Cabinet/pantry repair

Opened up the pantry cabinet to find a bit of a mess. 

The side of the cabinet let go, causing the shelf pins to bend, break and pull out of the side of the cabinet. 

Oh, for disclosure, this is the 2nd time it's done that, I just drilled the holes a little more and put in different pins and in 2, long dowels.  Maybe it's time to fix it. But how, when there's only access to 2 sides. 

It's 30" wide and 23" deep, about 4 feet high (the bottom section was affected, not the top) and holds a lot of stuff. Too much stuff, actually. 

Here's what I did: remove everything from the cabinet, sorted for gluten free or not. Tossed a cardboard can of bread crumbs from 2013. Pulled out the shelves, sat and stared for a while. 

Pull out the fridge and spend some quality time cleaning both the fridge, walls and the floor...It's not been out since 2005. Found some cat toys.

Devise a plan: replace the pins on the left with cleats, and add cleats to the back, and that way, screws can be driven thru the left wall into those cleats to hold the wall tight. It's fine in the front, as the oak face frame has held together. 

Just do a little measure, a little math, some cutting, drilling and screwing. Took a long time to do, partly because to get to the basement when the fridge is out of it's hole, you, well, I, have to go out the front door, around to the back door and down the stairs. I only forgot a few things, a few duplicitous trips. 

 Use a stick as a spreader bar clamp to wedge the side back into place.

The pins and holes on the right side are ok, so I didn't fix it. 
I imagine that the hard part will be getting Dawn to not put everything on one shelf, packed just as tightly together as possible. 

Dandelion jelly

I've got way too many dandelions. I know, I know. just spray. But you have to spray a lot for a couple years before they are gone. Due to being #stuckathome I've heard a lot about how nutritious and wonderful dandelions are...so I decided to pick some for jelly.

It's good exercise, get lots of fresh air, etc. Basically, just pick the flower, and get your scissors ready. 

Once they're picked, you use one hand to hold the petal part and scissors to separate them from the body, and this is when an observant sort will realize that dandelions are a lot like a thistle. 

Add water and bring to a boil, you're making a tea, or infusing the water with the dandelion-ness (essence) Once it boils, turn off heat and allow it to steep, overnight. No point in getting in a hurry about this. 

BTW, seems like the best time to pick dandelions is early to mid afternoon, unless it's hot, and then do it whenever they are in the shade.

I had picked the pot full of flowers, it was about half full once cut. And after I strained and squeezed out the 'tea" 

Adding pics from the phone makes it layout weird. When cooking, the tea smelled like broccoli. Once strained, it smells like and tastes like canned corn water. 

To make jelly, take some tea, add lemon juice and pectin, boil. Add sugar, taste. Adjust as required: more lemon juice, more salt, etc. Boil again. Put in jars. When it's cooking, it smells just like honey. Maybe it's due to me using some brown sugar with the white sugar. Dunno. 

I read a couple posts from people that made it, for one it didn't set, so she used it as honey. I figured if it didn't set that's what I'd do, too. Or as syrup. It might be great in a cocktail.  I also read a post about batter frying the flowers. 

It might be interesting to use the "tea" as vegetable stock when making soup, but I'm certain it's not worth the effort. While it didn't take too long to pick the things, it did take a long time to cut them. I imagine flavor of the tea is influenced by the amount of green that stays on, the amount of dog pee and the number of ants that hang on for the transfer. 

I picked every blooming dandelion in my yard. The next day there were just as many blooming. No wonder they take over an area. 

Try it.....you might like it.

Straw bale garden

A few years ago, I jumped on the straw bale garden bandwagon. A guy from MN got interested in it, devised a bunch of stuff, wrote a book or 2 and got somewhat famous. 

He has a FB page.

Fame, fortune. etc.

You may remember that I had a community garden plot a block over, but the property sold and we gave it up. I did enjoy the garden, and Susie had found this straw bale guy and tried it, with some degree of success. 

The only area in my yard with anywhere close to enough sun is on the north side, at the bottom of a hill, against the neighbor's chain link fence. So....I prop my bales against the fence, and used the fence to support my watering system. The straw holds a lot of water, but it holds it at the bottom of the bale, and the plants (most of the plants) grow from the top. You can put plants in the sides and bottom, too, if you want.

My watering system is some rebar bent on the ends 90*, slid into conduit welded to more rebar. That rebar is stuck into the ground and wired to the fence. The horizontal rebar has some bedframe angle iron welded to it and those lawn sprinklers that oscillate back and forth, in a big wave. You can adjust it so it's just one way, or just the other or just the center, etc. I mounted them upside down, set to the center, or just off, so that it rains onto the garden and not the lawn. I don't want to mow any more often than I have to mow....It works fine, or did........this year I acquired another bale. 

The first year I tried it I had 2, I think. Last year I got 4, and put what was left of the previous year's into the old recycle tub. so that measured 12', and worked great with the sprinkler. This year with another bale, I may have to turn the sprinklers over to get more use of the arc. 

Susie wanted a more automated system, and I had the brilliant idea that shower heads would be ideal. So we bought some fittings, some shower heads, I supplied some hose,  and since she had a broken ankle and Dawn had also recently had surgery, I put it together. I didn't work too well....not enough pressure, not enough water, something. The water just kind of dribbled out. Maybe her house has a bad prostate?

What is the point of all of this? Once upon a time when I was picking up pallets and free wood, I got 4 panels at a fireplace store, must have been a crate. They laid around for a long time, and then. THEN! I got an idea.  I put them alongside the bales, which shades them and also protects them from wind and of course that helps them to not dry. 

This year we planted a zucchini and a cucumber and a climbing flower. Hopefully they'll all climb up the fence and watering rebar. I might put some twine as vertical runners. We also planted a poblano, a jalapeno, 2 red bell, an orange bell and a couple of other peppers. A cherry tomato and early girl tomato.  I bought .58# white and yellow onions, at $2/lb.....so hopefully we'll have some onions. 

I also need another tomato cage, and I'm thinking about building one from wire. Just because I don't have enough frustration in my life.

So there it is, a tomato cage and onions planted.