Drones and the Garden

So, many years ago we got onto the "go get a drone" craze and bought this little thing with a camera thinking we would be able to get some good drone shots like everyone was saying you could get.

Suffice to say those pics never happened. This was due to many things.  The most inhibiting factor was the extremely difficult steering of the drone itself.  We at first thought this was a user error.  We'd never flown a drone before and who were we to think it would be just so easy?

Well, after many years we broke the drone back out for some very simple shots.  We figured we couldn't miss now that we had met someone who actually flies drones for a living.  Yes this is an actual job where you deliver goods by drone.  He looked at the little thing and told us how cute it was and that it shouldn't be difficult.......  Then he wept.

Not only is the drone super hard to fly for ANYONE, it's size makes it doubly so.  Within 30 seconds he had nearly lost the drone over a fence. In less than a minute he had crashed it twice and one of the guards fell off.  So no, we aren't necessarily bad drone pilots, we just have a crap drone.

So what about the fact that it has a camera and can take pictures?  Well, due to its crappiness, and low signal strength, if we ever got it high enough to take a good aerial photo, the wind would carry it off into oblivion and we would probably never see it again.

Looks cute hovering 1 foot above the ground though, doesn't it?

Local Cattails

Growing up we did a lot of camping.  So much so that I might go a month before I had a weekend at home.  On the plus side of things though that meant I learned a lot about the world outside of the four walls. Among them was plants.  Of course we had a garden and I was taught a lot about that as well but the wild plants you can harvest and use for various reasons such as the cattail

These guys are on my way home from work. They grow in a ditch near a corn field so they always get some water throughout the year.  They particularly sprang up during the spring rains we had.  And if you've read much of this blog you know we had a lot of it.

These plants are super edible.  The brown cattails can be harvested young and added to recipes in various ways.  These are a bit thinner than the ones we were around down in Southeast Texas.  There they were nearly twice the size of these.  But the one thing I always found fascinating was that the roots are edible.  I've yet to try them but originally I was told they were usable like potatoes.  Looking into this more, they are nothing like potatoes...  They are a grass and they are more like, well, grass.  One site said that after cooking they are eaten like an artichoke, peeling back the leaf areas to eat the starchy stuff at the bottom.

Bird Watching

This is a perfect spot for the cats to look outside and watch the birds.  Of course since there aren't many trees, bushes, or anything else really to attract the birds we've put in a bird feeder a few feet away from the window so the birds can come and not be too close to the cats to be startled by them.

So far we have a few little birds that have found the feeder and water tray below.  The wire basket keeps the seed from getting too wet but at the same time lets the shells fall through.

I'm sure at some point we'll have plenty of things attracting bids and I'll be wondering why I ever though attracting them in the first place was a good idea. For now though it helps keep the cats busy and their minds active.  I like watching them as well so for now it's a win/win.

I think I'll get smaller food though since I think the little birds are more likely to be the ones coming to eat here.

At the apartment we had some feeders but the birds never came.  I mean, like NEVER!  It was sad.  At least we had rabbits hopping around though.  That's something I joked about relocating to the house but that would not be a great idea.  The dig a lot and would wreak havoc to everyone's flower beds.

What's a bird you've always liked to watch?   Leave a comment below.

Lemon Passionfruit Bars

For my wife's mystery series she likes to make recipes for the different books. This one is a lemon and passion fruit bar that I ended up having to finish myself because she had a teaching gig this last week.  It came out pretty good though.  It was supposed to have more passionfruit jam than we had but it still looks good.  The seeds really make it pop.

One of the seeds I'm not so fond of are blackberry seeds.  They just about always get stuck in the teeth.  Also watermelon seeds just because there are so many of them.  We got peaches recently and they too have a seed problem but a much different one.  Many peaches have a hard time removing the pit and much of the peach gets wasted.  I love when they have the freestone peach though, that sucker comes right out.

Talked about passion fruit recently but it was about the vine and flowers, how they didn't really look real in person.  That might be something to grow though since they really do taste good.

What are some other fruits that have seeds that you find annoying or at the least problematic?  Another one for me used to be pomegranates but I've since learned how to cut them to release the seeds (also get stuck in the teeth) without much hassle.

So I haven't actually put many recipes before but for all of you who might want to make this, here's the recipe

Butter, for greasing the pan

1 box (10 oz.) Chocolate Teddy Grahams

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the Lemon Curd

1 tsp gelatin powder

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Finely grated zest of 2 limes

½ c. lemon juice

¼ c. lime juice

10 oz. sugar

8 large eggs, at room temperature

6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pats

For the Glaze Layer

½ tsp gelatin powder

10 oz. Passionfruit jam

 

Use butter to grease a 9” x 11” baking dish (which we call our lasagna pan). Line the dish with parchment paper, letting the paper drape a few inches over the long sides of the pan. Set aside.

Place the chocolate Teddy Grahams in a blender and pulse until crumbly. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is the texture of damp sand.  (Originally we tried to use 4 Tbsp. but the crumble was not good.  I think too much was left in the bowl we melted it in.)  Pour the graham mixture into the prepared pan and use the bottom of a cup to press the crumbs down, to make an even crumb layer.  Place the crust layer in the refrigerator to chill.

For the curd, sprinkle 1 tsp. gelatin over 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes until it blooms.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine lemon and lime zest, lemon and lime juice, sugar and eggs.  Whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until thickened. Remove the mixture from the heat. Add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until it dissolves. Add the butter in batches, whisking until melted.

Strain the curd through a fine sieve over the chilled chocolate graham crust. Spread evenly, then refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. (I left this overnight for a nice solid base)

When it is almost ready, sprinkle the other ½ tsp. gelatin over ½ Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes until it blooms.

Heat the passionfruit jam in a microwave-safe bowl until warm.  This should be just above body temperature.  Add the gelatin and stir until melted. Pour this mixture evenly on top of the curd layers, gently spreading with a basting brush so that the jam reaches all corners. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Once set, cut into bars.