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Crepe Myrtle (aka Crape Myrtle)

Jul 27th, 2010
by Tom Truex.
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Crepe Myrtle

Crepe Myrtle

There are, apparently, many varieties of Crepe Myrtle1, under the scientific names, Lagerstroemia speciosa or Lagerstroemia indica. Our tree, in Davie, Florida, is about 10 or 15 years old and stands no more than 15 feet tall. We bought it in a pot at Flamingo Gardens. Some sources describe a taller variety (40 feet) as the Queen Crepe Myrtle. Our tree blew over in Hurricane Wilma (2005). We tipped it back up, and braced it with a two-by-four for a couple of years. I’m expecting it to be history when we have our next big storm. But until then, it has beautiful pink blooms, pictured here.

According to Tropical Trees (Dorthy and Bob Hargreaves, Ross-Hargreaves, publishers, 1965):

Speciosa comes from the Latin meaning “pleasing to the eye.” This beautiful deciduous tree, native of India, in certainly pleasing to the eye. It is valued for its tough red timber, medicinal use, and ornamental beauty. Many in South Florida, Jamaica, and other Caribbean Islands, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, South America and Mexico.

  1. The spelling seems to be equally correct, if either “Crepe Myrtle” or “Crape Myrtle” is used ↩

Posted in: Florida, Flowering plants, Photographs, Plants.
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Zombie girl – NOT FAKE!

Jul 23rd, 2010
by Tom Truex.
3 comments

My family and I went camping this summer. I did not get a T-Shirt, but I did help make this zombie movie. According to my sources at YouTube (which I’m assuming is heavily fact checked before items are posted to the world wide web), this video is REAL and NOT FAKE. Judge for yourself.

RATING (Out of 5 stars): ★★★★★

Posted in: Movies, Reviews, Zombie, zombies.
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Deadline for Voter Registration — July 26, 2010

Jul 22nd, 2010
by Tom Truex.
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FLORIDA VOTERS: In order to vote in the upcoming election on Tuesday, August 24, 2010, you must be registered by Monday, July 26, 2010.  Hopefully, you are registered, but you may know people who are not (friends new to the area, new neighbors, friends who have never voted before or who have not voted in many years).  Please share this with them NOW. This is also the time to change your address if you have moved since the last election and/or to change your party affiliation.  Name changes (marriage, divorce, etc.) can also be done now.

This is a primary election, but judges and school board members will be elected that day.  ALL voters can vote for the school board and judicial candidates, although those with no party affiliation cannot vote for Governor, U.S. Congress, State House and others in the primary election.   It is vitally important that everyone VOTE on August 24.

There is a voter registration form attached, which also serves as a switch and change of name/address form. Or get it here:

Broward County: http://www.browardsoe.org/VoterRegistration.aspx

Broward County Supervisor of Elections
115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 102
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-357-7050

Palm Beach County: https://www.pbcelections.org/VoterRegistration.aspx

Those in other counties can contact your local Supervisor of Elections.

Start studying the ballot now (you can see all the races online); there are lots of races and referendums!  Also, don’t forget to get an absentee ballot for those who need one.  This is a VERY IMPORTANT election!!

Posted in: News and Commentary.
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Frangipani (Plumeria)

Jul 20th, 2010
by Tom Truex.
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We have two types of frangipani in our yard. One of them has yellowish, creme colored flowers. This is a picture of the one with deep red flowers. These are the flowers used in Hawaii to make the flower-garlands known as leis.

Here are a few facts, based on my personal observations:

Frangipani

Frangipani

  • The tree loses ALL of it’s leaves in summer. You would be sure it was dead, if you didn’t know better.
  • The flowers have a sweet fragrant smell
  • The trees are extremely simple to propagate: put a broken branch in the ground. Keep it watered (or plant it in the rainy season)
  • A sunny, well drained location works well.


According to Your Florida Garden, 5th ed.:1

Size 10-15 ft. Several species of frangipani are common in all tropical countries, grown for their delightfully fragrant flowers. They are all short, stocky trees of spreading habit with thick, stubby branches of soft wood, milky sap, and large, leathery leaves. The species most often seen in Florida gardens are P. rubra, with broad leaves and purplish red flowers, and P. alba, with narrow leaves rolled at the margins and white flowers. Leaves are clustered near the branch tips and flowers are borne terminally all through late spring and summer.

FOOTNOTES

  1. Your Florida Garden, 5th ed., Watkins and Wolfe, 1958, University Presses of Florida, Gainesville, Fla. ↩

Posted in: Florida, Flowering plants, Photographs, Plants.
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Mystery Art??

Jul 17th, 2010
by Tom Truex.
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UF French Fries

Computer Science and Engineering Building (CISE) at the University of Florida

Recently we attended our third “Preview” program for incoming freshmen at the University of Florida. Can you identify the “art” that I’m standing by on the UF campus in Gainesville, Florida? Hint, it’s commonly known as “French Fries.”
Continue reading →

Posted in: Florida, Photographs.
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Desert Rose

Jul 15th, 2010
by Tom Truex.
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desert rose

Desert Rose

The Desert Rose (Adenium) can grow in the desert, but it’s not a rose. This Desert Rose does very well growing in our back yard, with very minimal care and attention.1 About all that is really necessary is a sunny location. As you can see, the bright red color is spectacular.


Another view of the same plant.
Desert Rose

Desert Rose


FOOTNOTES:
  1. Minimal care and attention is the top level of care offered to plants in my yard. ↩

Posted in: Florida, Flowering plants, Photographs, Plants.
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Country Style Vanilla Ice Cream (requires cooking)

Jul 13th, 2010
by Tom Truex.
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Smooth custardy recipe. Requires cooking. See the general instructions on making home made ice cream, previously posted on K_Line Christian Online

Recipe: Country Style Vanilla Ice Cream

Summary: Home made vanilla ice cream, printed years ago in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Requires cooking. Note, this is a 5 quart recipe. See variation for 6 quart recipe. This ice cream is very creamy, and has a custard texture. It is a little more work, but worth it, in my opinion.

Ingredients

  • 5 eggs (6 eggs for 6 quart recipe)
    3 1/4 cup sugar (4 cups for 6 quart recipe)
    5 cups whipping cream (6 cups for 6 quart recipe)
  • Approx. 6 1/2 cups milk (8 cups for 6 quart recipe). NOTE: Only 4 cups is cooked
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract (3 tablespoons for 6 quart recipe). ADDED AFTER COOKING
  • about 3 bags of ice
  • Rock Salt

Instructions

  1. Combine eggs (beaten), sugar, cream and 4 cups of milk

    2. Cooking the ice cream ingredients

    Cooking the ice cream ingredients

  2. Cook mixture until 160-165 degrees F. The recipe in the Sun-Sentinel says, “lightly coats spoon and finger leaves a path when drawn across back of spoon.” Frankly, this method of checking the temperature never works for me. However, there are two important reasons to achieve this temperature–which is pretty hot but NOT boiling–so it is probably best to use a thermometer. First of all, cooking the mixture fundamentally changes the taste and texture of the final product. Secondly this temperature is what is needed to kill any salmonella bacteria.1
  3. Chill completely in fridge or ice bath. If warm, you may churn flakes of butter. I put the can in the ice cream freezer, and add the ice, but DON’T start the motor/cranking, for about an hour until the mixture in the can is cool to the touch.
  4. Add the additional ingredients. Note the milk is added last, and the amount listed is only an estimate. Add until the fill line.
  5. Crank the ice cream per the general instructions.

CulinaryTradition: USA (Traditional)

My rating: 5.0 stars
*****

  1. Apparently the risk of contracting salmonella is small. However, this factor is why I personally recommend skipping the “raw egg” ice cream recipes, unless you use an “egg substitute.” There is an excellent article on point at MissouriFamilies.ORG ↩

Posted in: Desserts, Recipes.
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Christian Movie Review: Carriers (2009)

Jul 9th, 2010
by Tom Truex.
2 comments

The movie reviewed here is definitely NOT for children. Please see my previous post on why films of this ilk are reviewed on a Christian website like K_Line Christian Online.

Carriers

Carriers (2009), PG-13

  • GENRE: Horror, Science Fiction
  • ACTORS: Lou Taylor Pucci, Chris Pine, Piper Perabo, Emily VanCamp, Kiernan Shipka , Christopher Meloni, Dale Malley, Stacy Marie Warden, Dylan Kenin, Josh Berry
  • RATING: PG-13
  • PARENTAL NOTE: Not intended for children. Bad language and questionable situations. Violence.
  • INTENDED AUDIENCE: This movie is intended for fans of the genre, and may not be appreciated by others.
  • GENERAL PLOT: (No spoilers) Uncle Josh1 once quipped that all paths lead to the grave. In CARRIERS, as in THE ROAD (another recently released on DVD end of the world story), it turns out that ALMOST ALL paths and/or roads lead to the grave.2 However, ALL paths do seem to lead to the beach. The plot of CARRIERS isn’t so exceptional. Four people on a road trip to the Pacific Ocean try to avoid catching a highly contagious virus which has killed off most of the human population. Their adventures, reactions, and the folks they meet along the path make an entertaining tale.

    • Continue reading →

  1. Cal Stewart (1856-1919) was a pioneer in vaudeville and early sound recordings. He is best remembered for his comic monologues in which he played “Uncle Josh” Weathersby, a resident of a mythical New England farming town called “Punkin Center.” ↩
  2. Of course, no one in these movies literally makes to an actual grave. The people who die mainly just drop and rot where the body lies (instances of cannibalism excluded). ↩

Posted in: Horror, Movies, Reviews, Science Fiction.
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Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe — No Eggs or Cooking

Jul 7th, 2010
by Tom Truex.
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See the instructions for making home made ice cream posted elsewhere on K_Line Christian Online.

Recipe: Vanilla Ice Cream (No Eggs. No Cooking)

Summary: Easy ice cream recipe. Makes 6 quarts (adjust if your freezer is larger or smaller).

Ingredients

  • 4 Quarts half-n-half
  • 4 Tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • About 3 bags of ice and a box of rock salt to cool the freezer

Instructions

  • Add the ingredients together in the can–excluding, of course, the ice and rock salt. Use freezer per separate instructions.

CulinaryTradition: USA (Traditional)

My rating: 5.0 stars
*****

Posted in: Desserts, Recipes.
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Old fashioned home made ice cream — How to make it

Jul 6th, 2010
by Tom Truex.
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ice cream freezer

Old style crank ice cream freezer

Many years ago, when I was a boy, we would make home made ice cream, in the summer. My folks had a freezer at home. My grandparents had one at their place too. The making of ice cream necessarily involved the children in the family, because of the need to crank the freezer. I’m not sure of the recipe used years ago. My grandmother sometimes used one that involved cooking the mixture before freezing it. Other than that, my job involved taking my turn at cranking the handle until the ice cream had hardened. We periodically added ice. No bags of ice in those days. We’d have big blocks of ice, frozen in a tub in the freezer. And we had to use an ice pick to chip out chunks of ice to chill the freezer. Frankly, I don’t know who has an ice pick these days. I don’t. We use bagged ice now. But I digress. How did you know when the ice cream was hard enough? When you couldn’t turn the handle any more.

ice cream can

The ice cream mixture is placed in this can

Enough History. Here’s my description of how to make home made ice cream today. Here’s what you need, for starters:

  1. An ice cream freezer. I highly recommend the electric variety. Though if all you have is the crank model, I hope you have a strong arm, and/or plenty of help. Usual sizes are 4, 5 or 6 quart. You can buy smaller or larger sizes. Do a Google search to find one online.



    2. ice cream paddle

    Paddle that fits in the can, and mixes the ice cream as it freezes

  2. Bagged ice. Two or three bags for a 6 quart freezer should be sufficient.
  3. Rock Salt.
  4. The ice cream mixture/recipe. This is a separate topic. There are lots of them, including the ones described on K_Line Christian Online.


ice cream freezer in action

Ice cream freezer in action

Procedure:
  • Put the mixture in the can, position the paddle. Place the can in the wooden/plastic tub. Fasten the electric motor/crank mechanism on top of the can.
  • Put the ice in the tub, surrounding the can. Add a bit of ice at a time, then pour on some rock salt. Repeat, until the ice is up to the top of the tub.
  • Add ice and salt as needed while you or the motor turns the can.
    Crank until the motor strains and shuts off. Or until your arm strains and shuts off. In the case of the hand crank, switch arms a few times until both arms feel line you can’t move them at all. Hint: I use the ice cream freezer in a large laundry room sink. As the ice melts, salty water drains out of the freezer, so think about where you would like the water to drain.
  • If possible, let the ice cream sit in the can for another hour, in order to harden up a bit.
  • Remove the ice cream with a spatula or spoon it. Store it in your freezer, or eat it.

Posted in: Desserts, Recipes.
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