Cooper Jackson

Google suggests some of the strangest things

Lateef — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:16:22 +0000

Google what is suggestions

Google will suggest some strange things when you type in:

what is
how
why is – one of my favorite

Enjoy

New Wine Labels

Lateef — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:04:22 +0000

After some time I decided to try and make some new labels and after using a new pictures I decided to change the picture for each label. Since we are such a home made operation it take marketing (ME!) a while to get to making new labels since they take about 20 minutes each time.

This is the Amarone we made form a kit. It was a very expensive kit so we are hoping for a higher quality wine. We started it in May and bottled it in July.

This was my most fun label yet. We made a strawberry wine which was cheeper because we picked the strawberries was no where near as cheep as the beet wine. And I think is a pretty good wine (for strawberry). We made this in June and just are getting around to bottling it. I am looking forward to drinking it cold on a hot summer day in 2010.

We are planning on making a beet wine this week and our mulberry didn’t ferment, it didn’t spoil either which is kinda strange so we have juice. I plan to try and ferment it again this week and hopefully save the batch.

Another wonderful locavore meal

Lateef — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:52:31 +0000

We made:
* Chicken with lemon, basil and rosemary
* Corn pudding
* Heavenly Squash
* Italian bread as usual
* Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella, Olive Oil and Balsamic (Melissa made this)
* Pizza (for the kids)

Corn pudding ended up being decimated. Also Kathy brought pesto pasta, fried okra (best I have ever had) and some pesto dip. Kathleen brought a squash souffle.
And now we have used a lot of our CSA veggies and learn some new dishes. On our vacation we got a Shaker cook book which has made me very excited to try some of the dishes. Generally have found Shaker cooking rich with dairy which is ok way me as long as I keep running

Back to the bike commute

Lateef — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:23:50 +0000

Amazing how out of shape a 40 mile ride will make you feel. After the 75 mile hike I thought I was going to do 40 miles easily. However that was completely wrong. After about 27 miles I hit a a wall that I couldn’t seem to recover from. However I made it and next time will be a lot easier.

75 Mile MST hike done

Lateef — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:10:47 +0000

7 Days, 75 Miles and a ton of sweat. We are feeling very refreshed and in shape after all that. It ware hard to say unplugged for that long. Now it is crazy work catch up.

MST Anniversary Hiking Schedule

Lateef — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:31:48 +0000

It is recommended that you post you share where you are going to be when hiking. Figured what better location than the blog. Not only the schedule but our meal plan and mileage we plan on doing. Maybe we would get some company by posting it!

Schedule:

7/6
- Section: 7
- Miles: 2.3
- Start: 74A
- End: Folk Arts Center
- Food
- Breakfast
  - Home
- Lunch
  - Leftovers from home
- Dinner
  - Leftovers from home or Asheville with Wylie and Teresa
- Lodging
- Double Tree Biltmore
- 115 Hendersonville Road
- Asheville, NC 8803
- 828-274-1800
7/7
- Section: 8
- Miles: 9.2
- Start: Folk Arts center
- End: Rattle snake lodge
- Food
  - Breakfast
    - Parfait
  - Lunch
    - Tabouli salad with Pita & hummus
  - Dinner
    - Leftovers from home
- Lodging
  - Double Tree Biltmore
7/8
- Section: 8
- Miles: 13
- Start: Rattle Snake lodge
- End: Balsam Gap
- Food
  - Breakfast
    - Parfait
  - Lunch
    - PB&J
  - Dinner
    - Veggie chili
- Lodging
  - Black Mountain Campground (828-675-5616) First come first serve
7/9
- Section: 9
- Miles: 9.3
- Start: Balsam Gap
- End: Mt Mitchell
- Food
  - Breakfast
    - breakfast bars
  - Lunch
    - Mexican tortilla with stuff inside
  - Dinner
    - Oooooodles of nooooodles
- Lodging
  - Black Mountain Campground (828-675-5616) First come first serve
7/10
- Section: 9
- Miles: 12.8
- Start: Mt Mitchell
- End: BRP & NC-8
- Food
  - Breakfast
    - Pancakes
  - Lunch
    - PB&J
  - Dinner
    - Asheville
- Lodging
  - Black Mountain Campground (828-675-5616) First come first serve
7/11
- Section: 10
- Miles: 12
- Start: BRP & NC-8
- End: Woodland work center
- Food
  - Breakfast
    - Parfait
  - Lunch
    - Veggie/and/or Meat Sandwich
  - Dinner
    - Leftovers from yesterday
- Lodging
  - Bear Den Campground (828-765-2888)
  - Reservation # 200901345
  - 600 Bear Den Mountain Road
  - Spruce Pine, NC 28777
7/12
- Section: 11
- Miles: 12.3
- Start: Woodland work center
- End: FR-106
- Food
  - Breakfast
    - Parfait
  - Lunch
    - Tortilla / mexican lunch
  - Dinner
    - Veggie Chili
- Lodging
  - Bear Den Campground
7/13
- Section: 11
- Miles: 13.8
- Start: FR-106
- End: Table Rock
- Food
  - Breakfast
    - Breakfast burrito
  - Lunch
    - PB&J
  - Dinner
    - Oodles
- Lodging
  - Bear Den Campground
7/14
- Section: 11
- Miles: 9.1
- Start: FR-496 & NC-181 – Ripshin Ridge
- End: Table Rock
- Food
  - Breakfast
    - Pancakes
  - Lunch
    - PB&J
  - Dinner
    - Ooodles
- Lodging
  - Asheville

Another great Locavore Wednesday!

Lateef — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:23:31 +0000

I eat myself to sleep last night. After an amazing dinner. Some quick highlights: Veggie chili, squash soup and zucchini cake (my brain exploded it was so good). After 3 helpings of food I went out to play with the kids in the backyard. After everyone left I passed out on the couch. Now time to gorge on leftovers today!

Our first Locavore Wednesday!

Lateef — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:58:06 +0000

Plate filled with local food

We had our first Locavore Wednesday! With our first basket of produce from Cold Water Creek Farms CSA we decided to organize a dinner the next day with the things we got from the basket. It was so much fun and the food was so good we decided to make it a weekly thing! This week we had zucchini bars, pasta with kale or swiss chard, grilled veggies with cheese, two types of pesto made from garlic scape, kale chips and probably some other things I have not remembered. We had four families each brining a dish or two and that made a feast. Not sure which was better the food or the excitement everyone had.

Locavores!

First basket of produce from CSA

Lateef — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:18:46 +0000

We received our first basket of produce from the membership to Cold Water Creek Farms CSA. We are so excited we have fresh swiss chard, eggplant, garlic scape, cucumbers, yellow squash zucchini, kale and patty pan squash! So now we just have to make a bunch of stuff out of it! I am going to try some pan fried squash all olive oiled and spiced up with the garlic scape. Melissa is going for swish chard recipe. Any suggestions are welcome.

Also today our neighbor took our potatoes and made potato chips out of them. Best darn potato chips we have ever had!!

Aaron Newton’s talks A Nation of Farmers

Lateef — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:58:24 +0000

Aaron Newton talks about A Nation of Farmers

Aaron Newton (of blog Powering Down and Hen and Harvest) talked about his book A Nation of Farmers. Last December I help him with his website. I just got back from a talk he gave which is an overview of the book he co wrote. He has really inspired me to keep working on our local food efforts. He is on his way to changing the world.