It works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My thermally insulated pool cover made with tarps, bubble wrap and Duct Tape (The Handyman's Secret Weapon) really works!!!!!!!!!!!
The shade temp right now at 1:30 pm (1330 for some of y'all) is 23 C (73.5 F) and the water temp in The Pool is 27 C (80.6 F) and bound to get warmer! Ya wanna know why? Well, cus this pool is Solar Heated! Ha! I'll explain how it works next post.
The above is best read with Harold's voice echoing through your head...
Now then:
Dingo Dave's Delightfully Daring, Delicious Delicacies is coming soon to a computer near you (and me). Stay tuned for all relevant info, and some (lots of) non-relevant info.
I've been very busy this week preparing for our First Annual Halloween Pool Party. Y'all are invited; snags, bangers, chops, and chooks will abound. Just BYOB, eh?
Gotta run, gots a pool to vacuum :)
more soon,
dave
Update:
The pool temp is now 28 C (82.4 F) so it should be very very nice for tomorrow. Gotta run, loads of cleaning and cooking to do...
Friday, October 26, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Update is done!
Well, me wee little blog is updated and upgraded. As you all notice, I've put labels on posts (thanks Suzer). You may also notice that the "food" label appears regularly (so does my waistline).
Next, I'll be making a cool banner pic. I've got a few ideas, but I'll keep you in suspense for now.
I'm also going to be starting a food/cooking blog! I'm thinking about having other folks posting recipes and food stuff there. Anyone interested? So far I think it'll be called Dingo Dave's Deliciously Daring Delicacies. Whaddya think?
Next, I'll be making a cool banner pic. I've got a few ideas, but I'll keep you in suspense for now.
I'm also going to be starting a food/cooking blog! I'm thinking about having other folks posting recipes and food stuff there. Anyone interested? So far I think it'll be called Dingo Dave's Deliciously Daring Delicacies. Whaddya think?
Updating!
If you are reading this right now, then let it be known that I'm a thrid of the way through my label updates. I'm now taking a break for lunch, then finishing it up this afternoon.
more soon
dave
more soon
dave
Friday, October 19, 2007
Death of a Canoe --Part Deux
So, the scene is set: The family is going down CC and continuing onto the lower part with the killer sweepers and the boat eating eddy's and the creek is running high!
WE INTERRUPT THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED BROADCAST TO BRING YOU THIS IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!
Do you have beautiful tomato plants that are already over a meter high? Are they already producing tomatoes? But then you SUDDENLY FIND OUT THAT SOME DAMNED BUTTERFLY LAID EGGS THAT HAVE JUST HATCHED AND YOUR TOMATO PLANTS ARE COVERED WITH 2 MM LONG LOOPER CATERPILLARS?
If this has happened to you, then have no fear cus Dipel (tm) is here! Our Bio-Insecticide works wonders on any leaf eating caterpillars. Just spray it on, and the caterpillars die. Our product is biologically friendly, it doesn't affect any other insects, nor birds, nor fish, nor mammals. It's a naturally occurring bacteria bacillus thuringiensis and is a healthy part of any dynamic eco-system.
Make sure you spray both sides of the leaves, and retreat in 7-10 days or as needed.
Yes, you too can have healthy, beautiful tomato plants all summer long, producing almost 100 lbs of tomatoes! Imagine the savings!
Dipel (tm) also works on fruit trees, herbs, vines, and pretty much any place you find leaf eating caterpillars.
Just imagine: six months of wonderful tasty tomatoes grown from high quality cow poop! Mmmmmm GOOD!
Dipel (tm) is a trademark of Yates.
WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BROADCAST --THANK YOU FOR YOU TIME!
...and that's why I still have a healthy dislike of canoes!
WE INTERRUPT THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED BROADCAST TO BRING YOU THIS IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!
Do you have beautiful tomato plants that are already over a meter high? Are they already producing tomatoes? But then you SUDDENLY FIND OUT THAT SOME DAMNED BUTTERFLY LAID EGGS THAT HAVE JUST HATCHED AND YOUR TOMATO PLANTS ARE COVERED WITH 2 MM LONG LOOPER CATERPILLARS?
If this has happened to you, then have no fear cus Dipel (tm) is here! Our Bio-Insecticide works wonders on any leaf eating caterpillars. Just spray it on, and the caterpillars die. Our product is biologically friendly, it doesn't affect any other insects, nor birds, nor fish, nor mammals. It's a naturally occurring bacteria bacillus thuringiensis and is a healthy part of any dynamic eco-system.
Make sure you spray both sides of the leaves, and retreat in 7-10 days or as needed.
Yes, you too can have healthy, beautiful tomato plants all summer long, producing almost 100 lbs of tomatoes! Imagine the savings!
Dipel (tm) also works on fruit trees, herbs, vines, and pretty much any place you find leaf eating caterpillars.
Just imagine: six months of wonderful tasty tomatoes grown from high quality cow poop! Mmmmmm GOOD!
Dipel (tm) is a trademark of Yates.
WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED BROADCAST --THANK YOU FOR YOU TIME!
...and that's why I still have a healthy dislike of canoes!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Concerning Croutons and Cilled Canoes
Yeah, so it shoulda been Killed instead of Cilled. I just wanted to go with the "C" theme --kinda average?
I'm going to change this around and put the recipe (for what it's worth) first, then the story of the death of a canoe and almost the death of a family. Not only to keep all 17 of you (WOO-HOO) in suspense, but more so that if I run out of time I can always do part two next --brilliant logic on my part, eh? Not bad for a bloke with long blond hair and a tan...
Quick Croutons:
This is for when you need some croutons in a hurry, and you don't feel like running out to the shops and paying for them!
Take some white bread slices, either fresh or semi-stale. Slice em into crouton sized pieces (about the size of dice). Toss them into a wok, and add some seasonings. The other day when I made them I used Egyptian type seasonings and they are GREAT!
All seasonings are either dried, ground, or crushed. Here's the Eqyptian seasonings I used:
Aniseed
Thyme
Sumac
Hazelnut
Coriander
Sea Salt
Oh, if you've been wondering how to get that beautiful Moroccan flavour (or any North African or Middle Eastern flavour) then you'll want to note that the key ingredient not known in many western kitchens is ground sumac.
Anywho, toss the seasonings into the bread cubes and drizzle some olive oil on them. Put the wok on a high heat, toss the cubes frequently (if you let them sit for more than 30 secs you'll burn them). After a couple of mins (add more olive oil as needed) you'll have nicely toasted and seasoned croutons.
Remove from heat and let cool --they are even better the next day.
You can use any kind of seasonings, whatever your taste buds like.
Oh, regarding sumac: There are quite a few edible types of sumac berries; when used in cooking they are generally dried and then crushed. There are, however, six type of sumac berries that are poisonous and (for the most part) the berries are white. These include stuff like poison ivy, poison oak and (of course) poison sumac. I wouldn't suggest going out and picking your own sumac berries, just buy the powdered stuff at you local shops!
Now on to the section of Alaskan Dave Down Under which specifically focuses on Dave (that's me) growing up (HA!) and having fun in the wilds of the north.
Back in the very early 70's, the family moved from the little trailer in a trailer park off Muldoon into a large house by a lake. Since there was a lake, the Old Fart (my dad) got a canoe for us to play around with in the lake. He got a LAKE canoe. Very long with a square stern (for hanging an outboard motor --it's called a transom).
We had some fun with the canoe on the lake; explored pretty much every inch of it --got bored after a few months and then they (the parents --specifically The Old Fart (my dad)) had the great idea to go down Campbell Creek in it.
Yes, I can hear all of you in Los Anchorage saying how the creek is polluted and we couldn't possibly have done it... Keep in mind this was 35 years ago (you know: back when Benson Blvd didn't exist and Northern Lights Blvd was one lane each way and had just recently been paved? Of course you remember!)! There was still a big salmon run in the creek and there was a race down it each year (stay tuned!!!!).
CC (I'm tired of typing The Creek, or Campbell Creek) is fed by snow melt from up in the mountains nearby. This means that it really really really cold. Did I mention it was a tad bit on the nippy side? CC is also one of those that even though it runs through south Anchortown it's still quite the wild and wooley ride when the water's up.
Once you got past the first few easy miles, it turned into a twisty, turny fun ride. On the inside of each sharp turn were what's called "sweepers". A sweeper is a tree on the bank of a river that has had the bank eroded out from under it so that the tree hangs over the river (or creek in this case). If they only hang down to about 45 degrees you can duck under them and their low-hanging branches, but if they hang lower (sometimes even parallel to the creek) then it's really hard to duck under the branches without hurting yourself massively --so you go around.
On the outside of a turn that has sweepers, there's usually a deep hole in the river bottom formed by the swirling eddy's of the river. Think of them as miniature whirlpools. The water swirls around on the outside of a sharp bend and goes straight down into the river bottom and gouges out such a hole that you are well under water if you tried to stand up in one (don't try it!!!!). Also, the eddy's are a great place for big ole logs to hang out in and jam up against each other. Anything that can't float (like a swamped canoe for example) will be jammed against the logs and then shot to the bottom of the hole along with whatever is in it.
We had been down the creek a few times in the LAKE canoe, but we always got out before the ugly part. Weeeellll... to make a long story even longer, there was this time (after weeks of heavy rains) that we decided to go all the way down to Campbell Lake.
Part Two coming up soon: Does the clan pile into the logjam in a whirlpool or do they get gored by the branches of a sweeper... Da Da Da Dummmmm!
I'm going to change this around and put the recipe (for what it's worth) first, then the story of the death of a canoe and almost the death of a family. Not only to keep all 17 of you (WOO-HOO) in suspense, but more so that if I run out of time I can always do part two next --brilliant logic on my part, eh? Not bad for a bloke with long blond hair and a tan...
Quick Croutons:
This is for when you need some croutons in a hurry, and you don't feel like running out to the shops and paying for them!
Take some white bread slices, either fresh or semi-stale. Slice em into crouton sized pieces (about the size of dice). Toss them into a wok, and add some seasonings. The other day when I made them I used Egyptian type seasonings and they are GREAT!
All seasonings are either dried, ground, or crushed. Here's the Eqyptian seasonings I used:
Aniseed
Thyme
Sumac
Hazelnut
Coriander
Sea Salt
Oh, if you've been wondering how to get that beautiful Moroccan flavour (or any North African or Middle Eastern flavour) then you'll want to note that the key ingredient not known in many western kitchens is ground sumac.
Anywho, toss the seasonings into the bread cubes and drizzle some olive oil on them. Put the wok on a high heat, toss the cubes frequently (if you let them sit for more than 30 secs you'll burn them). After a couple of mins (add more olive oil as needed) you'll have nicely toasted and seasoned croutons.
Remove from heat and let cool --they are even better the next day.
You can use any kind of seasonings, whatever your taste buds like.
Oh, regarding sumac: There are quite a few edible types of sumac berries; when used in cooking they are generally dried and then crushed. There are, however, six type of sumac berries that are poisonous and (for the most part) the berries are white. These include stuff like poison ivy, poison oak and (of course) poison sumac. I wouldn't suggest going out and picking your own sumac berries, just buy the powdered stuff at you local shops!
Now on to the section of Alaskan Dave Down Under which specifically focuses on Dave (that's me) growing up (HA!) and having fun in the wilds of the north.
Back in the very early 70's, the family moved from the little trailer in a trailer park off Muldoon into a large house by a lake. Since there was a lake, the Old Fart (my dad) got a canoe for us to play around with in the lake. He got a LAKE canoe. Very long with a square stern (for hanging an outboard motor --it's called a transom).
We had some fun with the canoe on the lake; explored pretty much every inch of it --got bored after a few months and then they (the parents --specifically The Old Fart (my dad)) had the great idea to go down Campbell Creek in it.
Yes, I can hear all of you in Los Anchorage saying how the creek is polluted and we couldn't possibly have done it... Keep in mind this was 35 years ago (you know: back when Benson Blvd didn't exist and Northern Lights Blvd was one lane each way and had just recently been paved? Of course you remember!)! There was still a big salmon run in the creek and there was a race down it each year (stay tuned!!!!).
CC (I'm tired of typing The Creek, or Campbell Creek) is fed by snow melt from up in the mountains nearby. This means that it really really really cold. Did I mention it was a tad bit on the nippy side? CC is also one of those that even though it runs through south Anchortown it's still quite the wild and wooley ride when the water's up.
Once you got past the first few easy miles, it turned into a twisty, turny fun ride. On the inside of each sharp turn were what's called "sweepers". A sweeper is a tree on the bank of a river that has had the bank eroded out from under it so that the tree hangs over the river (or creek in this case). If they only hang down to about 45 degrees you can duck under them and their low-hanging branches, but if they hang lower (sometimes even parallel to the creek) then it's really hard to duck under the branches without hurting yourself massively --so you go around.
On the outside of a turn that has sweepers, there's usually a deep hole in the river bottom formed by the swirling eddy's of the river. Think of them as miniature whirlpools. The water swirls around on the outside of a sharp bend and goes straight down into the river bottom and gouges out such a hole that you are well under water if you tried to stand up in one (don't try it!!!!). Also, the eddy's are a great place for big ole logs to hang out in and jam up against each other. Anything that can't float (like a swamped canoe for example) will be jammed against the logs and then shot to the bottom of the hole along with whatever is in it.
We had been down the creek a few times in the LAKE canoe, but we always got out before the ugly part. Weeeellll... to make a long story even longer, there was this time (after weeks of heavy rains) that we decided to go all the way down to Campbell Lake.
Part Two coming up soon: Does the clan pile into the logjam in a whirlpool or do they get gored by the branches of a sweeper... Da Da Da Dummmmm!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Guacamole
I tell ya, folks down here DO NOT know how to make guacamole sauce. Fortunately, I do! Do you know that they add SUGAR! Sacrilege! They also sometimes use cream cheese and green food colouring --BLARF! I've even been to one "Mexican" restaurant down here and they made the margaritas with LEMON juice instead of LIME!
I'm sure that every single one of you have your own way of making guacamole, so please don't think this is the only way to make it. Besides, each region and village south of the Rio Grande make it different from their neighbors.
I'm also giving you some alternative ingredients to add in --bonus for you!
My Basic Guacamole Sauce:
What you knead:
3 really ripe avocados (really really ripe)
Juice from one lime (or 1 tbsp lime juice)
Handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 to 4 tsp chilli powder (cayenne powder)
1 or 2 cloves of crushed garlic
What you due:
Do I really need to tell you this? Ok here goes: Slice the avocados in half, pop out the stone (tap it with a sharp knife, the stone pops out on the knife blade), and scoop the ripe pulp out into a bowl. Chuck in the rest of the ingredients, then go to town on it with a potato masher until it's all combined. Make it in the morning, then let it stand till ready to use in the evening.
See? Wasn't that easy?
A tip: if your avocados aren't as ripe as you thought, still scoop the pulp into a bowl and slice it quickly with a knife before mashing.
Now's the fun part: Additional goodies! I wouldn't suggest trying all of the additional stuff at the same time though... Just sayin'.
Additional ingredients:
Dried chilli flakes (as much or as little as you'd like; they're your taste buds)
Minced bell pepper (capsicum) --any color you'd like and roasted or not
Finely chopped fresh tomato
Sun-dried tomato --chopped
A tbsp or two of mexican seasoning (any brand you prefer)
Grated parmesan cheese
Finely minced fresh onion
Chives --dried or fresh
Chopped garlic greens --if you don't grow your own garlic, these can be hard to find
Another tip: if you've made it too spicy, then add a bit of cream to it, no worries.
I'm working on the creek story from my childhood in Los Anchorage (adutlhood was in Squarebanks) and it could turn into a two or three parter. However, I wanted to get this up as it's now lunchtime and the pool water is 26 C (79 F) and the sun is shining.
UPDATE
I forgot a pinch or two of salt in the basic sauce, oops...
I'm sure that every single one of you have your own way of making guacamole, so please don't think this is the only way to make it. Besides, each region and village south of the Rio Grande make it different from their neighbors.
I'm also giving you some alternative ingredients to add in --bonus for you!
My Basic Guacamole Sauce:
What you knead:
3 really ripe avocados (really really ripe)
Juice from one lime (or 1 tbsp lime juice)
Handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 to 4 tsp chilli powder (cayenne powder)
1 or 2 cloves of crushed garlic
What you due:
Do I really need to tell you this? Ok here goes: Slice the avocados in half, pop out the stone (tap it with a sharp knife, the stone pops out on the knife blade), and scoop the ripe pulp out into a bowl. Chuck in the rest of the ingredients, then go to town on it with a potato masher until it's all combined. Make it in the morning, then let it stand till ready to use in the evening.
See? Wasn't that easy?
A tip: if your avocados aren't as ripe as you thought, still scoop the pulp into a bowl and slice it quickly with a knife before mashing.
Now's the fun part: Additional goodies! I wouldn't suggest trying all of the additional stuff at the same time though... Just sayin'.
Additional ingredients:
Dried chilli flakes (as much or as little as you'd like; they're your taste buds)
Minced bell pepper (capsicum) --any color you'd like and roasted or not
Finely chopped fresh tomato
Sun-dried tomato --chopped
A tbsp or two of mexican seasoning (any brand you prefer)
Grated parmesan cheese
Finely minced fresh onion
Chives --dried or fresh
Chopped garlic greens --if you don't grow your own garlic, these can be hard to find
Another tip: if you've made it too spicy, then add a bit of cream to it, no worries.
I'm working on the creek story from my childhood in Los Anchorage (adutlhood was in Squarebanks) and it could turn into a two or three parter. However, I wanted to get this up as it's now lunchtime and the pool water is 26 C (79 F) and the sun is shining.
UPDATE
I forgot a pinch or two of salt in the basic sauce, oops...
Monday, October 15, 2007
I missed it!
Hey, I passed over 3000 hits and I didn't even notice it. I must be slipping in my old age.
I have had requests for a few recipes and some stories from a couple of folk, so I PROMISE those'll be up next --including almost dying in the creek as a wee lad.
It was going to be today, buuuuuut warmth happened.
Air temp: 31 C in the shade (88 F shade temp).
In the sun: A helluva lot warmer.
Pool water temp in the morning: 21 C (70 F).
Pool water temp by lunchtime: 27 C (81 F).
Can you all guess where my day went?
I have had requests for a few recipes and some stories from a couple of folk, so I PROMISE those'll be up next --including almost dying in the creek as a wee lad.
It was going to be today, buuuuuut warmth happened.
Air temp: 31 C in the shade (88 F shade temp).
In the sun: A helluva lot warmer.
Pool water temp in the morning: 21 C (70 F).
Pool water temp by lunchtime: 27 C (81 F).
Can you all guess where my day went?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Hear Ye! Here Yee!
Yes, I have just updated me little ole blog roll.
As this is a very lame excuse for a post, let me tell you that coming up are two great mexican recipes, a very long story about a family and a creek (and almost dying), many pics of the land down under, and a write-up about the Faerie Penguins and horse-drawn trams on Granite Island.
Stay tuned!
Oh, and pics of a few of the many sushi platters I've made.
As this is a very lame excuse for a post, let me tell you that coming up are two great mexican recipes, a very long story about a family and a creek (and almost dying), many pics of the land down under, and a write-up about the Faerie Penguins and horse-drawn trams on Granite Island.
Stay tuned!
Oh, and pics of a few of the many sushi platters I've made.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Cheap 'n' Easy Blog Post
For those of you newbies, YT stands for Yours Truly (that'd be me), and WP is for The Most Wonderful Woman In The Entire World (that's me Wifey-Poo).
YT: Lemme go get my outdoor blower/vac and I'll take care of all those leaves and crap.
WP: Oh, great, thanks dear.
YT: Now, firstly, I need to find my sandals.
WP: Well, did you have them on when you jumped in the pool?
YT: No, I've been barefoot all day long.
WP: Hmmmmmm....
.
.
.
.
YT: Here they are, I found them in the library under a Calvin And Hobbes book!
WP: Why am I not surprised...
YT: Lemme go get my outdoor blower/vac and I'll take care of all those leaves and crap.
WP: Oh, great, thanks dear.
YT: Now, firstly, I need to find my sandals.
WP: Well, did you have them on when you jumped in the pool?
YT: No, I've been barefoot all day long.
WP: Hmmmmmm....
.
.
.
.
YT: Here they are, I found them in the library under a Calvin And Hobbes book!
WP: Why am I not surprised...
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
What a day!
You know the say about when life gives you lemons to make lemonade? Well, how's about this: when life gives you grapes, make wine!
and summer isn't even here yet!
and summer isn't even here yet!
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