About mike in oly

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• Comment on mjakubi's answer…

  0 0 Would love to but he is 1000 miles away, which is why I don't know him well enough to know what he might like. But I could find a bookstore in his area and get a GC to go along with some new books. Thanks! mike in oly commented about 1 year ago

• Follow Following 1 What to get a six y.o. boy who loves to read? mike in oly asked in Book Recommendations about 1 year ago 7 Answers by Certainly!, Sacrelicious , hayden…

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  Yellowjackets!

  0 0 We had non-stop problems with paper wasps under every eave of our new place until last year a pair of swallows moved into our birdhouse. Problem solved! They ate every one of them. Won't do you any good this year so I suggest any commercial spray poison to kill them now and put up a few birdhouses next year (assuming you have airspace for them to swoop around for bugs). Do not remove the nest - wasps don't like competition and will generally not build a new nest if another is already present - even an unoccupied one. You can even buy fake nests to hang up and fool them. Even if less aggressive, paper wasps do not like alot of activity in their area and will respond. They also get aggressive over meat in late summer and will harass you if you are BBQing. Wasp traps are good but won't take out a whole nest. mike in oly answered in Gardening about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 5 more answers »

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  Tulips blooming too early?

  0 0 It is not too early. I noticed mine in the garden are also poking out(I'm in rural Shelton). Either put them in the ground somewhere or move them away from the shelter of the house(and extra warmth). They know what they are doing and will be fine. mike in oly answered in Science & Technology over 2 years ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  Suggestions on what to do with fresh Mint?

  2 0 If you have plenty of peppermint try this recipe - it's fantastic: BUTTERMILK CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MINT from Oct./Nov 1998 Herb Companion magazine A dense and delicious confection. Printer friendly version here . 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 3/4 cups sugar 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled ** 1 cup milk steeped with 1 cup packed mint leaves 1 cup nonfat buttermilk 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint leaves Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two 9-inch cake pans, line the bottom with a circle of waxed paper; and dust lightly with cocoa powder. Sift the flour with the cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer for a minute. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and the chocolate and blend well, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Stir half the mint milk into the buttermilk, reserving the remainder for the buttercream frosting. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in thirds alternating with the milk mixture in two parts. fold in the chopped mint. Place the batter in the prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake starts to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. Cool the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, turn the layers out of the pans, peel off the waxed paper, and place the layers right side up to cool. CHOCOLATE MINT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled 1 pound confectioners' sugar ** reserved mint milk In a large bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer for a minute. Add the chocolate and blend well. Add the confectioner's sugar, a cup at a time, alternating with 1-2 tablespoons of the mint milk to make a spreadable icing, 4-6 tablespoons. Assemble the cake with the buttercream frosting, spreading it on the tops and sides of both layers. Garnish the top with fresh mint leaves. The cake is even better the second day, after the mint has permeated it. Refrigerate it, then take it out 15-20 minutes before serving. ** Pour milk into a non-reactive saucepan, add mint and gently bruise it with a wooden spoon. Heat milk just to the edge of boiling, but do not boil. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain out mint leaves and squeeze out remaining milk. mike in oly answered in Food & Drink over 2 years ago Answer, comment & read 22 more answers »

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