Tag Archives: Howard County

The View from the Yard

Posted on November 8, 2012 by AnnieRie

No, not Camden. Dayton. Our yard. Where we have spent countless hours the past week, cleaning up and getting ready for winter. We spent lots of time outside, since our house was so cold. I was going to title this post, Heat, Glorious Heat.

When I came home today from dropping off food, cleaning supplies and clothes at the hocorising household for Mrs. hocorising to take to Jersey, I came home finally to a warm house. The heat pump is fixed. All is right in my world. Some mornings the temps on our first floor were in the 50s, and we were wearing fleece sweaters and/or vests all day. Going outside to work was better than shivering in the kitchen or family room.

So, what did we get to see outside. Mostly, since the leaves are falling, we got to see what trees were down, or coming down, since the canopy is gone and you can see the bare branches. It looks like we still have a fair amount of work to clean up the large pieces, so we don’t lose the trees we want to keep on our property line. You see, we moved out here for the privacy and between last year’s hurricane, this June’s derecho, and Superstorm Sandy, we lost quite a bit of deciduous cover.

sheared off trees of heaven

Some of our better older trees were damaged too. The derecho sheared off trees, while the hurricane uprooted them. We now need to decide what to plant to maintain our property line.

What also is amazing is how many pine cones came down. I have been collecting them for the Conservancy to use at the Natural Crafts Fair for Christmas. The first weekend in December as part of the crafts fair, they set up an area for children to make really adorable gifts using pine cones, acorns, wood, sticks and other natural items. I have a boatload of pine cones. The description from the web site. Put it on your calendar.

HC Conservancy — DEC 1 – Saturday 9 am to 3 pm Natural Holiday Sale and Crafts. Enjoy a lovely Saturday. Browse tables of natural gift items, create critters from seed pods and natural gatherings. Enjoy beautiful music with a cup of tea. Our popular holiday sale with talented local craft vendors, delicious refreshments, and nature critter crafts for the children of all ages. FREE.

Now that the ground cover is gone, and you can see the property line, you can find the old fence posts and barbed wire that delineated the horse pasture from other parts of the original farm. Our house is in the middle of what was the horse pasture. That is why our soil is so good, all that lovely horse manure churned into the soil, turning clay into something lovely.

It is interesting living here. We have fruit trees, hickory trees, berry bushes, mulberry trees, all sorts of ground covers and grasses. I love the meadow every season.

Our crab apples got many of their berries knocked off, but my neighbor’s did OK. Hopefully, that means we will have our resident cedar waxwings hanging around gorging on berries. Like they did last year. They love it here, even if it gets a little windy.

Just another fall week in West County.

hocoblogs@@@

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Ugly Food Does Taste Better

Posted on November 7, 2012 by AnnieRie

There is a web site out there, at least one, named Ugly Food Tastes Better. I have to heartily agree. Sometimes the messiest looking dinners taste the best.

Tonight I did another brinner. You know, breakfast for dinner. Mostly local. It proves you can eat well using locally sourced items, even in the fall when the weather is bad.

Omelet with local veggies in it. Local sausage, and local bread. The bread, Atwater’s rosemary Italian, toasted and drizzled with brown butter. The sausage, TLV farms pork sizzlers with sage. The omelet. TLV eggs with Roots domestic parmesan, and a hash brown mix made with TLV potatoes, CSA green pepper and onion.

Most of the dinner slow cooked in the oven while we worked outside. The bacon, from Boarman’s was also in there so I could have bacon for salads and for soups. It was smoked bacon bought a while back.

sausage, bacon and hash browns slow cooking

I also added mushrooms from Mother Earth, a PA company. They were bought at Boarman’s too. As the omelet cooked, I added all the goodies down the middle.

The omelet was perfectly cooked in butter bought at Baugher’s. Not completely local, but from Troyer’s, an Amish company in Ohio. The browned butter left in the pan was soaked up by the toast made with Atwater’s bread.

Not a bad way to have dinner. And, to celebrate the snow looking to miss us. Thankfully.

hocofood@@@

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A Snow Sky

Posted on November 7, 2012 by AnnieRie

After a lovely day yesterday, today we wake to a prediction of snow. Don’t know how much, but whatever we get, it won’t hang around long if the temperatures rise to the 50s and 60s like they are supposed to reach over the weekend.

I gave the ornamental grasses their fall pruning. I have one left to do. Otherwise, they blow all over the property. We also did a massive leaf cleanup during the lovely weather yesterday. The piles sit waiting for our rake and take compost partner to pick up in her truck sometime soon. She hauled away almost this much yesterday. At least our leaves are turning into compost for gardens. Some of it here. Some of it just down the road from us, at our partner’s home.

If you live out here in west county, and don’t get yard waste removal, like us, consider partnering with the county rake and take program to turn your leaves into compost. Our partner has lots of conifers, but not the deciduous trees needed for that brown component for compost. The yard is getting bare of leaves, with the exception of our maple, which is just turning now.

Besides the leaves and the sky, today I found new residents feasting on the suet. It has been a while since we have seen the red breasted nuthatches. Two of them have been here lately, and one was on the far side of the suet while I was taking leaf pictures. The other, in the tree above, was a little harder to photograph.

red breasted nuthatch

Did you know that the nuthatches are the only birds that can travel head first down the side of a tree? This picture is a little blurry, but you get the action.

Now that I have had a coffee break, and downloaded the morning pictures, it’s time to get back out there and cut back the last of the ornamental grasses. I left the largest one for last. But still, all in all, spending the day outdoors enjoying the fall foliage left on the property, is one of the simple pleasures of living out here.

Here’s to the weekend looking as lovely as yesterday. If you get the chance, head outside this weekend to an outdoor event, or to one of the markets. Here’s the Ellicott City calendar.

hocoblogs@@@

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What Goes Around Comes Around

Posted on November 6, 2012 by AnnieRie

I have to admit, learning the new shorthand used in tweeting and in texting, as well as some of the acronyms around here has been interesting at best, and downright confusing at times.

It used to be that we, the govvies in the area, i.e., government employees, were the best at making entire conversations using acronyms designed to confound our non-govvy friends and family.

“I work at NHTSA on IVBSS and I will be at UMTRI next week”. “I work at NSWC on the MK 116 ASW FCS”. Our pasts. The DH and me.

What’s a DH, you say? Same as an OM. Dear Husband. Old man. One picked up on web forums years ago, the other an amateur radio standard. It is why my gmail account has xyl in the address. I am the wife, aka x-young lady, of a ham.

Now, my blogging friends here in the area are working to get uniform hashtags that we use when we tweet. Whenever I put up a post I sent it off to twitterland using #hoco. These days #hoco is overrun by colleges and homecoming, and we are getting lost in the noise about whose dress is best, and who can get more drunk. It seems to be time for us to find a new place to “hang out”, and we have graduated to using #hocomd more.

Jessie over at Jessie X, who also cofounded and administers hocoblogs where about 300 of us are more or less active about blogging in the County, or about the County, is working to get us to use more specific hashtags.

I feel like I am back at work, learning new acronyms after changing jobs. What used to be the geekiness of our govvy lives is now the new normal of social media. Like, learning a whole new language.

Add to that, in our world, where we have been active in amateur radio, a “shack on a belt”, or HT (handy talkie), once a sign of real nerdiness, with the hands free headphone really stood out. Now, you can lose yourself in the midst of the bluetooth crowd. What was once cause for comments, and a little ridicule, is now mainstream.

As I said, what goes around comes around. The entire world has become geeky. What the heck. If you can’t beat them, join them.

So, Jessie asked me to become the queen of #hocolocavore and #hoconature on the spreadsheet being assembled for county tweets. I promise to try and remember to use them. At least I do remember to use my hocoblog hashtags appropriately, like the one at the end of this post.

So, when I post about local foods and farmers, I will be using #hocolocavore.

And, about the Conservancy, or the birds, or the garden. #hoconature

And, since I am attempting to complete NaBloPoMo (look that one up!), there will be lots to read about Howard County.

hocoblogs@@@

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November Events at the Conservancy

Posted on November 5, 2012 by AnnieRie

Two upcoming events take place in the next few weeks at the Howard County Conservancy. Both of them are popular topics and are worth checking out.

The first one is this Saturday, the 10th. With winter coming, our winged friends need a little help being fed. A “wonder walK” from 10-12 Saturday morning will focus on how to make simple items to keep your neighborhood birds, and probably also the squirrels, happy. There will be a short presentation outside if the weather cooperates, or inside, if not, focusing on the birds that generally stay in Howard County in the winter, and what they like to eat.

There will also be the opportunity for attendees to make at least one “menu item” to take home or to hang out on the conservancy grounds, for the birds to enjoy. Plus, learn some tips to keep birds coming to your house all winter, including attracting bluebirds. The wonder walks are always free.

Another amazing presentation by the popular nature photographer, George Grall. NOV 16 – Fri. 7 pm – Revisiting Spring Pools: The Amphibian Awakening and More. His programs have completely sold out in the past, as his photography is awesome. Featured often in National Geographic, he has been writing articles and providing photos to the Society since 1990. Newsweek, Smithsonian, Life, Nature Conservancy, Audubon, International Wildlife, National Wildlife, GEO, Le Figaro, and a host of other international publications have also honored his work.

The George Grall program is one of those “don’t miss” evenings. Put it on your calendar. The admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door, if there is any space left. Children under 8 are free.

hocoblogs@@@

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On a Mission for MicroGreens …

Posted on November 4, 2012 by AnnieRie

… and a turkey order for Thansgiving.

I wanted microgreens. Was sorry that Breezy Willow didn’t make yesterday’s Glenwood Market, as I know they generally have them. It is one of the items I buy from them often. That meant, if I wanted organic, I could hit Roots or go to Olney. Our House Farm sells organic veggies at the Olney market. Today was the last day of the Sunday morning farmer’s market and artisan fair. I got my greens fix and I’m happy.

With the rest of these goodies I will be making salad with dinner tonight. Check out my last heirloom home grown pineapple tomato, bag ripened in the laundry room. It, along with Our House Farm scallions, a hothouse cucumber from another Olney market stall, some sliced mushrooms and the last of the CSA radishes will be a big part of tonight’s dinner.

Dinner tonight will be salad, focaccia and the end of my potato leek soup that I made last week. The mushrooms in the picture were picked up at Boarman’s, where I stopped off to put in my Maple Lawn Farm turkey order. We always order our turkey at Boarman’s and pick it up the day before Thanksgiving. That way we also put in an order for sausage to make dressing, and this year I got some shrimp. You can put together an order and just arrive there and pay. We tried the craziness of getting onto Maple Lawn Farm, and this is way easier.

If you live anywhere in Howard County and want fresh turkey that can’t be beat, Maple Lawn is the place to get it. My turkey before and after, from last year.

my 2011 whole fresh turkey

oven roasted fresh turkey

Now, all I need to do is get going on making my sauerkraut. Hope we get cabbage from the CSA soon. My kraut usually needs at least a week to be the way I like it.

hocofood@@@

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What Do You Find at a Fall Market?

Posted on November 3, 2012 by AnnieRie

As anyone knows who reads my blog, I am a big advocate for supporting our local farmers and buying at our markets. I was pleased to see that three of our five markets have expanded their season into the fall. Until the weekend before Thanksgiving, there will be Howard County markets.

I went out to Glenwood today. I was late as we were doing some cleanup this morning, and I was on gum ball duty.

gum balls, covering the ground

I suppose I should call it good news, bad news, as all of them came down at once during the hurricane. We were trying to get a few things done before my husband went into his cave and radio contests the rest of the weekend. I am now free to hit the markets and the craft festival tomorrow.

As for Glenwood, all were there except for Breezy Willow and Bowling Green. Zahradka was already cleaning up at noon, but was offering some bargains if you needed veggies. I don’t, except for a few white potatoes. I got them at TLV, as well as eggs and meat.

The eggs, I got two dozen as I am completely out, and you need to put a dozen away in the back of the fridge for at least two weeks before you can hard boil them. Fresh eggs don’t hard boil as well as older ones.

extra large free range eggs

As for their meat, I got some kielbasa and some sausage with sage.

I popped over to Lewis Orchards to pick up some Jonah gold apples. A large basket, as we are out of apples again.

Stopped at Stone House for gingerbread, which became dessert tonight. And to pick up a loaf of their multigrain to put in the freezer to use with a soup later in the week.

Finally hit the Breadery for that focaccia I had with dinner, and to get a loaf of whole wheat for toasting with our eggs, and sandwiches this week.

Since I was late, I don’t know what all Zahradka had, as it was mostly in the truck. I did see eggplant, peppers and onions. TLV also had squash, pumpkins and gourds. Honey, and their bottled and jarred goodies like pumpkin butter, bread and butter pickles. Lewis Orchards had apple cider too.

Let’s see. Bread, meat and potatoes. Fruit, dessert, coffee from the Cosmic Bean. You can make a meal with the goodies at our markets. Try and stop at one of the three markets and support our farmers in their last two weeks of the season. Get some fresh local items for your Thanksgiving feast.

hocofood@@@

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One Year Old

Posted on November 2, 2012 by AnnieRie

Today is the anniversary of launching this blog. I looked back at my first month of blogging to see what I wrote and what I thought I would do with it.

I uploaded wordpress and tried out the software. Used a friend’s sunset pic, and off I went. I wrote mostly about my CSA the first month, and a few random posts. I didn’t know if I wanted to be a food blog …

my “frozen” pizza

… or if I wanted to post about retirement, or the west county where I live. Turns out, I run all over the place, so I suppose I fit most in the category of personal.

Life in retirement in west county keeps us busy, between hobbies, projects, volunteering and traveling just a bit. I settled on being a locavore, locapour, foodie, retiree. Too many interests? I think not. Add to that our birding, and amateur radio, and we keep out of trouble most days.

Life continues out here as we clean up the small mess the storm left behind. This puppy is one of our favorite purchases, as it becomes invaluable to me as a gardener.

the leaf vacuum, branch chipper, my mulching friend

Right now my better half is creating mulch from all the small tree limbs I collected off the property, for me to use to cover the garlic for the winter. The garlic has sprouted, so it needs a warm cover to overwinter. It obviously loved all that moisture the past week and came up with quickly. I noticed it this morning.

organic garlic planted in October

Besides the tree limbs, the mulched leaves turn into compost for us and our rake and take partner.

Also around here at home, the antennas were re-hung yesterday in advance of this weekend’s contest. I will be hitting markets and shopping, and my husband will be calling CQ. He got the 80 meter antenna up yesterday with a little help from me, and is now on all bands but 160 meters. Not bad with wires. The crank up towers should be going up soon, which will get him better directionality once he gets a beam or two in the air.

Obviously we have enough to do and I have enough to write about, just here in Howard County. Let’s see if I can continue to find inspiration and new topics, as well as report on what’s happening. Saturday I will be popping up to Glenwood market, then heading over to the Fairgrounds to check out the Craft Spectacular. Sunday, up to Olney to see how they are going to transition to an indoor market this winter. I want to talk to their organizers.

Out at the Conservancy, we are working on having a one day, market fest, winter style, in January. Who knows? Maybe we can get something going more often here in Howard County. Can’t hurt to look into it. At least, by having a market in Olney this winter at the Sandy Spring Museum, we have some local goodies to buy year round.

Another project I will love to put on my plate. Year round locavore. With lots of friends around here getting interested in supporting our farms, we could do this.

hocoblogs@@@

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Eating Locally: The Wrap Up for Summer

Posted on November 1, 2012 by AnnieRie

The Summer SOLE Food Challenge, SSFC, is over. I made it through remembering to post almost every week. Eating locally is so easy around here when the markets are still hopping.

Today is the East Columbia Market. Miller Library finished yesterday. The Glenwood and Oakland Mills markets will continue until the weekend before Thanksgiving, and East Columbia ends on the 15th of November. Stocking up on meats from the markets will allow me to continue to put something made in Howard County on my table throughout the winter.

We haven’t heard yet what would be included in the delivery and whether our CSA delivery will take place today. After I finish with the first graders at the Conservancy, I am either picking up a fall delivery, or heading to East Columbia to get a few things. I let the refrigerator get pretty empty before the storm.

I did remember to take some tomatoes and pesto out of the freezer yesterday so tonight there will be pizza with TLV bacon, tomatoes and pesto from my garden, and Bowling Green mozzarella. Mostly local, except for the crust.

The pesto and oven roasted tomatoes are defrosting today. The bacon is out, and I will fry up the entire package, crumble it and use it in salads, omelets and soups. I need eggs, as I hit zero yesterday. Sounds like a trip to TLV Saturday is in store.

You can eat healthy, organic, IPM, non GMO foods around here fairly easily. The ten of us from our challenge have all signed on to continue looking for sources and posting about what we do in the winter. Details are being worked out by us now. I will modify my Food Challenges page to reflect it.

I made a really good crock pot potato leek soup last night, letting the soup cook while we cleaned up the house, and put things back where they belonged. No pictures, because besides being exhausted, two of the potatoes were purple so the soup looked a little weird.

Yes, you can mix all sorts of potatoes into that soup. One of them was even a white sweet potato. I put half the soup in the blender just before serving so we had chunky creamy soup. Four leeks, all the potatoes, an onion, a little celery from the fridge, my homemade veggie broth as a starter, and towards the end I added a cup of almond milk to make it creamy but keep it lactose free. Everything was cut into cubes or small pieces and dumped in the crock pot with a little salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.

OFf to chase first graders around for a few hours. We are teaching rocks, fossils and extinct animals. Should be a fun morning. Here’s hoping the sun comes out.

hocofood@@@

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Making A Difference

Posted on October 31, 2012 by AnnieRie

LisaB, Mrs.S had a great post about how lucky most of us were, when it came to the end of the wind and rain. In her update she mentioned The Volunteer Center and what they recommend in terms of helping out in the aftermath of the storm. I am monitoring that site to see when they get requests for help, and will post any opportunities I find.

I agree we were extremely lucky. A little bit farther south if the storm had turned up the Chesapeake Bay instead of going at New Jersey, and we could have had more damage across the area and the state. Right now, as I write this, 50000 people in the BGE coverage area still have no power 48 hours after the beginning when the earliest bands of bad weather started hitting Maryland. Anything we can do to assist our neighbors in the county and state will be helpful.

I agree that any financial help we can give the organizations that regularly assist others is the best way to help. But even little things mean quite a bit, and helping the other organizations in the area as well as the disaster relief organizations is just a way to give back if you were one of the lucky ones.

I will take some of my items to the Food Bank. They always need assistance, County residents who could use the help whether or not the storm affected them. I spent some time this morning looking through the pantry for items I bought and didn’t use, and to gather up those tuna cans and other staples that I can easily spare, and replace later, like pasta and sauces.

a bag for the food bank

I will also finally get the bag together for the local clothing collection bins, like the St. Vincent de Paul bin down at Kendalls Hardware. The contributions to them go to local residents in Maryland. I really do need to let go and donate all those extra work clothes I no longer need. I mean, one or two blazers, a few skirts, that’s all I need. Not the huge work wardrobe I still have sitting in a spare closet. Gloves, hats and shoes, too. I had way too much stuff left after retiring. Time to have it help another, who would like to have nice work clothes, or dress clothes.

Besides all that, I will make a point to help the disaster organizations with a donation. If you, like us, were relatively unaffected by this disaster that hit the east coast, consider helping out in whatever way you can, even if it is something as simple as helping an elderly neighbor clean up debris, or giving blood, or writing a small check.

Making a difference. Here at home.

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