this goodbye wasn’t a person or a beloved pet but our trusty electric popcorn popper.

We had this popcorn popper for at least 15 years. Maybe more. We tried microwave popcorn but it always burned in our microwave. Literally caught fire. Twice. I learned my lesson.

This wonderful popcorn popper had a rod that stirred the popcorn so it didn’t burn. It made wonderful popcorn. Until Saturday night.

The rod was stirring but there was no heat. Popcorn doesn’t pop without heat.

Fortunately I had another hand-crank popper as a back-up. The Whirley Pop.

Yes, ours is red. I have a thing for red. I bought this several years ago to make kettle corn and it saved the day, or night. We still had freshly made, hot, buttery popcorn to eat while we watched a movie Saturday night. Mr. Aitch and I thought it was the BEST popcorn we’ve had in a long time.

And it’s completely submersible.

Sorry Stir Crazy.

New Orleans – Can we come back?

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Patti_is_knittinginflashes

I attended a conference in New Orleans the week before the Super Bowl.

We had a great time though I was stuck inside most of the time.

I’ve learned in the past that I can’t concentrate on knitting on an airplane. I managed to knit an Olive Oil Drip Catcher at the airport but that’s all the knitting I did.

And I don’t even have a photo of it!

Our hotel was on the corner of Canal and Bourbon streets.