Fried Rice

What you need:

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 1/2 tablespoons oil

1 egg, lightly beaten (or more eggs if you like)

3 drops soy sauce

3 drops sesame oil

8 ounces cooked lean boneless pork or 8 ounces chicken, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot (very small)

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

4 cups cold cooked rice, grains separated (preferably medium grain)

4 green onions, chopped

2 cups bean sprouts

2 tablespoons  soy sauce (add more if you like)

How to make it:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add chopped onions and stir-fry until onions turn a nice brown color, about 8-10 minutes; remove from wok.
• Allow wok to cool slightly.
• Mix egg with 3 drops of soy and 3 drops of sesame oil; set aside.
• Add 1/2 tbsp oil to wok, swirling to coat surfaces; add egg mixture; working quickly, swirl egg until egg sets against wok; when egg puffs, flip egg and cook other side briefly; remove from wok, and chop into small pieces.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok; add selected meat to wok, along with carrots, peas, and cooked onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes.
• Add rice, green onions, and bean sprouts, tossing to mix well; stir-fry for 3 minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce and chopped egg to rice mixture and fold in; stir-fry for 1 minute more; serve.
• Set out additional soy sauce on the table, if desired.

How to care for Blackberries

Blackberries

Newly Planted Blackberry Plants

Pinch or prune off the growing tips of all new canes to encourage side shoots (laterals). This is where next seasons blackberries will grow.

Maintaining Bearing Blackberry Plants

FALL

Prune out all canes that bore fruit, shortly after harvest. (It’s advisable to dispose of all clippings, either by burning or taking to the dump. Dead canes can spread disease.)

EARLY SPRING

Thin canes to about 5 - 7 per plant.

Prune side branches on remaining canes to about 12 inches or 12 buds.

How to care for Blueberries

Blueberries

Cover your blueberries with a thick layer of mulch --- approximately six inches --- to help retain soil moisture throughout the winter and protect the roots from fluctuations in temperature. Mulches such as bark, peat moss or pine needles will add acidity to the soil, helping to maintain the pH level that blueberries prefer. Straw or hay will also work. Manure and compost are not recommended. Keep mulch around your blueberries year round to improve soil drainage and keep down weeds. Winter mulch should be about six inches thick to provide adequate protection from cold weather, while during the growing season a mulch level of three to four inches is adequate.

Prune your blueberry bushes late in the winter or early in the spring, when the plants are still completely dormant. Use pruning shears to remove any diseased, weak or spindly branches and any canes that are more than six years old. Blueberry bushes should be pruned once a year to ensure good fruit production.

Coleslaw

What you need:

2 bags of coleslaw mix

Dressing:

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

2 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 c. milk

Broccoli Beef

What you need:

2 lbs. sirloin steak thinly sliced across the grain (I have my butcher cut it for steak "sandwiches" and it's perfect for this recipe.)
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t cornstarch dissolved in 1 T water

For the beef marinade:
  4 t soy sauce
  4 t rice vinegar
  1 t sesame oil
  2 t cornstarch
  1/2 t ground black pepper

For the sauce:
  4 T oyster sauce
  2 t rice vinegar
  2 T soy sauce
  1/4 C chicken broth

How to make it:

Marinate the beef: Mix the marinade ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag, add the beef and marinate 30 minutes.
Prepare the sauce: Stir together the the sauce ingredients ina small bowl.
Cook the broccoli in the microwave for 5 minutes on high heat, set aside.
Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread it out over the surface of the pan. Let the beef fry, stirring occasionally until no longer pink. Pour in the sauce, add the broccoli, and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, about 30 seconds.