True Siberian Kale

Kale is one of those plants like Swiss Chard, except it is in a completely different order. It's more similar to a cabbage than it is spinach or chard. This variety of kale is really easy to grow. As long as it gets water and some nutrients, the leaves will grow large. My favorite way to prepare kale is to make chips; shred the leaves, drizzle with olive oil, and cook in the oven at 275F for 25 minutes.

Some Elementary Bicycling Tips

Most new bicycles come with warning stickers on them saying things like "WEAR A HELMET", "DO NOT RIDE AT NIGHT", or "CHECK BRAKES".  Obviously this is to protect the manufacturer from liability if something terrible happens, but I think it would be helpful if they also had a sticker that said "Make sure seat and handlebars are high enough" or "Remember to inflate tires"

I say this because it disappoints me to see people riding on uncomfortably adjusted bikes or with tires half inflated or even worse yet, with the fork installed backwards.

Not saying that I am the master of all things bicycle related, but I have learned some things from experience that I wish I would've known much, much earlier.

I feel that some of the following things are what separates a bicycle from being a slow, inconvenient way of getting around from a legitimate form of transportation.  The following is a list of the most important things I would recommend to a beginner cyclist:

Flatbread Waffle Buns

When I was looking through my fridge today, I thought it would be a good idea to have some hamburgers. However, I had no hamburger buns, meaning I had to improvise. My waffle maker was on the counter, so I decided to use that to make some flatbread buns while my oven was occupied by the burgers.

They look like waffles -- but it's flatbread

How to Start a Container Garden for Less than $25

Have you ever wanted to grow some vegetables for yourself? Here is a short summary of a quick and easy way to start a reasonably sized container garden for less than $25.

My garden last spring

There is no one method to start growing food. You don't need to be a farmer to do it. You can have a vegetable garden in nearly any location, no matter how little space you have. There are cheaper ways to start a garden than the one here, but it this method provides plenty space for the cost and is basic enough to adapt to different budgets, materials available, and climates.

Brew day: Vanilla Porter + Recipe

Hooray it is time for another brew day! Today we are making a porter to redeem the one we lost last time due to infection. Since I still have vanilla beans, I decided it was time for a vanilla beer. There are a few things that we have decided to do different today. First we are using less grain, 11.5 lbs, as we have learned the upper limit of our mash tun is around 13 lbs. Second, to achieve better starch conversion and not have a repeat of the IPA, our mash will last for 90 minutes instead of 60. Finally, we will be reusing some of the Burton ale yeast from the brown ale we made last time.