Blu Homes is Growing.
I have dedicated many posts to Blu Homes over the years and it is exciting to see the amazing growth they have achieved. They recently opened a new factory in Vallejo California and shot the video you see below. They are an amazing company and doing great things to bring affordable, green, prefab homes into the world.
Salt Lake City Named #7 Best Market For Real Estate Investors.
In a recent Inman News Article Salt Lake City was named the #7 best market for Real Estate Investors. For the article, Inman News examined housing, demographic and economic data for hundreds of metropolitan areas nationwide. You can read the entire article HERE.
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Growing Saffron in Utah.
I posted some pictures of my saffron patch on Facebook the other day and it spawned a long discussion and how-to on growing it. So I figured it was a good idea to bring that over here to the blog.
Yes, I grow saffron and I grow it in Utah. Everyone may think it is one of those things you have to spend big bucks on and that if you live a local only lifestyle you must forgo altogether, but neither is true. It’s cheap, grows well in Utah, tastes every bit as good as the stuff from Spain and nothing is more local than your own yard.
Saffron corms can be purchased everywhere from Amazon.com to nurseries that supply them over the internet, Willow Creek Gardens has a good selection of them and I would trust them more than the Amazon sellers. I personally got mine at the Farmers Market several years ago and paid about $5 for 30 of them.
The key to growing them is to plant them in a part of your yard that never gets any water other than rain water. They will sprout and bloom in the fall after the September rains arrive and then grow through the winter to die off in June or July.
Once you have your corms go find a sunny spot where the dirt can’t be cracked with a shovel and bang out a shallow area about 3 inches deep. drop in your corms and cover them up. I did it in August the first year. I also cover mine with about 2 inches of mulch.
DO NOT WATER THEM! EVER!!! Wait for the September rains to come….. when it does you will soon see little green shoots.
About three weeks after the green shoots appear you will have flowers with stamens You can pluck the stamens and leave the flowers. Everday check for more new flowers and pluck the stamens. You will do this for 3 weeks or so. Each time you can set aside your stamens to dry on a paper towel. When they have dried you should move them to an airtight container for storage and don’t eat them for a few weeks. When fresh, they are tasteless and they will develop the earthy aroma and taste over time. They can be stored for about 2 years.
It really is that easy! So try it. You will be glad you did when you have that first beautiful patch of flowers and harvest your first batch of saffron valued at over $1,900 a pound!
The latest in Real Estate Information from the Salt Lake Board of Realtors.
I love good news and it appears that we have some good news in Real Estate!
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Salt Cured Chili Peppers
A month or so ago I came across a book that had a recipe for Salt Cured Peppers. I was intrigued at the idea of an option other than pickling or drying, so I decided to give it a go. The result was amazing! The flavor of the pepper is well preserved along with the heat. In fact, I find it very much like eating them fresh. Well, with a salty bite on the tongue.
The great thing about these peppers is that you can save them a year or more and when you find yourself needing to make a salsa in February or wanting a touch of hot pepper oil you need to only chop them or puree them with the accompanying ingredients to fulfill the needs of your recipe. No more store bought peppers for you!
The process is easy. You need only cut your peppers into 1/2 inch segments, salt them and then cover and refrigerate them for 5 days, stirring them once each day. At the end of five days you bottle them in one or two quart jars and you are on your way.
| Salt Cured Chili Peppers |
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- 2 pounds fresh hot peppers
- 1/2 cup salt
- Wash, dry and chop the peppers into 1/2 inch segments.
- Put them in a ceramic or non reactive bowl and pour the salt over the peppers. Mix the salt throughout the peppers, and let them sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours cover and refrigerate.
- After placing them in the fridge you will need to stir them once each day for 5 days, skim off any scum that may form at the top.
- After 5 days have passed, Pack them in a jar and keep in the fridge for a year or more. Every time you need peppers your supply is at hand.
Raised Waffles
What is a Sunday morning without waffles? I’m not talking about eggos. The waffles I am talking about are the kind of waffles you make up the night before using yeast. You let them rise overnight and then add the eggs in the morning, just before you cook them. They are crispy on the exterior, soft inside and malty with the remnants of the yeast party that happened while you were peacefully sleeping and dreaming of a plate of this goodness!
Sorry that all you get is a photo of the mix. I was too busy diving in to actually photograph the waffle. I’ll get one up here someday.
| Yeast Raised Waffles |
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- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 package dry yeast
- 2 cups warm milk
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Use a large mixing bowl (at least 6 quarts) as the batter will rise to double its original volume. Put the water in the mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth and blended. A whisk or fork will work just fine.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, go to bed, and let stand overnight at room temperature.
- Just before cooking the waffles, separate your eggs, lightly beat the yolks and fold them into your mix. Then whip your eggs whites until stiff peaks form(this is the true trick to the best wafles ever) and fold them into the mix. Add the baking soda, and stir until well mixed. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter into a very hot waffle iron. Bake the waffles until they are golden and crisp. This batter will keep well for several days in the refrigerator.
- This should make about 8 waffles.
Easy Rhubarb Jam
| Rhubarb Jam |
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- 2 1/2 pounds fresh rhubarb, chopped
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup water
- In a saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, orange zest, orange juice and water. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thick. It will thicken more as it cools. You can test for doneness by placing a small dollop of the jam on a plate you have chilled in your freezer. Place the jam on the plate and into the freezer for 2 minutes. If you can draw your finger through it bunches up, then it is ready for canning.
- Ladle into hot sterile jars adding 1 tbs of lemon Juice per pint, and seal with lids and rings in a water bath or pressure canner using directions for your altitude. For quick use it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Zucchini pickles.
I love pickles. All kinds of pickles. So for that reason I am not sure why I never tried zucchini pickles, but that wasn’t going to last long.
A couple of weeks ago I read a post over at Lottie and Doof about zucchini pickles and I knew that was what I had to put up next. So I did.
And this is what I ended up with.
The lighting is terrible and I need a real camera if I am going to keep doing this, but you get the idea. They turned out great! The taste is amazing. Sweet, but tangy and they have a nice crunch. So click over to Lottie and Doof and check it out. They have better picures too.
The Lettuce is Coming! The Lettuce is Coming!
See those little green shoots? That is our lettuce crop for the fall.
