Whole Wheat Molasses Date Yeast Bread. 6.8.22

 Today I celebrated the filing-of-the-propane-tank (at DOUBLE the cost two years ago OMG not LOL) by baking bread and cookies.  I used the recipe for white sandwich bread, and made the following substitutions:

The white sandwich bread called for 3 cups of bread flour.  That is too much so I have reduced by 1/4 cup.  This time, I substituted 1 cup of whole wheat flour for 1 cup of white bread flour.  So this one had 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 3/4 cups unbleached white bread flour.

I also substituted 2 tbsp dark molasses for the 2 tbsp sugar.

I used canola instead of butter, avoiding some animal fats.   Added 1/2 tsp butter extract for flavor,

I also did a space cadet thing and used 1/2 cup each milk and water, but the water should have been 3/4 cup.  I don't think it mattered much, because I try to knead for consistency and not just measure.  Plus, the molasses added some moisture.

Then I added about 1/3 cup chunks of Medjul dates.  I added those after the mixer kneading step, flattened out the dough, spread half of the dates, rolled it up, spread out the other half, then rolled it up and kneaded a couple more times.

Other than those changes, it's almost the same as the King Alfred White Sandwich Loaf recipe LOL.

I think the second rise was a little too much - it fell a little while baking.  It was an hour rise, but maybe 50 min would be better (or I judged height of risen loaf based on expectation with a little more dough due to the liquids issue).  Even so, this was quite a tasty loaf, moist, great texture.  Really nice, and with a little tweaking will probably be even better. 

Dwarf Tomato Updates. 6.6.22

 With so much rain, the paper mulch under the dwarf tomatoes was deteriorating.  I think it's needed because they don't have modern hybrid fungal resistance built in.  Much tomato fungal disease  comes from splashing spores from soil to leaves during rain and watering.  The paper mulch prevents that.

So, I made a cardboard mulch from Amazon boxes.  The cardboard mulch should last the summer.  If the rains stop and I need to turn on the drip irrigation, that's no problem.  The drip emitters are under the mulch.

After growing season is over, the cardboard can be composted.  Easy.  

I also used the opportunity to give the tomatoes a dose of tomato fertilizer.  They actually look nice and deep green, so I think most are doing well.  There are a couple of stragglers, notably Brandyfred.  That is different from last year.

  Extreme Dwarf.

New Big Dwarf.

Dwarf CC McGee.

Dwarf Champion Improved.

Golden Dwarf Champion

Livingston Dwarf Stone.

Reisentraube.  I don't know that this is a dwarf variety, but it's not putting on much height so far.

One nice thing about the cardboard mulch is I can use a sharpie to label the plants.  I don't know if the ink will last the summer - it's fading on some plants I mulched with kraft paper.

What's Blooming. 6.6.22

 Itoh Peony.  I moved these earlier this year, and didn't really expect for them to bloom.

Another Itoh peony.  I moved this one last summer.  It looked near dead, but here it is.

Sarracenia.

Raspberries.  With bees.

An English rose, "Happy Child"

Brugmansia. 6.5.22

 Many years ago I grew a Brugmansia for a few years.  Actually, looking back through older pists, I grew a few of them.  Somehow I let them go.  I was thinking about growing one again.  I couldn't find seeds or plants.  Last week I saw one at Tsugawa.

Here it is after I repotted it.  I wonder if it should be that pale.  I have also given it some fertilizer and now it is outside all day.

Here it is now.  Label states the variety is Charles Grimaldi, who was the first in the Grimaldi dynasty to rule the city-state of Monaco near the French Riviera.

Looking back through my notes, here were some earlier ones.  2007

Another one in 2013.

Some Annual Flowers, Update. 6.4.22

 The carnations are growing nicely.  These may be perennial in warmer or drier winters.  I don't know about here.  I think they would benefit from some warm, sunny weather.

Statice.  During chillier weather the leaves were all red.  The newer leaves are green.  They need some warm, sunny weather to get growing.

African Marigold,  I started these last week or so.  These will be big and tall.

French Marigolds.  These were from saved seeds.  I don't know why germination was so sparse.  I just now sowed a second tray with a different batch of saved seeds.

Salpiglossis.  I have never grown them before and don't know what to expect.  The seed packet flowers were very nice.

Thunbergia.  I wonder if I should have started them a month ago.  They are African plants, and I waited hoping for warmer conditions.  Germination was described in some websites as difficult.  I think about 1/3 of these germinated.  Also called "Black Eyed Susan Vine".

The sweet peas don't look like much yet.  I don't know if they will come out of it.

Yesterday and today I sowed cosmos, zinnias, various marigolds, cleome, outside.

Cosmos I sowed in containers.  Germination wasn't great, might be old seeds.  The ones I sowed outside are home saved from last year, a d sometimes they come up volunteer, so there might be more of those.

Ditto for cleome.  I don't want a lot, but re-sowed seeds in the cells with no growth so far.

Four O'Clocks, not pictured.  I'll have to do that later.  They are growing by leaps and bounds.