Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #7

[acutename]

About a month ago I took the bird netting off my strawberries and weeded, pulled out dead plants, etc. The strawberry plants in the towers didn’t survive winter. But the ones in the ground are doing great. The plastic grids lift the berries out of the dirt.

Now that they’re coming in, I’m going to put the netting back on. I’m not sure what I’ll put in the towers. Maybe marigold seeds or Dill?

I also put in my spring/summer sunflowers. I had to use 3 different packets to get enough seeds. Two packets were old and the one on the right is new. So we’ll see what happens.

on a whim I bought a whole bunch of different sunflower seeds from Amazon a few weeks ago- I have had the dark red ones which are really pretty but the best ones for actual seeds are the yellow ones- both the giant headed ones and the multi flower ones. the ones that are really varied colors are hybridized for that and the seeds are less tasty or almost nonexistent. not sure what will grow- our weather this year is bouncing from 30F to 89F (Monday) and back again so not only do I not know what to wear (!) but I am out covering the plants with plankets half the time.

 

[acutename]

I think the lizards are getting my strawberries! A couple were about ready to pick tonight. I haven't seen anything other than lizards, even the birds haven't bothered them.

I'm wondering now if they ate one of my sunflower sprouts. I went out there at dusk and one was gone!

do you have squirrels? they will eat anything and this time of year they have (or have had) baby squirrels and they are ravenous. They gnaw off whole sunflower heads, flowers and vegetables and cart them away.

 

[PayrollNerd]

do you have squirrels? they will eat anything and this time of year they have (or have had) baby squirrels and they are ravenous. They gnaw off whole sunflower heads, flowers and vegetables and cart them away.

Oh yes, when I have foster dog, they all disappear. But when there's no dog around to spook them, they troll my yard, jump all over my big oak trees, poke holes in my tomatoes, etc. I swear they throw acorns at me. On Monday I'll be dog sitting for a week and she's a beagle. She'll have a blast running them up the tree I'm sure.

 

[acutename]

I think the lizards are getting my strawberries! A couple were about ready to pick tonight. I haven't seen anything other than lizards, even the birds haven't bothered them.

I'm wondering now if they ate one of my sunflower sprouts. I went out there at dusk and one was gone!

I think you have anoles (?) and as per the internet, they only eat insects:

Anoles only eat live insects and not plant material. They eat mosquitoes, ants, spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, roaches, moths, and dragonflies. Generally, anoles do not eat soil organisms like grubs, centipedes, or millipedes, but they do like caterpillars—especially the small juicy ones that turn into butterflies.

What Do Anole?Lizards Eat? • The Wannabe Naturalist ®

Anoles are very versatile and will forage for food in dense underbrush and shrubs, but they also hunt in wide open areas. They are opportunistic feeders and may attempt to eat any attractive insect that is of the right size • The Wannabe Naturalist ® #wannabenaturalist #thinkoutside #anole

wannabenaturalist.com

but maybe you have other stuff in FL - geckos eat insects too..
Most varieties of geckos (including leopards, African fat-tailed, tokays, house, flying, cave, and frog-eyed) are insectivores and prefer a diet of crickets, waxworms, earthworms, mealworms, fruit flies, moths, or grasshoppers offered every two to four days. Some adult geckos will also enjoy pinkie or infant mice.

https://www.zillarules.com/articles/what-do-geckos-eat

I think that opossums and raccoons eat everything. next you will need a night trail cam in the garden... foxes maybe?

 

[acutename]

I've had Boars Head chocolate hummus and was not impressed; haven't gotten it again. It was alright with strawberries and bananas, and it might be good with shortbread or sugar cookies. Not a fan.

uh oh... confirms my suspicion that I should stick to chocolate without chickpeas mixed in. I have picked up the package a few times- looks all fudgey but has all that fiber- and put it back.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I think you have anoles (?) and as per the internet, they only eat insects:

Anoles only eat live insects and not plant material. They eat mosquitoes, ants, spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, roaches, moths, and dragonflies. Generally, anoles do not eat soil organisms like grubs, centipedes, or millipedes, but they do like caterpillars—especially the small juicy ones that turn into butterflies.

What Do Anole?Lizards Eat? • The Wannabe Naturalist ®

Anoles are very versatile and will forage for food in dense underbrush and shrubs, but they also hunt in wide open areas. They are opportunistic feeders and may attempt to eat any attractive insect that is of the right size • The Wannabe Naturalist ® #wannabenaturalist #thinkoutside #anole

wannabenaturalist.com

but maybe you have other stuff in FL - geckos eat insects too..
Most varieties of geckos (including leopards, African fat-tailed, tokays, house, flying, cave, and frog-eyed) are insectivores and prefer a diet of crickets, waxworms, earthworms, mealworms, fruit flies, moths, or grasshoppers offered every two to four days. Some adult geckos will also enjoy pinkie or infant mice.

https://www.zillarules.com/articles/what-do-geckos-eat

I think that opossums and raccoons eat everything. next you will need a night trail cam in the garden... foxes maybe?

Whatever it is, it is small because it only eats 1/2 the strawberry. I think a squirrel would eat it all. I rarely see a squirrel out front. The wetlands that backs up to my property doesn't have a lot of trees. So if the hawk doesn't get them and the dogs don't run them off, they like to dig holes in my yard to bury acorns.

I do have voles, vegetarian critters that live underground and leave dirt trails in the yard. Never seen one though, just the evidence.

The 8' fence out back has barbed wire on top so raccoons and possums stay in the wetlands. We do have a cat colony down the street. They like to traipse across my front deck at night. I don't know if they'd eat strawberries tho. Maybe but I'd think they'd eat the entire strawberry too.

 

[acutename]

Whatever it is, it is small because it only eats 1/2 the strawberry. I think a squirrel would eat it all. I rarely see a squirrel out front. The wetlands that backs up to my property doesn't have a lot of trees. So if the hawk doesn't get them and the dogs don't run them off, they like to dig holes in my yard to bury acorns.

I do have voles, vegetarian critters that live underground and leave dirt trails in the yard. Never seen one though, just the evidence.

The 8' fence out back has barbed wire on top so raccoons and possums stay in the wetlands. We do have a cat colony down the street. They like to traipse across my front deck at night. I don't know if they'd eat strawberries tho. Maybe but I'd think they'd eat the entire strawberry too.

voles eat berries

 

[IceIce9]

Buc-ees is quite the experience- stopped at one on our way home from Florida a couple years ago: Besides the enormous number of gas pumps and endless foodie stuff, their bathrooms are unbelievably spotless---- it will be great to have a Buc-ees in Michigan

I actually just stopped at a Buc-ee’s in Georgia an hour ago, driving from Florida to Indiana.

I filled up the gas tank and got snacks before I checked into a nearby hotel for the night.

Buc-ee’s is the best place ever to stop when traveling. Clean restrooms, huge variety of snacks, and fun merchandise to browse.

 

[IceIce9]

My best-friend's mother was from Kentucky. They had box seats until her grandmother died.
I never had Hot Brown sandwiches at her house, but boy, could they make potent EggNog!
We are not horse racing fans, but we do clear the day to watch the Kentucky Derby!

ETA - I've never heard of Burgoo, but I looked up the recipe and it looks really tasty.

Traditional Kentucky Burgoo

This rich southern-style stew with beef, pork, and all kinds of vegetables has a smoky flavor thanks to prepared barbeque sauce. The big stew needs several hours to simmer.

www.allrecipes.com

The old joke about Kentucky Burgoo is that you put everything that didn’t make it across the road in a big pot and cook it for a few days.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

allergies very bad this year- meds since mid March.... oak pollen all over. have been wearing my left over covid masks outside. that really helps.

It was very warm yesterday - near 80* in most of southeastern lower Michigan. There was a lovely breeze, so we opened a few windows to let in some fresh air. Big mistake - huge! I coughed all night long with post-nasal drainage. Rain today, so we won't be opening any windows. I hope we both feel better soon.

 

[ilovewings]

It was very warm yesterday - near 80* in most of southeastern lower Michigan. There was a lovely breeze, so we opened a few windows to let in some fresh air. Big mistake - huge! I coughed all night long with post-nasal drainage. Rain today, so we won't be opening any windows. I hope we both feel better soon.

It was a beautiful day yesterday: too bad your allergies acted up-- Do you take anything for your allergies? I take Zyrtec when they get particularly bad as well as Nasocort ( a corticosteroid nasal inhaler)-- This year I am sneezing more with more post nasal drip---- I feel badly for you: coughing is so awful.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

It was a beautiful day yesterday: too bad your allergies acted up-- Do you take anything for your allergies? I take Zyrtec when they get particularly bad as well as Nasocort ( a corticosteroid nasal inhaler)-- This year I am sneezing more with more post nasal drip---- I feel badly for you: coughing is so awful.

When I was seeing an allergy/asthma specialist regularly, I had prescription nasal spray Azelastine and Claritin. I also use a cortico-steroidal inhaler and a bronchodilator. My PCP just has me using OTC Flonase and Claritin along with the two inhalers. I usually have an allergy/asthma episode two or three times a year lasting a week or two. The rest of the time, I'm fine.

 

[PayrollNerd]

The brunch at Yard House restaurant was fun. Just 3 of us ended up going. But it was good to see our friend, DC. She is healing from a fall, 8 fractured bones, 4 weeks in a nursing home, lots of PT & OT but she’s vertical! She wanted to get out of the house and try Yard House.

DC ordered chicken fingers with sweet potato fries. She wasn’t able to eat much. She really enjoyed herself. She said she was going to bed when she got home.

KB ordered the chicken and avocado sandwich. But she’s very sensitive to gluten. They offered her a GF bun or to wrap it in lettuce. She chose the lettuce wrap.

I had a burger and regular fries. All of the food was delicious.

https://m.yardhouse.com/menu/starters

Since it is 84 degrees, I’m food prepping. The 5 lb bird is cooling and then I’ll debone it. The rice is cooling too. I forgot peas & carrots for the fried rice.

Time to wash the corn & get it cut off the cob and fried up.

I haven’t decided on dessert for the week. I have a brownie mix and chocolate cream pie ingredients.

I ate a strawberry this morning!!

 

[Tbone144]

Determined at almost 50 to figure out how to eat and enjoy every vegetable. Beets were on the list tonight. Like Brussels sprouts I actually like them roasted. I’ve tried them boiled and pickled and not a fan. I roasted these with thyme, garlic, salt and pepper and made a tahini lemon dressing to go with it. Now if/when beets go on sale or I manage to grow some I have a way to eat them. I have shredded them in the past and prepared them like hashbrowns, that was pretty good too.

To go with the beet adventure I’m making a pork loin with apples and sauerkraut.

It all seems much more fall and winter type food on the menu tonight.

 

[iamshadow21]

Determined at almost 50 to figure out how to eat and enjoy every vegetable. Beets were on the list tonight. Like Brussels sprouts I actually like them roasted. I’ve tried them boiled and pickled and not a fan. I roasted these with thyme, garlic, salt and pepper and made a tahini lemon dressing to go with it. Now if/when beets go on sale or I manage to grow some I have a way to eat them. I have shredded them in the past and prepared them like hashbrowns, that was pretty good too.

To go with the beet adventure I’m making a pork loin with apples and sauerkraut.

It all seems much more fall and winter type food on the menu tonight.

Yep, roasting is 100% the best way to cook both sprouts and beetroot, IMO. And thyme is a fabulous herb to cook with roasted vegetables. I use that, rosemary, and sage regularly.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Fried corn is done! It’s quite good too. I have 2 containers, at least 2 cups each, in the freezer.

 

[anneg]

We've been eating soup because we are both sick with a respiratory virus. Doing a lot of coughing and sneezing and such. Pollen allergies may be a factor too. Maybe we'll lose a little weight on the soup diet! I made a chicken soup with rice and veggies that made two dinners and used Progresso minestrone as a quick base for another soup with sausage added to it.

 

[slowpoke]

Oh yes, when I have foster dog, they all disappear. But when there's no dog around to spook them, they troll my yard, jump all over my big oak trees, poke holes in my tomatoes, etc. I swear they throw acorns at me. On Monday I'll be dog sitting for a week and she's a beagle. She'll have a blast running them up the tree I'm sure.

We always have a problem with those roly-poly pill bugs eating our strawberries!

Could they be the culprits? We see a beautiful red ripe strawberry, but when you go to pick it, you see holes. Grrr.

 

[ilovewings]

We've been eating soup because we are both sick with a respiratory virus. Doing a lot of coughing and sneezing and such. Pollen allergies may be a factor too. Maybe we'll lose a little weight on the soup diet! I made a chicken soup with rice and veggies that made two dinners and used Progresso minestrone as a quick base for another soup with sausage added to it.

I am sorry to hear you aren't feeling well- Hope you both feel better soon

 

[snooptroop88]

Fried corn is done! It’s quite good too. I have 2 containers, at least 2 cups each, in the freezer.

Corn's at the grocery, so grabbed a couple ears and sheered the kernels off into pan, lil salt n pep, fresh chives and weirdly, minced jalapeno because I had it around. Turned out pretty good. Went heavy on the butter.