Bake and Shake

Here they are.

There were more. I had to thin the flock, and the first 'pinch' was hard, in ways I feel dumb talking about. There are times I look at them and feel like we're ready to go out into the garden right now, if they've survived ten or so days of of my overbearing love, and still managed to sprout their first sets of true leaves (the microscopic green bits in the very middle of each seedling), why not? And then I look at this picture, and realize how small they are, how much further they have to go before we're even close to anything that counts.

Which is why I'm feeding them Human Growth Hormone.

Germination Impatience

I have a question for any of you who may have ordered seeds from Seed Savers Exchange over the past few years - I'm starting my tomatoes right now, and while most of my seeds from Tomato Bobs and Botanical Interests have begun to sprout, not a single SSE has poked it's little white loop out of the soil, let alone straightened up - a couple of varieties from the other companies have yet to do so as well (Marmande from TB, and Roma from BI), but I'm not as worried.

So, if you've started seeds from SSE before, did you notice longer germination times? They've been 'cooking' for almost 6 days now, and I've read that some tomato seeds can take up to two or three weeks. If this is the case, I'm down, but I'd also really like to use my oven soon (more on that later). And of course I hope they take, because the lagging varieties (especially Black Plum, SSE) are the ones I'm most excited about.

And let's give a high five to Ms. Best Canadian Weblog herself, J over at Everybody Likes Sandwiches!

"They look like little...Caramel Burgers!" Also known as Alfajores

"This time, the Alfajore. Next time, Grandpa's leg. I don't want your brother in the house, Phil."

I found this recipe on lovely Patricia's site, and divided the work up between two days a few weeks back, right before life turned it up. The cookies, by themselves, are strange, the cornstarch definitely loud and clear. But pressed cheek to cheek with dulce de leche and dusted with soft, feathery drifts of powdered sugar and left to sit for a bit, they soften and meld into a confection worth cupping your chin for, to catch the falling sugar but even so there's no doubt you'll get a little on and in your nose, and endure coke jokes from friends and loved ones. Most likely no, though, because your friends and family are classy, delicate people, like the mom and dad in 'Home Alone'.

My brain would be more than happy with that proposed betrothal

Big Ups, Daily Coyote! Thank you.

SPAZ OUT: And get that hoe out of the garage. Before dad gets home.

Here's my gardening plan thus far - rip up a bunch of used tissues, scatter them in the wind, watch some 'Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory' and call it a day.

Not at all, really, though. Gardening has consumed me, and not in decent ways. For one, my plans have outsourced - my original, space-friendly "All by myself" idea of containers was nixed, and the original "Hey, could I use some of your land?" query has turned into "I hope you don't really like that tiny dogwood tree you planted as a memorial for our dead dog when I was eleven, because I've got crops to get in." No. The cardboard coffin and dogwood are staying. Probably. Yeah, no, totally, they're staying.

Yeah.

But now other family members are in on it, who are renting or have limited space and suddenly "I'd like to grow some cherry tomatoes" has turned into "Well, why has no one talked about chickens in a serious tone of voice yet?" Come to my farm, guys, except it isn't mine and it isn't legal and don't bring your children because I don't even think there are any band-aids in the house, on the land, that isn't mine.

This is what we all want, though, right? When obsessions become group efforts they are way less creepy. I can talk about the difference between organic seed and basil strains with someone at a normal volume, and not just sneak it in to the conversation like "That's great she's going to be making 45K right out the gate, at 23...I would just like to know your opinion on beets."