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Slung Blade posted:Oh, and they're saskatoons, (aka serviceberries in the US) drat, I knew I was gambling on what they were.  I looked serviceberries up and they're pretty interesting. Are they easily cultivated where you live or are those wild/roadstand fruit? It looks like they grow all the way down here in Virginia. I wonder why I've never seen them, I grew up on farms, hinterlands and the rural coast of Massachuesetts. The wild stuff was always raspberries, strawberries, mulberries or blueberries.
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Aug 7, 2010 08:37
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Yeah, they grow native here. Easy to plant, easy to care for. I have a bunch in pots at my parent's place awaiting me to get off my rear end and make a place for them here. Also, there are a bunch of nanking cherry bushes. The biggest problem is keeping the loving birds away from your berries. A horde of robins picked the mature plants at mom and dad's place completely clean in a couple of days.
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Aug 7, 2010 15:53
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My old man had the exact same problem when he started growing grapes. Those loving ravens can tell the instant that those grapes are ripe and they will pick those vines bare in less than a day.
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Aug 8, 2010 01:47
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Slung Blade posted:The biggest problem is keeping the loving birds away from your berries. A horde of robins picked the mature plants at mom and dad's place completely clean in a couple of days. Also, eventually a hawk moved in nearby, so all you'd ever have to do is run outside waving your arms and everything would scatter from the backyard.
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Aug 8, 2010 07:23
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Slung Blade posted:The biggest problem is keeping the loving birds away from your berries. A horde of robins picked the mature plants at mom and dad's place completely clean in a couple of days. We used to have this problem when our garden was full of redcurrant and raspberry canes. The worst thing was the next day the birds would come back and poo poo berry poo poo all over the white bedsheets on the washing-line. My mum's solution was to dig up all our berries  I know someone with a pick-your-own farm; his solution to a bird free field is a very high maintenance scarecrow who gets a bi-weekly wardrobe/location change.
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Aug 8, 2010 10:56
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madlilnerd posted:We used to have this problem when our garden was full of redcurrant and raspberry canes. The worst thing was the next day the birds would come back and poo poo berry poo poo all over the white bedsheets on the washing-line. We had the same problem with mulberries.  I wonder if you could run two wires (one power, one ground) with a rubber strip glued between them just above the wash line; when the bird's toes curl around and hit the bottom wire, ZAPPO. Pretty soon nobody wants to sit above the laundry.I bet if you were not a nice person this would be hilarious anywhere, not just over the wash line. I wonder if it would work keeping squirrels out of birdfeeders?
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Aug 8, 2010 11:38
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You need to do this: Are you allowed to kill birds for "crop damage" in Canada? I know a lot of the farmers in Pennsylvania who used the crop damage exemption it as an excuse to deer hunt out-of-season and without a license.
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Aug 8, 2010 14:42
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The new place is freakin sweet!Slung Blade posted:I write and design software for SCADA systems. I'm applying for a job doing programming the DCS where I work. Have you ever done this kind of thing?
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Aug 15, 2010 04:17
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It's burgin' time! 
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I heart bacon posted:The new place is freakin sweet! DCS and SCADA are sort of related, a scada system is just like a DCS that's geographically dispersed. So where a dcs controls a factory or refinery, a scada system can control a nationwide pipeline or electrical grid. So, kinda, I suppose. I mostly do communication protocol customization, and database migration. Have any specific questions you want answered? Grover: not sure about that crop damage thing. I'd probably have to qualify as a farm before I could use it if there was one.
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Aug 15, 2010 05:51
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Slung Blade posted:DCS and SCADA are sort of related, a scada system is just like a DCS that's geographically dispersed. So where a dcs controls a factory or refinery, a scada system can control a nationwide pipeline or electrical grid. I have my phone interview with the corporate engineer on thursday. What would be some good things to prepare for? I have a grasp of what ladder logic does and how our systems communicate with each other. What would be a good way to demonstrate myself as a trainable candidate for the job? Any good reading material you can think of?
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Aug 17, 2010 03:03
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I heart bacon posted:I have my phone interview with the corporate engineer on thursday. What would be some good things to prepare for? I have a grasp of what ladder logic does and how our systems communicate with each other. What would be a good way to demonstrate myself as a trainable candidate for the job? Any good reading material you can think of? Oh gently caress they use ladder logic for their plcs? Buy a gun with a single bullet, you'll need it in about 3 years when you go completely insane. Maybe buy a second bullet if you end up hating your boss. I honestly can't think of anything specific to read that could help. Just demonstrate that you're flexible and adaptive in your abilities, good problem solving skills are nice to have, as is the ability to read really old code (or at least it is here, our core system is something like 20 years old). I've actually never programmed a plc or rtu, I just write protocols that talk to them in all their infinite flavours. So I can't help there, sorry
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Aug 17, 2010 17:26
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Slung Blade posted:Oh gently caress they use ladder logic for their plcs? Buy a gun with a single bullet, you'll need it in about 3 years when you go completely insane. Maybe buy a second bullet if you end up hating your boss. Luckily, our plant has only been operational since 2008. We did an assessment test a while back which shows our strengths and mine was numbers and engineering. They have that on file, IIRC. I must have put something right on the application and/or resume, since there is an interview. Rumor has it, there was someone they had in mind for the job, but still.. interview. Ladder logic does look a bit nightmarish, but if you want to see nightmares, you should have experienced startup at this bitch. I mean holy poo poo that was a rough year. No worries... what you said does help.
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Aug 18, 2010 03:52
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Had today off. I have lots to do, so I did the manliest motherfucking thing possible. I baaaaaaaakeddd a caaaake Cake from scratch (no boxed pre-mix here, no sir).  Random frosting recipe from the internet.  While that was cooling I baked cookies.  Cut the cake in half. Sorry, lousy picture. Part of the cake broke when I took it out of my little dutch oven. Nothing disastrous though.  Frosted.  Not bad for my first cake ever. Frosting could look a little better, how do you cooking people do it? I let it sit in the fridge for a while to stiffen (probably a mistake) and then kinda trowled it on with a flexible spatula. Cookies are good, I've made this recipe dozens of times before. Why all this you ask? Tomorrow is my best friend's birthday, he's cooking a bunch of pork and asked me to bring dessert because I've been sending him all the pictures I've been taking of my pies. (I made more pies last weekend, hand pitted farmer's market cherries in a rice flour pastry for my aunt who is gluten intolerant)  Also I mowed the lawn (haven't had time in the last three weeks  ) and sharpened the blades.
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Aug 21, 2010 05:27
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Chill your cake before cutting it in half in the fridge and an icing spatula. The smoother your surface the easier it is to get smooth frosting on it. vv yes this too because I am a space cadet. It is called a crumb coat. Do it. Caitlin fucked around with this message at 21:52 on Aug 21, 2010 |
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Aug 21, 2010 10:42
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Also, do a thin crappy layer of icing to even out the surface, then chill, then a second nice layer.
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Aug 21, 2010 19:12
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Ok, so the second layer of frosting should be room temperature then? Folks liked the cake anyway, it was nice and moist and tasty as hell 
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Aug 22, 2010 06:46
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You can work with it slightly chilled depending on the type of frosting but I wouldn't leave it too close to the cooling element in your fridge, y'know? Sometimes that can be a matter of preference. It looks great though I'd eat the hell out of it.
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Aug 22, 2010 09:38
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You want it about the consistency of caulk rather than toothpaste or epoxy, does that make sense? Whipped cream cheese is maybe the best thing to compare it to. You want it to stay where you put it but be spreadable. The bullshit Betty Crocker buttercream spreadable icing-in-a-can might taste terrible (and be pretty bad for you) but it might make a good reference purchase that you can whip around and play with to get a feel for the ideal: the consistancy/spreadability is perfect at room temperature; it's designed to be usable with no lead time (like an hour in a fridge) for people who don't cook, don't have time, or need to ice a cake in a parking lot. I think icing is perfect for spreading when I can drag a spatula out of it and the dragged icing peak stays peaked rather than dropping back in the bowl. On the other hand I'm a firm believer that as long as it's awesome in the mouth, food can look any old way. Visual beauty is a nice bonus but worthless if it doesn't taste good. Also I <3 that dutch oven. I need one so I can try and figure out a healthy (ha!) chicken pot pie.
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Aug 22, 2010 10:30
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Thanks for the cake advice folks. Spilz, if you find a chicken pot pie recipe that won't give me heart disease, please share it.landis posted:The sky is an ever-changing canvas, too often obscured. There's something to be said about being able to see the horizon; see unobstructed sunrises/sunsets; see the full storm in all of its raw, terrible, glory; and see the vastness of the Milky Way and the rest of the universe.   I love my sky. So things are going pretty good. House is in order, shop's in order, life progressing nicely. Approaching fall at a rather rapid pace, need something to keep warm outside for those October barbecues. A firepit, specifically. Time to get landscapin' First off, bucket cart: transform into trailer.  This looks like a good spot.  Centre stake, baling twine tied to it as a protractor, rebar to mark the outside. 18 foot diameter.  Edged.  Ran over it with the cultivator a couple times to loosen the 'grass'. Didn't help a lot, it's too short for the cultivator to really grab. But hey, it's something.  Haul that poo poo out. The tractor was a huge help with this part, even if it was just tugging a little cart.  Done.  Went to my parent's place to pick up some of the bricks that I've stored there for over a year. They surprised me by having me for dinner, so I didn't have time to level it out in the middle and get the "foundation" ring placed. drat sun is setting at 8:30 now. gently caress.  The gravel, or uh, some of it, that will cover the dirt hole eventually. I calculated 9 meter diameter, 10cm depth, so I ordered 3 cubic yards. I think I'll need another pile this size, but it's a start.  Working in the art-coop store tomorrow, but I'll work on this some more if I get the chance.
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Aug 29, 2010 05:34
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Dug, and leveled. Built, yay. My friend gave me these bricks, but he ordered way too many. He was originally going to make a surround for his smoker, but he went in a different direction, so these became my housewarming gift  Graveled.  Stayed pretty level over construction.  Even had a little left over.  Low spot on the road. May as well fill it.  I put up 3 of these rain barrels. Been sitting on the loving things all summer, may as well put them to use.  I also built a  secret project More details on this tomorrow night, if it works.
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Sep 4, 2010 06:52
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Is it a still? Please be a still. If not, you should totally make a still. Moonshining is fun.
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Sep 4, 2010 07:55
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PopeCrunch posted:Is it a still? Please be a still. If not, you should totally make a still. Moonshining is fun. Better! It's a cold smoke generator. I needed to figure out something to do with all those extra bricks (at least for now) and I figured this would be a good thing to do with them. I bought this gorgeous looking sockeye fillet from costco for 15 bucks. Supposedly wild, it sure is red enough.  Prepped a brine and soaked it overnight. Mmm, pickled salmon.  Took it out of the brine and let it cure overnight.  Construction never ends at my place.  The chamber is pretty simple, 3x10 pipe nipple for the main body, a 3x 3/4 reducing tee, 3/4 x4 nipple for the smoke outlet, a bushing, a plug and a cap. Plus four drilled holes, one for the air pump inlet, and three for the ash gate support bolts. This spiral is pretty lovely but it's the best I could do last night after working on the firepit for ten hours. Whatever, it worked well enough for the initial run.  Wood charge.  Air pump to force smoke through the pipe.   After a couple hours, I added some medium (fake) cheddar cheese, because hey, why the gently caress not. I also added another layer of bricks to lower the smoke pipe and get the food higher up, closer to the smoke.  My backyard smelled so loving good all day.  Yesssss.   Sliced and on the "dehydrator" to finish up.  So. loving. Tasty. 
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Sep 5, 2010 05:52
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That does look appetizing, but unfortunately I know nothing about "smoking" food. So given my ignorance, at first glance I'd say you let raw fish rot in the open for several hours. How does "smoking" work and how does it kill germs and stuff? (ie how does it cook the food?) Edit: A quick check on wikipedia informs me that you still have to cook the food after cold-smoking. unleash the unicorn fucked around with this message at 08:15 on Sep 5, 2010 |
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Sep 5, 2010 08:12
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Ah, but the brine; that fish is salt-cured and cold-smoked.
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Sep 5, 2010 10:23
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Cold smoked, salt cured, and dehydrated. Kinda like jerky. Delicious salmony jerky.
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Sep 5, 2010 16:58
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Slung Blade posted:Cold smoked, salt cured, and dehydrated. How many times must I propose to you before it sticks? 
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Sep 5, 2010 23:57
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Slung Blade, I want to be you.
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Sep 8, 2010 14:22
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Heh. I just want to be his neighbor. Seems like it'd be good times. Plus Virginia is too loving hot 90% of the year. Canada still has cigarettes, right?
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Sep 8, 2010 18:30
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Wandering Knitter posted:How many times must I propose to you before it sticks? I'm pretty sure I asked first 
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Sep 9, 2010 02:59
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Slung Blade's threads are like the ultimate DIY housework/renovation/mad scientist motivational threads. Seriously, I read a Slung Blade thread and then went outside and weeded and edged my lawn. But now I need a new spool for my weedwhacker!Slung Blade posted:After a couple hours, I added some medium (fake) cheddar cheese, because hey, why the gently caress not. I also added another layer of bricks to lower the smoke pipe and get the food higher up, closer to the smoke. Smoked cheese?! 
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Sep 9, 2010 16:37
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Shucks, you folks are all awful nice.  Having some friends over for dinner tonight. Thought I'd make dessert early. Had just enough pastry left over in the freezer to make one pie.   For the filling, one egg, a little evaporated milk.  And a can of pre-made pumpkin pie filling. I would have prefered to make my own, but the store only sells cans of pumpkin big enough to make two pies, and I didn't have enough pastry. I added a little cinnamon and nutmeg because you can never have too much of those.    I have the means to make whipped cream too, but that won't be until later. If I get a chance I'll post the smoked roast I'm doing when it's done. Plus all the sausages and beets.
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Sep 18, 2010 21:08
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Post the pictures!
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Sep 18, 2010 21:33
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Pumpkin pie is my favourite pie. Now I need to make some, you monster
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Sep 18, 2010 22:09
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I want to see some pictures of that roast. I like that smoker design too... I may have to copy that in the near future
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Sep 18, 2010 22:11
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It's still smoking (in my weber smokey mountain) along with the sausages. I soaked it in red wine, red wine vinegar, and olive oil for three days. Then I use the liquid in the water pan, it makes the sausages taste awesome. Rub is a nice simple salt and pepper. Doing some cheese in the cold smoker.
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Sep 18, 2010 22:45
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Rock on, Weber Smokey Mountain bro 
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Sep 19, 2010 00:21
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My mouth just asploded with saliva!
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Sep 19, 2010 05:01
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Hypnolobster posted:Rock on, Weber Smokey Mountain bro  It was incredibly clear today. Seriously, check this out, the mountains are finally easily visible on the horizon.  (motherfucking click on it dammit) Man, there's a lot of snow on those things already. That means fall, and fall means it's the perfect time to plant trees and bushes. Start with where you want them, and drag your cultivator there.   And a curved bit on the northwest corner for variety.  Potato plow so I don't have to dig anything, because I am lazy as hell.  Tomorrow my folks will come by with all the nanking cherry bushes and saskatoon bushes that they've been looking after all summer. I bought them two years ago, they were delivered this spring, but it was really lousy planting weather. So we kept them in the relatively more sheltered yard that they have and they watered them for me, since I didn't have my rain barrels in place then. This little guy came from my mom's cousin's driveway. She apparently has a big tree that seeds like crazy, and we get little evergreens like this all the time from her. Awesome deal for me.  I planted it near the woodpile so it knows what will happen if it fails to grow. 
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Sep 26, 2010 00:58
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Between everything I've seen you post, I envy you real hard. I like to think of myself as a do-it-yourselfer, but you take it to another level. Great job.
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Sep 26, 2010 17:24
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Yay a Slung Blade update 
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Sep 26, 2010 18:40
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