Roses and Romantic Gardening

Romantic Gardening, a blog by Lorraine Syratt.
http://www.romanticgardening.com/
Lorraine has a blog devoted to romantic gardening, often with an emphasis on the English cottage style garden. She provides information on different types of flowers, especially roses. Her photos give great ideas for anyone who wants a romantic garden.

Math Games for Kids and Their Grownups

Math games online and offline can help learners acquire knowledge and confidence. Here are some math games websites with lots of games for counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and applications in algebra and geometry. We hope you have fun with these games.

Math Play

Cool Math Games.

The Bee Population Supports Our Lives.

The Bee Population Supports Our Lives. If bees are endangered, so are humans and the world's animals and plants.

Via Claire Thompson for Grist, part of the Guardian Environment Network

guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 January 2012 10.25 EST

Article history The Guardian, there is an article on the bee population. Without bees, no one eats.

For our homes, gardens, and farms, we need bees to ensure beautiful flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, and food for ourselves and our animals.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/13/honeybee-problem-critical-point

As noted by writer Tom Philpott, the EPA's scientists blamed pesticides for the cause of bee decline: "...specifically neonicotinoids (derived from nicotine), as a key factor. And neonicotinoids are a relatively new factor in ecosystems frequented by honeybees -- introduced in the late 1990s, these systemic insecticides have gained a steadily rising share of the seed-treatment market." Much of the pesticide in question is used on corn, often that is genetically-modified.

Here is a memo from the EPA, which states about clothianidin:

"Clothianidin's major risk concern is to nontarget insects (that is, honey bees)...Acute toxicity studies to honey bees show that clothianidin is highly toxic on both a contact and an oral basis." (page 2).

Participate in this issue with local, state, or federal agencies.
Check information on websites, such as PANNA, Pesticide Action Network North America.


Via Grist. Leaked Document Shows EPA Allowed Bee-Toxic Pesticide Despite Own Scientists' Red Flags. By Tom Philpott. December 10, 2010.
Via http://www.grist.org/article/food-2010-12-10-leaked-documents-show-epa-allowed-bee-toxic-pesticide-

Vegan Pecan Tarts

Vegan Pecan Tarts. Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe. December 09, 2011

I love to make and taste pecan tarts, especially with cream cheese crust. The yummy buttery taste of the crust along with the buttery, sugary filling with pecans, is a taste not to be missed in this life. Yet balanced with health care concerns about the effects of butter and other dairy products, many bakers are wondering how to keep great flavor but lessen possible health impacts.

This receipe for vegan pecan tarts calls for vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, and egg substitute. There is still the favorite brown sugar, both tasty and bringing its own set of health concerns.

Nevertheless, making a batch of these might be fun.

The Gaslight Inn, Seattle Washington

One of my favorite places to stay when I'm in Seattle is the Gaslight Inn. It's located on Capitol Hill, just east of downtown, and near Seattle Central Community College and the Broadway district, filled with restaurants, shops, and music venues. This inn is for adults, so plan for time away from the children and pets if you want to stay here.

The beautiful Craftsman home provides a welcoming calm with spacious ground-floor living rooms, wide hall, dining room, and study. Upstairs are spacious rooms, along with smaller rooms on the third floor.

The hosts welcome guests between 3 to 6 pm. During summer, plan to spend time at the outdoor pool. During cool autumn and winter evenings, plan to spend time by the gas fireplace, in comfy leather chairs, couches, or rocking chairs.

Within walking distance are plenty of restaurants offering a variety of foods. Go to nearby music venues for jazz, instrumentals, or the ever popular rock and alternative sounds.

For the smoothest arrival, try to beat the Seattle traffic before 3:00 pm. You'll see parking spaces announcing 2 hour parking between the hours of 7 am to 6 pm. Find a nearby space. When you get to Gaslight Inn, knock on the big oaken door or ring the doorbell for admittance. The host will greet you, and provide a parking pass to override the 2 hour limit.

The home has a large beautiful staircase. My advice is to pack as light as possible, or bring in luggage in stages. My host encouraged me to relax, which I did with a nice glass of Chardonnay and some cheese and crackers by the fireplace.

Downtown Seattle is just a few minutes away by car, or about 20 minutes by bus. It's not too far to walk, but it's downhill all the way, and uphill back, so bring comfy shoes if you want to walk.

I've included a few photos. The sophisticated yet homey ambience of Gaslight Inn creates a very nice place to stay when in Seattle.

Pork Roast Directions or How to Cook a Pork Roast by Mrs. Dashwood Sunday December 11, 2011

          How to Cook a Pork Roast at The Merry Rose Inn By Ms. Dashwood Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011

Tonight, I am cooking a pork roast. Great online directions include the Start Cooking website.

According to these directions, use a pork roast, about 3-5 pounds.
Keep any strings or netting on the roast until after cooking it.

Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat for 450 degrees.
Place the pork roast in a rack in a baking pan, with the fat side up.

Pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a small bowl.
Add a teaspoonful of a mixture of fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, or others.
Spread this mixture all over the pork roast.

Place the pork in the 450 degree oven.
Let it brown for 10 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees or 350.
(Note that the USDA recommends no lower that 350 degrees for pork roast).
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/roasting_those_other_holiday_meats/index.asp

Cook the roast until the meat thermometer shows an inner pork roast temperature of 145 degrees.
Cooking times will vary.
For a 3-5 pound roast, plan for 1-3 hours.
Check the roast every 30 minutes or so.

Store left over pork roast in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Freeze left overs, either in a whole piece or cut up for chili or stir fry.
Thaw in the fridge. Gently reheat in oven, a covered dish with a little water for moisture.
The website Cook's Illustrated Recipes That Work offers some ideas in their forum.
Freezing/Reheating a Cooked Pork Roast. Cook's Recipes that Work.
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/ibb/posts.aspx?postID=187134

For detailed directions, check out the Start Cooking website. There are clear photos and directions, along with an informative forum.

References and Resources

How to Cook a Pork Roast
posted in Main Dishes by Kathy Maister
http://startcooking.com/blog/198/How-to-Cook-a-Pork-Roast

Freezing/Reheating a Cooked Pork Roast. Cook's Recipes that Work.
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/ibb/posts.aspx?postID=187134

Roasting Those "Other" Holiday Meats. USDA.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/roasting_those_other_holiday_meats/index.asp

November Home and Garden 2011 by Ms. Knudsen Dashwood

This post originates in a cold, windy, snowy climate. As Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the holiday season approach, here are some gardening  tips for the month of November. Written in October 1999, the tips offer ways of keeping gardens through the winter cold and ready for spring.
The Garden Helper: Gardening in the Month of November. Posted October 19, 1999.