Dandelion Wine-oh Yeah

Dandelions have lost their place in this world.  What was once used for beverages, pickling, and in salads - is now only known as a nasty weed.  People go to great lengths to rid their yards of the unwanted guest - worst of all spreading chemical herbicides.

Dandelion wine requires very little work and time.  Dandelions have a sweet-bitterness that translates well into a sweet wine.  I made some this week.

Collect two quarts of dandelion flowers.  Leave the stems and as many leaves out of it as possible - the stems and leaves are the bitter parts of the plant. 

Wash and rinse the dandelions so that you do not end up making dandelion/bug wine.  Cover them with cold water and allow them to soak in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Place them into a large stock pot with 4 quarts of water.

Add 8-10 whole cloves, 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1 1/2 cups orange juice, the juice of 1 lemon, the juice of 1 lime, the zest of that same lemon, the zest of 1 orange, and 6 cups of sugar.

Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce heat to a rolling boil and allow to cook for 1 hour.

In the meantime, sanitize your fermentation vessel (mine was a glass carboy), stopper and airlock, and funnel.

When the liquid mixture has cooked for 1 hour remove from heat and strain.  I used a mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth.  If you're using a large fermentation vessel you can afford to do this because you will eventually need to rack the liquid into bottles, therefore eliminating much of the sediment that will most definitely accumulate.

If you are planning on placing the liquid directly into bottles, strain the liquid again through something like a coffee filter. When fermenting in bottles the easiest way to create your own "airlock" is to poke a few holes into a balloon and place the balloon over the bottle opening.  This allows fermented CO2 to escape while preventing oxygen from entering.

While your liquid is cooling empty your wine yeast packet into a bowl containing a small amount of cool water and warm dandelion liquid (allow to sit for at least 15 minutes).

Add 2 quarts of cool water to your fermentation vessel, then add all dandelion liquor.  Once your yeast is showing good signs of starting (should be a foamy, bubbly substance in your bowl) add that to the vessel as well, and give the whole thing a good shake.

Immediately top the vessel with whatever airlock you are using and store in a cool, dark area (between 60 - 70 degrees F).

Allow the wine to ferment for a few weeks or until you no longer see signs of fermenting.  Rack into bottles, cork, and store in a cool dark place for at least 6 months - but preferably 1 year.

Good luck, enjoy, eff yeah.        

Effin Earth Day!!

Earth Day is this coming Thursday, April 22nd.  It is an annual observance intended to increase public awareness for all things green and to portray an appreciation for the environment. 

Western PA offers many opportunities for you to help make the day a success. One of the easiest ways to get involved is to volunteer for The Great American Cleanup of PA!  Find a location near you and help your county by volunteering for one of the scheduled events. 

The City of Pittsburgh will also be offering many activities and events:

The Pittsburgh Zoo is hosting Party for the Planet on 4/24 which is a celebration with games, crafts, and environmentalist tips.  There will also be a Green Marketplace with local vendors sharing their green products.

Frick Park Environmental Center is hosting the Urban EcoSteward Woodland Wildflower Walk and Evening Campfire Event on actual Earth Day (4/22).  There will be a walk enjoying and identifying the region's wildflowers, followed by marshmallows on the fire. 

Schenley Park will be hosting the Panther Hollow Extravaganza to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.  Volunteers will help to ecologically restore an important part of the park.  There will be food and music afterwards for all volunteers. 

A little closer to home Evans City will be hosting its 15th Annual Earth Day Celebration on Saturday the 24th.  There will be exhibits, children's activities, refreshments, and door prizes. 

Also, Jennings Environmental Education Center in Prospect is hosting Take Back the Woods: Battling Invasive Species on Saturday the 24th.  Volunteers will help restore native habitats in the state park by helping to manage invasive plants.  Lunch with some "invasive samples" will be provided, and you get to take home your very own plant! 

So there you go, lots to do to lend a hand and take part in the celebration of Earth Day.  If you don't take part in any of the organized activities do something on your own.  If anything at all, take this day to respect and reflect upon what an awesome place this planet is and thank God every day you get to enjoy it. 

For even more information visit: http://www.earthday.org/

Keep it real green.

MSG: You Are Not my Friend

Sparing you the gory details - I just returned from my third trip to the "commode" since arriving at work 6 hours ago.  After silently but violently cursing the owner of the building for not replacing the two broken toilet seats, I wondered out-loud what in the hell caused me to make the return trip a second time. 

Was it my cereal this morning?  Not likely.

How about the coffee I just drank?  Possibly, but not normal.

How about my roast beef sandwich and grapes for lunch?  Don't think so. 

I then realized - it was the steak I had for dinner last night. 

Steak rarely if ever causes this sort of intestinal reaction within me, but this time it was different.  A few dudes came over to watch the Pens game and one of the dudes brought steaks.  He offered, and I will never turn down a steak, so I obliged. 

After eating, cursing the Pens, eating some more, tending to New Edition, playing with Little Winger, eating, cursing the Senators, and then cursing the Pens some more - we discussed what indeed the steaks were marinated in.  McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning, otherwise known as - MSG. 

Don't get me wrong, the list of ingredients for MSS reads:

COARSE SALT, SPICES (INCLUDING BLACK PEPPER, AND RED PEPPER), GARLIC, SUNFLOWER OIL, NATURAL FLAVOR, AND EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA.

No MSG listed anywhere.  Until you look a little deeper. 

What exactly is "natural flavor?"  The definition of natural flavor under the Code of Federal Regulation is:

“the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional” (21CFR101.22).

Basically, it is a chemical derived from a natural product used for flavoring. 

There are plenty of products to avoid that proudly display the fact that they contain MSG, but sadly there are many, many more where MSG is "hidden."  Some terms that frequently indicate hidden MSG additives are:

• Malt extract (super shitty for homebrewers and a big surprise to me)
• Bouillon
• Broth
• Stock
• Flavoring
• Natural Flavoring
• Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring
• Seasoning

Source: naturdoc.com.

These names are carefully chosen so as not to display the MSG moniker - but it's there.

MSG has been used widely as a food additive for many years.  The FDA has received many reports referring to side effects caused by foods containing MSG.  Symptoms of MSG symptom complex include; headache (check), flushing, sweating (after Chinese buffet - yes indeed), facial pressure or tightness, numbness, rapid heartbeats, chest pain, nausea, weakness, and although it's not mentioned - frequent trips to the restroom.

MSG is indeed derived from natual substances, but it's done so chemically, and it too is a chemical.  Hell, even some poison is "natural," so don't always consider "natural" and "good for you" one in the same - because it's not true.

Your best bet?  Stay away from anything processed, flavor your foods naturally, not "naturally," if the box has ingredients you can't pronounce or if there is no expiration date stay away from it, and for God's sake stop eating effing garbage.

For more information visit:  http://msgtruth.org/

Take it easy.    

Get the Eff Outdoors! Volume 1: The Butler/Freeport Trail

The Awesome family enjoys their time outdoors.  Although we live in rural Butler County, Pennsylvania and the area is not known for it's active population we do out part to stay active and enjoy God's playground.  No kidding about the "non active" population comment though, there was a study done when I was in high school that determined that Butler County was the second FATTEST county in the nation...THE NATION!  I could not find anything to back that up but take a walk down Main St. and the study will be more than justified. 

On to what we can control though.  There are actually lots of things to do outdoors in Butler County, and I'll highlight a few of the places we particularly enjoy.  The first volume of the summer series pertains to something very close and accessible to our home:  The Butler/Freeport Trail. 

The Butler/Freeport Trail (BFT) is a "Rails-to-Trails" link from the city of Butler, PA, to the city of Freeport, PA.  The actual traintrack has not been in use since 1987 and portions of the trail have been available for use by the public since 1992.  There have been many legal battles that have ensued since the trails inception but all of those have been withdrawn and they look forward to the completion of the trail this year (2010). 

I recall as a kid, my neighbor The Goat and I would ride our bikes over to the newly "unrailed" trail and have to manuver around blockades, barbed wire, and guard dogs that were put there by the owners of the trail corridor in protest of the trail being in their back yards.  Why they considered a few bicyclists and hikers worse than a locomotive still bewilders me, but luckily someone struck them with the "What the Eff" stick and they withrew their lawsuits. 

The trail takes you through some wonderful farmland, a few historical towns, along Buffalo Creek, and then eventually to and along the storied Allegheny River in Freeport.  The trail is not complete for the final 6 or 7 miles stretch into the city of Butler, but it was announced in the Spring of 2009 that they received a grant that was going to allow them to complete the trail.  The proposed trailhead location has been moved because of them finding arsenic in the ground from a now non-existent glass factory, but the plans are still on schedule for completion in 2010. 

It is a flat, easy trail, that has been groomed and maintained well enough that anyone from the experienced biker to the family pushing a stroller can enjoy.  If you can handle it the distance from the Herman Trail Head to Freeport is only about 16 miles, and from there you can grab a beer and a bite to eat to recharge for the trip back. 

If short trips are what you prefer you can stop at Serene Valley golf course (the trail goes right through it) and grab some grub and watch the golfers at the 1st tee and 18th green. 

From Turkey and Cow farms, to old Monestaries, to century-old train stations and corner stores, there is a little of everything for everyone to enjoy.  So get the eff outdoors and enjoy a local trail that is rich in beauty and history.  Best of all...it's free!

For more information visit the Butler Freeport Trail website: http://www.butlerfreeporttrail.org/.