Pineapple Banana Cake, projects, garden thoughts

 

I had read somewhere that pineapple juice will curdle milk, but that heat-processed canned pineapple will not do this.  I had saved some pineapple juice from dinner last night and when I made my banana cake (which has milk and egg in it) I put the pineapple juice in after I had added the flour, and thinned it back out, and then put it directly in the oven.  We'll see how that turns out.

OK, it was a success, and I ate it with peanut butter

2 eggs

2 bananas

some milk

a couple of packed tablespoons of brown sugar

mixed all together - add all purpose flour, baking powder and salt

slowly mix in pineapple juice with the flour 

bake immediately in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until edges are brown

Working on some projects, looking up things on seeds and trees :

The Hazel tree we have needs a partner (or more) in order to produce nuts.

--looked into costs and season times etc.

The Black cherry tree we have is having a problem that looks like the trunk is splitting - asked an extension agent (from the wrong state, but they answered, awesome!) and they told me perhaps frost split and it might heal itself - but it will also be a place where fungus and insects can further damage the tree.  We will watch it this year for more of either of that - brown withering leaves etc etc.. and we might finally chop it down.

 

 possible frost split on a black cherry tree, or black knot, or cytospora canker

I got a hori-hori knife for one birthday for the garden, and I use it, both to dig with and to cut small razor vines and underground roots and such.  I got a Japanese sickle last year or the one before as well (boy the tractor supply guy's eyes were wide on that one) and have used it to cut grasses and lespedeza around here.  I talked with Esme about what both tools were, and that maybe I will look at getting a little hatchet this year to cut down small trees and bushes - Dad got her a machete for one of her birthdays but she doesn't use it, and I don't really feel like that is the right thing for my tasks, either.  I need to track down where my hoe-axe went that I normally keep upstairs here but somehow disappeared during the Fall.  I took the hori-hori out to plant peas yesterday because I could not find the hoe.

Bought some lemon cucumber seeds, they did unexpectedly well last year when the other cucumbers planted with them failed.  Need to plant kale soon.  Been thinking about trying Kenearly beans again, in that front bed where the peppers were - and putting the peppers only in the one bed (I had separated hot from banana this year after mistakenly buying both).  The one little squash I was thinking about planting is not available from the place that was selling it - Lakota, so I dug in my collection and found Little Gem which I had bought and not started any of.  Carrots need to be planted in March? for July.  Sorrel has to be planted in March.  There are already potatoes planted and will have to see if they bring up leaves.  Esme keeps looking for the lambsear plant but I think something dug it up and ate it - so we have talked about getting some more of those.  I see them on my route in several places growing in 'you have to be kidding' conditions between gravel etc.. so I think it had to have some help to entirely disappear.