Dried Peppers

Much hotness

Right before my CSA ends there is usually an onslaught of food I cant quite eat in a week. These foods usually include many pounds of apples, many varieties of giant gourds, and a relatively small amount (less than a pound even) of hot hot peppers. Last year I canned them with oil. This year, not knowing what to do, I kept them in a pile by the window. I have piles of vegetables decorating my home like rich people have bouquets of hydrangea. Some of the peppers dried out on their own. A swell way to preserve them until Im ready to tap their heat.

You can do the same with any mixture of peppers you grow or get from the market. I plan to make some spunky chili powder and give it away for Christmas. The following is less of a recipe an more of a suggestion. Easy nonetheless.

Dried Peppers
Several dried peppers, whole but rinsed

Heat oven to 150 degrees. Place peppers on a tray. Allow to dry out in warm oven 2-3 hours.

Wrinkled hotness

Jay Jay Is Now a School Prefect

Date:  Apr 1, 2015

Update (Apr 6, 2015):  Jay & his uniform with the Prefect Badge.

Today, Jay Jay is very happy.  After 3-months of trial period, the school has finally made him Prefect.

He is officially a member of 2015 Prefectorial Board.  This is his first taste as a leader.

I congrat him.

I also let him know that this prefectorial board is for the year of 2015.

So, it is not forever.

Means, he must have good behaviour, good leadership and good heart so that he will not loose the prefect status next year.

That is “Responsibility”.

He understood and he wants to be prefect for the next 4 years.

This is their pledge.

This is his batch.  Going to sew it on his uniform.

And this is the ceremony.

Its Good To Be Healthy Again

Date:  Mar 31, 2015

Oh boy, it is good to be healthy again.

My Coughing

Last month, I have been non-stop coughing.  

The flames is sometimes yellow, sometimes white, sometimes green.

It feels like infections.

It feels like hundred days coughing. 

It feels like sore throats.

Nothing Works!

The coughing is so terrible that at night I would wake up at least 3-5 times.  

Could not sleep as I cough violently.

The next day my throat will be dried and itchy.

So, the doctor gave me antibiotics.  And it does not work.  In fact, I feel weaker.

Then, I take the cough syrups.  It does not work.

Then, I try the acupuncture for the first time of my life.

And take the Chinese medicine.  Some cough syrups.

Then, I felt so heaty in my body, and my eyes becomes very red.  And it feels like they want to pop out like that. 

I went the next day and the sensei recommend another acupuncture treatment.  And he advise me that instead of drinking 30ml of the cough medicine, drink 15ml instead.

Well, the next day, after acupuncture I feel great.  But my eyes still full of blood vessels.  It is totally red.

So, I decided to throw away the cough medicine.  I think it makes me too heaty.

What Works?

I tried drinking manuka honey.  It does not solve my sore throat.

I tried drinking Liang-Teh, and it does not help.

I tried ???????? and it does not work too.

I tried Panadol Cold tablet, and it does not work.

I don’t think I have flu, but I feel like a lot of flames.  

My flames is white at night, but in the morning, it turn yellow but not green.

Then, I figured out what went wrong.

My cough was a Cold Cough, but my sore throat is heaty.  So, if I take too heaty medicine and it will worsen my throat, and when throat gets itchy, I cough too.

Then, my friend Benney suggest me to buy medicine from Eu-Yan-Seng.  He said it works for him.

And I must say, that is the medicine I shall take in future to cure my cough.  It works!

Eu-Yan-Seng

When I walked into the Chinese medicine shop.  The sales man speak to me.

What is my symptoms?

“Is the flame white, yellow or green?"

I told him at night, I would cough very violently, and my flames is mostly white color.

I also told him, but when I wake up in the morning, the flames becomes concentrated and turn a little bit yellowish.

I told him I could not sleep because of this cough.

I usually wakes up 3-5 times from 12 mid night to 6am.

And that is when he recommend me these off the shelves medicine.

1.  The Hot Cough remedy.  Take one in the morning for two days.

2.  At night, take the Cold Cough remedy.  Before sleep. For two days.

3.  On the third day, the cough should have become better.  Then, take a mild hot cough in the morning and a mild cold cough in the night.

And he says that should do it.

Take a look at the packaging.  This is the Hot cough package.

Seems to have some super Chinese ingredients in there.  No chemical.

Now.  Here is what happen.

a.  The first night, after I took the cold cough remedy.  I feel much better.  I don’t cough much.  My flames magically gone.

b.  The next day, I still got some yellowish flames.  And the hot cough remedy immediately cure it.  And my throats are much smoothen.

c.  By the time I took the two days hot and cold cough remedy, I feel I already 85% recover.

d.  I can sleep thru the night on the 2nd day.  First night, I still awake I think 2 times.  Instead of 3-5 times.

e.  And the third day, I was off to Melaka to take part in a two days golf events.

So, as soon as I come back from Melaka, I went to buy a few more bottles.  Just to make sure I can be 99% recovered.

So, this is what I take from right to left for 5-6 days.  And I feel so good after I had these medicines.

The Hot and Cold Cough does not come cheap at all.  I was a bit surprise to see the price tag.  It is around $25 per bottle.  The Mild one is between $5-$8 I think.

I am so glad that I took the Eu-Yan-Seng special cough medicine and it cure me in time for the two days golf event and the following Carrier World trip in Bangkok.  Otherwise, I won’t be fit to play golf for the trips.

Also, one important thing.

You have to watch what you eat.  ??.

a.  No cold drinks.

b.  No Tea.  Coffee OK.  But hot ones.

c.  No chilli or spicy food or curry.

d.  No fried stuffs.

As long as you can follow these, and take the medicine, you can recover very fast.

 

 

 

The Aquaponics Gardener

Well, I have decided to change the name of the blog to better correlate what I am doing with my backyard and greenhouse in relation to aquaponics and not just aeroponics.  So, the new blog name will be "The Aquaponics Gardener" located at http://aquaponicsgardener.blogspot.com/ ,  I have also started a YouTube Channel by the same name located here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Aquaponicsgardener . So I will be periodically posting videos of my Aquaponics adventures for your viewing pleasure.  Hopefully, this will help some of you who are thinking about taking the plunge with Aquaponics, by avoiding some of the same mistakes I encountered. To get you started here is a quick overview of the Aquaponics system running in my greenhouse after it has been running for approximately 2 months. Enjoy....and until next time.

The Aquaponics Gardener Greenhouse overview video.

Jay is No Longer Severely Overweigth

Date:  Jan 26, 2016

Jay Jay is no longer “Severely” overweight.

Last 3 years, the report card will mark as “Severely” overweight.

Look at the BMI.  It actually dropped.  Which is good.

And he has been doing Bicycle, swimming, Taekwondo, Golf, Badminton, etc all kinds of sports weekly.  

Not to mention the care program in early morning before class.

He is happy.

He is having lots of fun.

And now he is just “overweight”.  Keep up the good work Jay! 

The Storm door is on

I have finished placing the storm door that my neighbor donated to the project and it turned out very well. After leaving the door in a closed position with the window on the door open and the other two windows open in the greenhouse I checked the inside temp and in the direct afternoon sun with outside temps at 103 degrees, the inside temp jumped to 115 degrees and more later in the afternoon. Way to hot for any plants to survive. I have ordered a gable mounted attic fan that is solar powered and will install it in one end of the greenhouse to help with air flow and temperature. I am scouring craigslist fror a good used Swamp Cooler to use in the greenhouse as well...hopefully I will find one soon. Even with a relative humidity of 50% I should be able to drop the temp 10-15 degrees on a hot day, and with low pressure water misting maybe even a few degrees more.

 Here are some pics of the greenhouse as it stands now after several weeks worth of work. I still need to place the substrate / bedding for the floor in the greenhouse and then I can start building my aeroponics system.

More updates to follow once I receive the attic fan, this has been alot of fun to put together.

DIY EZ Cloner for Under 50 bucks

OK...so I realized that raising tomato plants from seed at this point is going to be challenging and I dont really have a resource in the winter for tomato plants, so whats an Aquaponics Gardener to do...Why, build my own DIY EZ Cloner and all for under $50..I say around $40 in the video, but I didnt figure in the cost of the pipe, fittings and the three additional Net Pots w/Neoprene inserts Im going to need, so the total comes in at a little under $50..still not bad considering the price of a commercial unit. Here a few pics of the unit and a video overview of the cloner...I think it is going to work out just fine.

 The Finish Product

 A Blue 20 Gallon Tote from my local Family Dollar for $10

 Fairly deep compared to an 18 Gallon Tote

 Layout for 2" holes to accommodate Net Pots

 Starting the holes

Standard 2" Net Pots with Neoprene inserts.

 Finished the holes for now, still have to purchase 3 more 2" Net Pots w/Inserts

 1/2" PVC pipe spray bar before being drilled for spray heads

 Spray bar with 360 Degree spray heads installed.

 Close up of 360 mist head  11/64 drill bit used for installation

 Close up of 360 degree downspray streaming head 11/64 drill bit used for installation

 600 GPH pump to be changed out for a 300+ GPH later on.

Assembly installed in Tote

Here is a short video overview of the EZ Cloner in action.

Enjoy!!!

Art Boot Camp Paintings Home Updates

Date:  Apr 14, 2015

Here is the update of our kids painting hanging on the wall in our home.

1.  Right side of the Entrance Area.  You open the main door, you are greeted by some of the best drawings from both Jay & Kay.

2.  Left side of the Entrance Area.  Sometimes the kids do the same project.  And if they can be pair up, it will goes to this wall.  Quite amazing the pairing. 

3.  At the dining table wall. 

4.  Inside the kids play room, we hang these.

5.  Some vertical paintings will be hang on the other wall inside the kids playroom.

6.  With correct lighting, and from some angle, sitting there watching these paintings which is done by both Jay & Kay is an enjoyable thing to do.

7.  The Kids bed room.  They sleep in this room.  We want to hang these early productions to remind them that they came a long way to produce nice art work hanging outside at the Dining table wall there.

8.  The kids bedroom hangs their early work.  When they just started to learn how to draw.  

Here are the recap why we do this?

a.  You spent quite some money $$$ on this enrichment class.  So, sometimes, they really draw very nice paintings, so, do you want it to be only appeared on the painting/drawing pad?  For us, we want ROI.  Return of Investment.  I don’t really care whether their drawings are nice or not nice, everything we will try to put it on the wall.  If one wall is filled, then, we open another wall.  Tell the kids if they don’t pay attention or draw nice nice, that ugly drawings will go into the toilet wall.  Yes, you will need to spent more on buying the canvas, but after you do what we did, you and your kids really feel good!  hahahaha

b.  The kids will be happy.  When they go to class, they have a sense of responsibility.  They will try their best to produce nice work.  They will listen to the teacher, they will use their imagination to draw nice nice.  When their painting goes up the wall, they felt good, they felt pride.  Their self-esteem will be increasing.  They will always have the positive thinking and energy.

c.  When I come back from work, and enter this house, all I see is my kids painting.  Some really not that nice, but once every thing were put on the wall, it some how blends in.  It looks great.  And that create positive chi in your home.  It is a nice and warm home, and that positive chi will make your whole family positive.

Prospect Farm Harvest Fest is this weekend!!

Soup cook-off judged by food smarties Brandon and Joe, raffle with many many great restaurants and food shops prizes, an off the hook bake sale. Yes that includes that zucchini bread recipe and banana chocolate chip cupcake recipe I talk so much about. Music from A Sunny Day in Glasgow and Spirit Family Reunion. Activities like Farm Jeopardy, tours, face painting, and so much more that my head hurts from remembering it all.

Check out the event on Facebook or on the Huffington Post.

Stop by and see what Prospect Farm has achieved in our first year. Its all free too!

Prospect Farm Harvest Fest + Soup Cook-Off
Saturday October 30th (rain date Oct. 31st)
11am - 4pm
@ Prospect Farm located 1194 Prospect Ave btwn Seeley and Vanderbilt Sts, Brooklyn
F or G train to Ft. Hamilton, exit towards Prospect Ave/Greenwood

Kay Kay Is Now Blue Tip

Date:  Aug 17, 2015

Early August, it is that time again.

It is Taekwondo grading time.

Every 3 months, Kay Kay followed his brother footsteps to take the Taekwondo grading.

And then, he went thru the change belt ceremony.  Which he loves it.

Some of the things that I think Taekwondo has changed my son, Kay Kay...

1.  Taekwondo will help him to keep fitter.

2.  Taekwondo will raise his self-defence awareness.

3.  Taekwondo will teach him to respect teachers, elders, uniforms, and even training equipment and facilities.

4.  Taekwondo will make him stronger.

5.  Taekwondo will teach him disciplines. 

6.  Taekwondo pattern will remind him that he needs to remember patterns and take test.

7.  Taekwondo sparring will show him how to fight.

Followed by the sparring session.  Good work Kay Kay.

Projected to get his poom belt (Black belt for kids) by end of next year.  Not too bad.  

And I just paid the SG50 promotion for his taekwondo lessons.  Thousands plus for 50 lessons.  Very good deal.

Ditmas Park CSA Extended Season Week 4

Last week, see you next year CSA

This is it! The last week of the extended share Im splitting with neighbors. Boohoo. I have to buy food in a smelly grocery store. Rotten. I am very pleased with the variety. The vegetables will store well. I have 4 large squash and 3 small squash waiting to be cooked, and about 8 pounds of potatoes and yams, and 6 giant onions stored up. That ought to last me a few months. Again I traded my broccoli and cauliflower away. I have great luck with another CSA member who keeps the same pick up schedule as me.

Ditmas Park CSA Extended Season Week 4
3 yams
12 small, medium, and large potatoes
2 acorn squash, different variety
1 hulking hubbard squash
5 green tomatoes
4 onions
1 red cabbage
2 heads of garlic
1 turnip
dozen eggs