Sprouting and singing

Officially spring is here but not in full swing. The days up here are still cold and the snow is keeping a strong hold on the landscape. I have notes from last year and at this time we were driving our car down the driveway and working outside doing miscellaneous projects. Not this weekend. We are happy relaxing with Fugee under a sunny and cloud free day. 

I checked on our seeds from last weekend and they are happily coming to life. Since I am growing them in a window sill I have to rotate the trays so that the seedlings grown somewhat straight up rather than tilted sideways. 

I have heard Red Winged Black Birds in the swampy field by our house and at night we are starting to hear the territory hoots of Barred Owls. I have also seen Turkey vultures and chipping sparrows. Soon we will hear more birds move in this area. Can't wait. 

I recommend this quarterly issue of Mother Earth News. It has an article on tips to increase the yields of produce in the garden. For example; 1) Growing perennials like asparagus, rhubarb, sorrel and mint. 2) Growing variety crops rather than quantity of one type of crop. 3) Growing vertical gardens like cucumbers, squash and beans to maximize space among others.

We had pancakes this morning. Here is the recipe from King Arthur.

Simple Perfect Pancakes  2 large eggs 1 1/4 cups milk 3 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups All purpose flour  3/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons sugar OR 2 Tablespoons of Malt Barley  chocolate chips and/or shredded coconut Directions 1. Beat the eggs and milk until light and foamy, about 3 minutes at high speed of a stand or hand mixer. Stir in the butter or vegetable oil. 2. Whisk the dry ingredients together to evenly distribute the salt, baking powder and sweetener. 3. Gently and quickly mix into the egg and milk mixture. Let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes, while the griddle is heating; it"ll thicken slightly. 4. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat, or set an electric griddle to 350°F. Lightly grease frying pan or griddle. The pan or griddle is ready if a drop of water will skitter across the surface, evaporating immediately. 5. Drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the lightly greased griddle. Bake on one side until bubbles begin to form and break, then turn the pancakes and cook the other side till brown. Turn over only once. Serve immediately.