tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38437240082918943192024-03-16T13:55:54.792-07:00Renaissance DadA blog for parents who like gardening, cooking, building, parenting, educating, fixing, and just about anything else. Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.comBlogger192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-42077252712814336802024-03-16T13:55:00.000-07:002024-03-16T13:55:23.645-07:00Backyard Chickens - One Year Later<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T2IiBQ78is0lpRZqPqEXDGs1J0PT4NXYagAck3KqjY6Z1Cn_Ku8hhPAte_1XCgQ7kWkxCmFxdUpy068iSLCokWpMi89qGTf108hSYKpdPrU61qQAdOgVlVkPY3-jI5sG91g_8P9oHmOVl4BO2cBXBPGhaN08NMdO6sWBUv23BG8tEGk6BkpY6YY8YgQ/s4017/Chickens.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4017" data-original-width="3138" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T2IiBQ78is0lpRZqPqEXDGs1J0PT4NXYagAck3KqjY6Z1Cn_Ku8hhPAte_1XCgQ7kWkxCmFxdUpy068iSLCokWpMi89qGTf108hSYKpdPrU61qQAdOgVlVkPY3-jI5sG91g_8P9oHmOVl4BO2cBXBPGhaN08NMdO6sWBUv23BG8tEGk6BkpY6YY8YgQ/w313-h400/Chickens.png" width="313" /></a></div><br />Just over one year ago we got backyard chickens. This came after almost ten years of working with the town council (i.e. badgering them) to change our town's ban on chickens. The week after the chicken bill passed, we had our chicks in a brooder in the garage. <p></p><p>If you want to read about the beginning of our chicken era, you can check it out <a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2023/07/backyard-chickens-in-arizona.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p></p><p>But here are eleven unexpected things that were learned through our journey. </p>1. Easter egg hunts are real life - We had a two week period when egg production went down. I was trying to figure out why they had stopped laying, and my friend, who has raised chickens for a long time, said that they must be laying eggs somewhere else in the yard. I looked around and didn't find anything. Several days later I was checking the landscaping. I saw a chicken in the bushes, and sure enough, I found the nest with half a dozen eggs in it. This happened again yesterday, with 7 eggs from at least two chickens being found under a different bush. <b>If you think your chickens have stopped laying, they very well could be laying somewhere else.</b> <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPfCRiGOtpzNKAvWvk-fqcV7Af1VbwhscCw-ui2kD-eYUzN94nhmNLJ6eaGVz8rzgeVAy67Ww-t3bKm9e_K6oLQ0WscQQrgVhBEdMMJvIxBax4qqrO4CEdSGuMAPiccmlOHTqo2Jqjt-3qst9bNmZceyqkURn6tt6Thyphenhyphen6WZlw6f34OvpioB9dKftISNU/s320/IMG_3425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPfCRiGOtpzNKAvWvk-fqcV7Af1VbwhscCw-ui2kD-eYUzN94nhmNLJ6eaGVz8rzgeVAy67Ww-t3bKm9e_K6oLQ0WscQQrgVhBEdMMJvIxBax4qqrO4CEdSGuMAPiccmlOHTqo2Jqjt-3qst9bNmZceyqkURn6tt6Thyphenhyphen6WZlw6f34OvpioB9dKftISNU/s1600/IMG_3425.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>2. If you don't want the daily Easter egg hunt, consider some <b>portable nesting boxes.</b> I built three of them, and placed them around the yard where the chickens tended to congregate. One gets used daily. The other two occasionally. <p></p><p>3. One square foot of <b>artificial turf works great for nesting boxes</b>. You can find these as samples in many landscaping stores, often for a dollar or two or for free. These can be washed and brushed out, and the chickens tend to enjoy laying on them. A lot less work than regularly replacing straw. </p><p></p><p>4. Do you remember the McDLT from the '80s? It keeps the hot side hot and the cold side cold? Raising chickens is like a year long McDLT. In the summer, we have to keep them cool (check out the article linked above for that journey). In the winter, we have to keep them warm, but we don't have to do much. Unless temperatures are well below freezing (which they are not in Phoenix), they do not need a heater. They just need an enclosed coop where they can stay warm at night. Not convinced that that is enough? <b>Consider adding some red pepper flakes to their feed or scratch in the winter. </b>My chickens love scratch with red pepper flakes, and they seem quite content, even in the 35 degree mornings. </p><p>5. <b>Chickens love interacting with people</b>, especially if you start when they're chicks. To keep them<br /> comfortable with people, my family and I will regularly let them eat seed or scratch out of our hands. The more you feed, pet, and hold them, the less skittish they will be around people. In fact, when I come home from work, go into the backyard, and say, "Here chick chicks", the entire flock will come running to greet me. It is fantastic! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='468' height='389' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzVA82JdIYC8aYSYZnI25EU0-mrK4Xf2PMZ9zmamSeuTOJYJma68pTIuTZySnkJyf3Kt4M3kFjn3BjqA_bXdg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p><p>6. Hens need around <b>14 hours of light to stay productive with their laying.</b> In the winter months, as we have fewer daylight hours, I have added a string of Christmas lights on a timer to the inside of the coop. I went from one egg every other day to three eggs per day. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6uZ6oqpovnFl9ljrXe6bLvQdhqeuU5h9oXww_9ggrD-yF_hk79UaPklfftKTYMJ4q7LMV10pcQN2bygSaxkFL4Vj5qyOdNJFLywD6avrtWHWJx7p9eYayDezfyynl1XO_lg3CR3FwB9KxD4ZTtQGyxajDvrEJ_BXqZwVJy8e1AVMSrxU7nkRIzJ6NT4/s2016/IMG_3575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6uZ6oqpovnFl9ljrXe6bLvQdhqeuU5h9oXww_9ggrD-yF_hk79UaPklfftKTYMJ4q7LMV10pcQN2bygSaxkFL4Vj5qyOdNJFLywD6avrtWHWJx7p9eYayDezfyynl1XO_lg3CR3FwB9KxD4ZTtQGyxajDvrEJ_BXqZwVJy8e1AVMSrxU7nkRIzJ6NT4/s320/IMG_3575.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>7. <b>Chickens love treats.</b> We have their regular feed, and I recently got some scratch to try out. It's like candy! In fact, heaven forbid I come into the backyard with a plastic container similar to the one I keep the scratch in. They will follow me around expectantly looking for the scratch. And if I don't give them a treat, they will squawk like a two year old wanting another piece of candy. Or more scratch. Or worms. <p></p><p>8. Chickens typically return to their coop at night on their own, but this needs to be verified. Once, we were out a little late, and unbeknownst to me, the door to the coop had been knocked closed by one of the chickens. When I went to close up the coop after dark, the chickens were asleep in various places around the outside of the coop. I had to scoop the sleepy birds up one by one and shove them into the coop. Another time, I did a head count and one was missing. I did a cursory search around the yard and couldn't find her. Fearing having to tell my kids that one of the chickens had been eaten by another animal, I frantically searched around the yard for her. After about 20 minutes, I found her in the corner of a planter tucked under a tree. And under her I found three eggs (see #1-2 above). <b>Nightly headcounts IN the coop are imperative. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiID1BTq_wyeb8oHz3j7FEu2ctTLKDgcol42vghgIwgP1SryTRt-4Wt4QyzuvZo87vwmuf4PAqX9G3hnI0gET0wR3SBVaRWvJBY48soEyKSnDfxOuH_hMKmCPRBEAYPgGFlk_95vV5_3osIr5kxsdL9Ttqnqg09E14tEIpfclIoWyFIZL9u4KDs8rF8FIE/s2016/IMG_3682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiID1BTq_wyeb8oHz3j7FEu2ctTLKDgcol42vghgIwgP1SryTRt-4Wt4QyzuvZo87vwmuf4PAqX9G3hnI0gET0wR3SBVaRWvJBY48soEyKSnDfxOuH_hMKmCPRBEAYPgGFlk_95vV5_3osIr5kxsdL9Ttqnqg09E14tEIpfclIoWyFIZL9u4KDs8rF8FIE/s320/IMG_3682.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>9. <b>Fresh, unwashed eggs do not need to be refrigerated.</b> Eggs have a coating called the bloom on the outside of the shell. This coating protects the egg from bacteria entering into the porous shell. Eggs will stay fresh at room temperature for about two weeks. I did get tired of our cardboard egg cartons on the counter, so I made a wooden egg holder out of some walnut scraps just to add a little class to our egg production. <p></p><p>10. If you have found eggs in the yard and don't know how old they are, or if you have messed up the rotation on your counter, <b>you can use the float test to determine the freshness of the eggs. </b>Submerge the egg in cool water. If it sinks on its side, it is fresh (but the bloom has been washed off and you will need to refrigerate it). If it sinks but stands on its end, there is some air in the egg. It is older but still good to eat. If it floats to the top of the water, it is no longer fresh and should not be eaten. </p><p>11. <b>Sometimes chickens look like death.</b> They molt about once per year. They look like phoenixes that are about to burn up. They act weird, stop laying, and look absolutely terrible. This is normal (I guess), and once their feathers grow back in they get back to their previous selves. </p><p>There you have it. I'm sure in the coming years I will have many more things that I will learn, so stay tuned for more chicken updates. Is there anything that I missed? Add a comment below and let me know about your chicken journey. </p><p>Happy chicken farming! </p>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-26225651907449129782023-09-29T20:46:00.000-07:002023-10-27T07:54:23.831-07:00Dad-Made Lemon Ricotta Pancakes <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdAFfzgz_2KmG1IpkL_SVWl4DDpumfIliEU9UpA5ojnuQulTl4KxsoBjzPylApCxqexyzdEUoayPyZrQv6GALI5vQ-4qTgTQ9-fV8NpOnPzponD3X6isUz6w0Okm6WXpy0wdsFHRSrqE/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1540" data-original-width="1241" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdAFfzgz_2KmG1IpkL_SVWl4DDpumfIliEU9UpA5ojnuQulTl4KxsoBjzPylApCxqexyzdEUoayPyZrQv6GALI5vQ-4qTgTQ9-fV8NpOnPzponD3X6isUz6w0Okm6WXpy0wdsFHRSrqE/s400/Picture1.png" width="321"></a>A few weeks ago I took a "mental health day" prior to the end of the school year. The end of the year <br>
for principals is crazy. I have multiple night events as everybody is wrapping up the year. Every Saturday is booked. And I was in such bad need of a haircut that I was regularly getting some sort of comment that contained the phrase "mad scientist." So my personal day consisted of a haircut, getting contacts, and having a late breakfast with my wife.<br>
<br>
In the midst of my errands, my wife and I went out to eat. We shared something that I had never heard of: lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote. They were delicious - so light and fluffy.<br>
<br>
So that following Saturday I decided that I would surprise the whole family with breakfast. Instead of making the daddy standard - <a href="http://www.renaissance-dad.com/2015/03/dutch-babies-new-renaissance-dad.html" target="_blank">Dutch Babies</a> - I decided that I would branch out. We happened to have some ricotta cheese (something about me thinking I would make homemade ravioli while my wife was out of the country), and we still had lemons on our lemon tree. I could use the wonderful Interweb and find a recipe for lemon ricotta pancakes, the whole family would think that I was a culinary genius, and Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry would show up at my door asking me for tips.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2019/04/dad-made-lemon-ricotta-pancakes.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-69189049294858135492023-08-30T19:28:00.002-07:002023-08-30T19:28:26.555-07:00The Best Key Lime Pie in Arizona<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9hHWYu7qP4uRQblZKbkBJKZsrc4qMqe7120ieOf_zmjKJT07puAceAce1jYt7zTx4-pMd8xa8LFzb0DmlUG9APxV-VKeV4hnxg1u9eCnOA0m9KHmp54UQgK3QGzBArqrrj4CYBmnMesRqefA1KamEbgoezwkZxnVgpI9ZoNqi2rj85pT1t_odO7p53A/s3762/Key%20Lime%20Pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3762" data-original-width="2807" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9hHWYu7qP4uRQblZKbkBJKZsrc4qMqe7120ieOf_zmjKJT07puAceAce1jYt7zTx4-pMd8xa8LFzb0DmlUG9APxV-VKeV4hnxg1u9eCnOA0m9KHmp54UQgK3QGzBArqrrj4CYBmnMesRqefA1KamEbgoezwkZxnVgpI9ZoNqi2rj85pT1t_odO7p53A/w299-h400/Key%20Lime%20Pie.jpg" width="299"></a></div>Have you ever gotten a thought in your head that just gets stuck there? To the point that it becomes a quest, an obsession? Like one time when I visited my friend Marty in Houston, and we heard somebody mention the phrase "Rueben sandwich". It became an obsession for us that we just <i>had</i> to find the best Rueben sandwich in the city. We drove 30 minutes, paid way more than we were willing to pay, and the obsession was quenched. <p></p><p>It happened more recently to me. About a year ago somebody started talking about key lime pie. Key lime pie has always been one of my favorites, but that conversation began a nearly year-long quest to find the best key lime pie in the state. </p><p>What makes a great key lime pie? It takes a lot. It needs to have a good balance between the key lime custard and the whipped cream. It needs to have a good balance of tartness and sweetness (in my opinion too many key lime pies err on the side of sweetness, which ruins the key lime pie), with the best key lime pies having a tartness that gets you in your jaw. It needs to have a strong lime flavor, and it must have a great graham cracker crust. </p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2023/08/the-best-key-lime-pie-in-arizona.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-33439722229542465412023-07-30T17:45:00.001-07:002023-07-30T17:45:09.881-07:00Backyard Chickens in Arizona<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTA5Vsq7-NdF1jfrB7bRj3es7P2SOklPlOFoRsjpZsy6XIakBcu_1im-0c7tGnoftHEiLHt8iijTP7ZYiqA2GoGHhypmw9TUg_FHqBkAgFZ1fixqwUkHkQbJjkCS55Hr2q8aRkwnLtx_R33WU3vcuMXElWsjTC0_lVqIyRA5J9Mm2R_DLZTrnLpxTOgGQ/s3724/Chickens%20in%20AZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3724" data-original-width="2784" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTA5Vsq7-NdF1jfrB7bRj3es7P2SOklPlOFoRsjpZsy6XIakBcu_1im-0c7tGnoftHEiLHt8iijTP7ZYiqA2GoGHhypmw9TUg_FHqBkAgFZ1fixqwUkHkQbJjkCS55Hr2q8aRkwnLtx_R33WU3vcuMXElWsjTC0_lVqIyRA5J9Mm2R_DLZTrnLpxTOgGQ/w299-h400/Chickens%20in%20AZ.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>I've had several readers reach out to me asking about a chicken update. Initially I was waiting for our chickens to all be laying, but then I got wrapped up in making sure my chickens are not dying with the heat we're experiencing in Phoenix. I had no idea how much work it is to keep chickens alive in the midst of a 30-days-above-110-degrees-in-a-row streak. But it's a lot of work. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">We got our first egg in May. We were having dinner on our patio with some friends, and a chicken started squawking like it was being murdered. We eventually found a soft shelled egg, and we were excited. Then I got impatient that one of our chickens was laying, but the others were not. Over the next four weeks or so, our Ameraucanas all got into line. It was fun finding these blue eggs around. </p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2vZNzy8UHendi55YDZiA-vrQElCTKw4WAimEkHp50Tgz4A9TfRN4SiIOXwfgzeG5RxyJWj6kAgcgpK8baHU-wFEsqaxEFVKX4EOjlPAr7Z96vV_ZF-ZJ_QYeVKzfzqBFiMo6uh4OJjgT8EwkROpXmRnF8umHlvS0opEhQTxlHAT1OcoJ4f1qGZdlWK4/s2016/IMG_2669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2vZNzy8UHendi55YDZiA-vrQElCTKw4WAimEkHp50Tgz4A9TfRN4SiIOXwfgzeG5RxyJWj6kAgcgpK8baHU-wFEsqaxEFVKX4EOjlPAr7Z96vV_ZF-ZJ_QYeVKzfzqBFiMo6uh4OJjgT8EwkROpXmRnF8umHlvS0opEhQTxlHAT1OcoJ4f1qGZdlWK4/s320/IMG_2669.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Side note. I built a chicken coop with nesting boxes. Guess what. None of our Ameraucanas wanted to lay in the nesting boxes. I know there are ways to force them to lay there (mainly locking them in the coop for a couple of days until they're in the habit of laying in there), but 1) it was too hot to keep them in the coop, 2) I didn't want them not to have access to all of the grass and bugs they were in the habit of eating, and 3) my family and I kind of enjoy looking around the yard for the chicken eggs. It's like an Easter egg hunt, but every day. Plus, the chickens all tend to lay in the same place every day, so we have our four spots to check out daily as we look for eggs. <p></p><p>The Australorps were a different story. We got our first brown egg from one of them almost a month after we got our first blue egg. I was pretty impatient, but a friend of mine reminded me that people all develop at different speeds, and chickens are the same. But by the time we had a brown eggs, all three Ameraucanas were laying. We started getting three to four eggs per day, which meant that we were now ready to start substituting store bought eggs with our backyard eggs. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTl-WsPk0J035u6YVQ07NNqhrInPR2X-w-QIdtR7o-4AZ0PuZHZegmgLR2KNaE0pUWG1Z1wEKLJaqSMCWTab5bQ_PY3tzcczG9tLGpe5kGz7Xpa3DmNbxExJGHvlX2GYarSu8lDomDQWmyhVJgVL9FIOrykBS7yuhooZDsIwpS_tkcvu6WtClKGpHSqQ/s4032/IMG-2897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTl-WsPk0J035u6YVQ07NNqhrInPR2X-w-QIdtR7o-4AZ0PuZHZegmgLR2KNaE0pUWG1Z1wEKLJaqSMCWTab5bQ_PY3tzcczG9tLGpe5kGz7Xpa3DmNbxExJGHvlX2GYarSu8lDomDQWmyhVJgVL9FIOrykBS7yuhooZDsIwpS_tkcvu6WtClKGpHSqQ/s320/IMG-2897.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>And then the heat came in like a fiery demon dragon. We are currently in a record breaking heatwave, and keeping chickens alive is no joke. I've got the entire coop open up, with fans blowing air throughout the night (which makes it like a convection oven rather than a regular oven). I set up a misting system around our trees which we turn on each afternoon. This gives the chickens some coolness and really seems to help. We have umbrellas set up around the areas in which they lay, since the bird brains can't seem to stay out of the sun when they're laying eggs. And we give them frozen treats when we can. They love frozen watermelon set in water. So far, all of these things seem to be working, and we haven't lost a chicken. Fingers crossed that things will cool off and our chickens will survive. <p></p><p>So where are we now with things? Chickens are supposed to slow down their laying in the summer, but we're getting 3-5 eggs per day. We are moving umbrellas around the yard 23 times per day to keep our chickens in the shade while they're laying. We have exactly 14 water containers around the yard so they will stay hydrated. And two of my three kids love the chickens and cuddle them as often as they can (the other one is terrified of their dinosaur feet and their beady eyes). I had no idea how pet-like they would be. </p><p>And they all have names. They are: </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiJzXMAIbPOz5Qwh9pfXNOBcXCazgeFhA8NBxh3LW_HCZvTwymFDzgYGrbxB7Mmazd4shhVn90NdpugkTs0wvh57RJPNtIbUD3dMhoriY7UympGdgdt9W_S0o3cXt5QugGQ2dgZfVO12ByvniFc2Pl3hHPaHeO3_JCvOiapiDqAxOK6jwt2LR4vW7ch0/s2016/IMG_2690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiJzXMAIbPOz5Qwh9pfXNOBcXCazgeFhA8NBxh3LW_HCZvTwymFDzgYGrbxB7Mmazd4shhVn90NdpugkTs0wvh57RJPNtIbUD3dMhoriY7UympGdgdt9W_S0o3cXt5QugGQ2dgZfVO12ByvniFc2Pl3hHPaHeO3_JCvOiapiDqAxOK6jwt2LR4vW7ch0/s320/IMG_2690.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>- Goldilocks (the first one to lay an egg)<br />- Chikera<br />- Kylee Henner<br />- Hei Hei (this one may or may not have had brain damage as a chick - very quirky)<br />- Not Hei Hie<br />- Ha Ha<br /><p></p><p>Are chickens a lot of work? Kind of. I guess it really depends on the weather and how close to dying they are. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Aside from the wonderful eggs that we get from them, their poop is like garden gold. When my son cleans out the chicken coop and dumps the chicken poop into the compost, we all get excited for the high levels of nitrogen it's adding (okay, maybe I'm the only one in our house that gets excited about chicken poop). </p><p>So if you're contemplating backyard chickens, you would get a hearty Renaissance Dad thumbs up! </p><p>Happy chickening! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-28734169996640897272023-06-23T16:49:00.001-07:002023-06-23T16:49:10.143-07:00Easy Homemade Pickles<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7rzOas9vinFNs1NUa3K_0NjzQNovI2rjwwgQPqTon6RLa_fxdKv0uwedpE0jNp-TXg7Dfn88M6m5YUAGqicCx0pe-q7JAQd7jC1xLHtd85a3S8_I34FfssaCQ1BKOw8y8YVY65lZnQ5P3ZREIDEDpxNOneWCXq5gR05D00RzutRYbeoeOcZoETKCV3k/s3910/Pickles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3910" data-original-width="2926" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7rzOas9vinFNs1NUa3K_0NjzQNovI2rjwwgQPqTon6RLa_fxdKv0uwedpE0jNp-TXg7Dfn88M6m5YUAGqicCx0pe-q7JAQd7jC1xLHtd85a3S8_I34FfssaCQ1BKOw8y8YVY65lZnQ5P3ZREIDEDpxNOneWCXq5gR05D00RzutRYbeoeOcZoETKCV3k/w299-h400/Pickles.jpg" width="299"></a></div></div><div>As an avid gardener, I don't always make the best decisions when I am planting my biannual garden (in Arizona we have two planting seasons, spring and fall - double the fun!). Sometimes I see something at the nursery that I think I would like to try out, but it comes in a six pack of transplants. And instead of using what I want and composting the rest, I tend to find a place to plant everything. </div><div>So this summer we ended up with six Armenian cucumber plants. If you don't know what an Armenian cucumber is, think of a normal cucumber and then multiply it by 11. Some of our cucumbers have been more than two feet long, and all of our cucumber plants have been abundant. At the prime picking a few weeks ago we were pulling off four or five cucumbers per day. That's a lot of cucumber! </div><div><br></div><div>When I took one to my neighbor, he sent me a great recipe for homemade pickles. I have since modified it and added a key upgrade. This is great for Armenian cucumbers. Here's how to make it. </div><span></span><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2023/06/easy-homemade-pickles.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-36024052684452844982023-05-10T20:57:00.001-07:002023-05-10T21:04:26.629-07:00Beautiful Accent Wall in a Teen Room Makeover<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-nhfr5NK0CHjWWxs8HNn-bKP6wcWuMXpk0F92wQCGFLyzlc3lMWX5HbbAZnkwufVFHH6oPwR2oT4euLdgnvt4vFek-K7mvfgwheaG4vj94_Tm5HR1K9pY1YeD0md7mldbKH6sfVsUWDcHqv_ldBUYwWLTtTbr1pk4iHJw7pzZPZPmWMujlATfqAr/s2224/Girls%20Room.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1730" data-original-width="2224" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-nhfr5NK0CHjWWxs8HNn-bKP6wcWuMXpk0F92wQCGFLyzlc3lMWX5HbbAZnkwufVFHH6oPwR2oT4euLdgnvt4vFek-K7mvfgwheaG4vj94_Tm5HR1K9pY1YeD0md7mldbKH6sfVsUWDcHqv_ldBUYwWLTtTbr1pk4iHJw7pzZPZPmWMujlATfqAr/w400-h311/Girls%20Room.png" width="400"></a></div>I started writing Renaissance Dad in 2014. My kids were one, three, and five at the time. Now, 9 years later, they are 10, 12, and 14 (see how quickly I did that math!). My girls were little girls, and now they are young women. My son couldn't walk, and now he's jumping off of the trampoline and breaking bones. And my beard. Not a single gray hair back then... <p></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJb83KaJT3TPKgHWH3RMw45SxFj6n6Tb182s42uSvqevshmPvb52l4ftZWVhjRlMOwEy3OQQbJc6mrtHLt7yZtIVJhVnE29qaba8BaUVM0B8Sv_yfoQt46HoffOFQ-JwB63B_U8lbkhr6oBFWRy2UsrTfg5Hd9OqH0214jb8SS8JU-gYcnx-ZdXrc/s2016/IMG_2376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJb83KaJT3TPKgHWH3RMw45SxFj6n6Tb182s42uSvqevshmPvb52l4ftZWVhjRlMOwEy3OQQbJc6mrtHLt7yZtIVJhVnE29qaba8BaUVM0B8Sv_yfoQt46HoffOFQ-JwB63B_U8lbkhr6oBFWRy2UsrTfg5Hd9OqH0214jb8SS8JU-gYcnx-ZdXrc/s320/IMG_2376.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How we all feel at Ikea...</td></tr></tbody></table>So when my girls recently said that they wanted to change their room, painting over the little-girl yellow and green walls and replacing the butterfly ceiling fan, my inner Renaissance Dad shed a tear. And then I shed a few <span></span></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2023/05/beautiful-accent-wall-in-teen-room.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-86846816372123232382023-04-17T16:30:00.000-07:002023-05-06T10:37:51.976-07:00Gazpacho: An Authentic Spanish Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTEkQh57HyMKJOmoqxW7X-f59px0Ki5kx-jIuTE2smlAeEAU5lM7opL4iurz7MUs7QuMoCRjvA8nhfuE2XBJJNo-3CM3lwAKxhIk04cnNXByqbESzuDEmoxDAjrP9h1VUDg86ecwqad0/s1600/Picture2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTEkQh57HyMKJOmoqxW7X-f59px0Ki5kx-jIuTE2smlAeEAU5lM7opL4iurz7MUs7QuMoCRjvA8nhfuE2XBJJNo-3CM3lwAKxhIk04cnNXByqbESzuDEmoxDAjrP9h1VUDg86ecwqad0/s400/Picture2.png" width="400"></a></div>
The idea of cold tomato soup never quite appealed to me. I pictured in my mind a frosty can of condensed, gelatinous sludge. Gross.<br>
<br>
But when I studied in Spain, my host family made gazpacho. Being the courteous young man that I was, I went to Spain planning on trying everything at least once (this only backfired one time when I ate a slice of pickled pigs cheek, which was as disgusting as it sounds. No offense to anybody who likes pickled pigs cheek). So as I took the first bite of gazpacho, I had low expectations. But boy was it delicious. I was sold, and upon returning to the States, I started making gazpacho for anybody I could convince to try it. <br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2016/01/gazpacho-authentic-spanish-soup.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-43538434846812989822023-03-15T16:53:00.000-07:002023-05-06T10:38:39.743-07:00DIY Window Seat Built-In Bookcase<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvAD3ZmKTv71-OotBCvBOR26hKCzIJT1bBjtxtzefrtOd-Pue77Vq6brA0qIzuZnRC3_1QcBoPfJuWuVjAeyYc29T-F3wy6tP8tnhkLeprJ81KI2FUxwB1NIRPC1G73ra_pJIVvOOCMk/s747/Title+Bookcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="747" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvAD3ZmKTv71-OotBCvBOR26hKCzIJT1bBjtxtzefrtOd-Pue77Vq6brA0qIzuZnRC3_1QcBoPfJuWuVjAeyYc29T-F3wy6tP8tnhkLeprJ81KI2FUxwB1NIRPC1G73ra_pJIVvOOCMk/w400-h303/Title+Bookcase.jpg" width="400"></a></div> I like built-in furniture. There is just something about a built-in that makes a home feel less cookie-cutter—whether it's a built-in china cabinet, some built-in bookshelves, or some ledges that give a homeowner some extra space. And sometimes I look at a nook, or an odd wall, or some other space, and I think, "Boy, that would be a great space for a (fill in the built-in)."<p></p><p>For years I've been eyeballing the window ledge in my girls' room. My wife and I have had several ideas that we've talked about, from a reading nook to a fort of some sort to a bookshelf. As the years have gone by, and other house projects have taken precedent, I have continued to ruminate on that space. Then, in a brief window of time when I needed a quick weekend project, I seized the opportunity.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2020/12/diy-window-seat-built-in-bookcase.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-25220160278503657122023-02-27T19:20:00.001-08:002023-02-28T17:04:16.808-08:00Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
One of the first things I learned to bake was pound cake. Then, when we moved into a house with a massive lemon tree, I started looking for ways to use up our lemons. It was natural that I would combine my love of pound cake with a plethora of lemons. This is another recipe that has become a favorite because we're constantly looking for ways to use our lemons, and this also makes a great treat to share with coworkers.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVD6DDWpYVDOzhMxz80IEIeZaaWtuEsAiZ_z-lGDBiVsyQklGaZ4sdg-89zlBTQmtLgLPN0hyo1s7cvY3_uxSongEA5pJixP-oy7MCl6Q-6zu4lgPimCPyWE1QB-a91NAYAoBU4c0WyE/s1600/New+Picture+(7).png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVD6DDWpYVDOzhMxz80IEIeZaaWtuEsAiZ_z-lGDBiVsyQklGaZ4sdg-89zlBTQmtLgLPN0hyo1s7cvY3_uxSongEA5pJixP-oy7MCl6Q-6zu4lgPimCPyWE1QB-a91NAYAoBU4c0WyE/w400-h278/New+Picture+(7).png" width="400"></a><br>
Prep time - 30 minutes<br>
<br>
Bake time - 1 hour<br>
<br>
Yield - 1 loaf (one serving. Just kidding. Not really)<br>
<br>
Ingredients:<br>
<br>
- 1 stick of butter, room temperature* (set out the night before)<br>
- 2 large eggs, room temperature*<br>
- 1 <span style="background-color: yellow;"></span> cup sugar<br>
- 1/3 cup grated lemon zest (3 large lemons)<br>
- 1 1/2 cups flour<br>
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda<br>
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder<br>
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAm5zt7Vdi9UyFIFaBw_IFHG2Yrwbu1_Fip7mqBqRw4UGLf2FUUUGHjApJkHYUZLHDpAX_bblQRvmTTzLWJf23PWksFDa10eAVqnMSHjlfIrWzgvsS-v9jBY_FrcsYV1jBr2GSIPy-aRg/s1600/photo+1.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAm5zt7Vdi9UyFIFaBw_IFHG2Yrwbu1_Fip7mqBqRw4UGLf2FUUUGHjApJkHYUZLHDpAX_bblQRvmTTzLWJf23PWksFDa10eAVqnMSHjlfIrWzgvsS-v9jBY_FrcsYV1jBr2GSIPy-aRg/s1600/photo+1.JPG" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A grater for zesting lemons </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice<br>
- 6 Tablespoons sour cream, room temperature*<br>
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2014/02/sour-cream-lemon-pound-cake.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-70357861581453147602023-01-30T19:47:00.003-08:002023-02-06T18:32:20.460-08:00Golden Milk: A Spicy, Healthy Beverage<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1p7qJqJVDuFkusfg3cD6_DUrUR4tg4RDEoqd2wagVm2poknQbYssIMJuCk-CKrouTy3dOTqaoutvsHUUJDuBML4l-L2VN4G4EVZTZaijhQCpOWydlB1_QwE0m3ruHu85qWo104MY8AfMxDzYf1Tl5rMt9pBNJsi9iAF5ezk3Afr0GuhDKMXhcaUkD/s1679/Golden%20Milk%20Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1679" data-original-width="1248" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1p7qJqJVDuFkusfg3cD6_DUrUR4tg4RDEoqd2wagVm2poknQbYssIMJuCk-CKrouTy3dOTqaoutvsHUUJDuBML4l-L2VN4G4EVZTZaijhQCpOWydlB1_QwE0m3ruHu85qWo104MY8AfMxDzYf1Tl5rMt9pBNJsi9iAF5ezk3Afr0GuhDKMXhcaUkD/w298-h400/Golden%20Milk%20Title.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>I'm going to state something that is extremely obvious. The past three years have been extremely difficult. There have been numerous times when I have felt like Will Ferrell in <i>Zoolander</i>, shouting "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills." <p></p><p></p>Anybody with me on this one? <p></p><p>So recently when I went to the doctor, I was told that my system was shutting down from the stress of the past three years. </p><p>Anybody with me on <i>this </i>one? </p><p></p>I am working my way back to health. One of the things I was told to add to my diet was something called Golden Milk. My doctor gave me a look like she knew I was going to hate it. When I asked what was in it, I was told that it has ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric. I was told that I needed to drink Golden Milk regularly for at least one month, to which I responded, "Since I like all of those things, if I like it can I drink it regularly?" And the answer was yes! I was told that I would be superhuman if I consumed this daily. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrs77V0gE0uNwzE-T7igcN8eFQadzZmiD9UQuxpAQfz8e_2NoJd222rvnxsm2oBFj0Rh80Hb-7uQYg-MhDuI5xSfrDRd296fsIkMgF3cq7QIUY4aQ7FhbUlMBRTB9nWb5NHtjCCXExC2UrbLWGyEmonYnwWENQrA0kQzDwpD00tUkwrS3pvYvI54D/s4032/IMG_2106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrs77V0gE0uNwzE-T7igcN8eFQadzZmiD9UQuxpAQfz8e_2NoJd222rvnxsm2oBFj0Rh80Hb-7uQYg-MhDuI5xSfrDRd296fsIkMgF3cq7QIUY4aQ7FhbUlMBRTB9nWb5NHtjCCXExC2UrbLWGyEmonYnwWENQrA0kQzDwpD00tUkwrS3pvYvI54D/w150-h200/IMG_2106.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>I was given a recipe, I tweaked it, I adjusted it, and I came up with something that is absolutely delicious! I have Golden Milk about five nights per week. I don't yet have the power of flight, but I think it's coming. Golden Milk is my evening beverage before going to bed, and I am a fan. It is known to boost your immunity, boost your antioxidants, reduce joint pain and inflammation, and turn you into a superhero (I'm not a doctor, and I may have made that last one up, but if you look up the health benefits of the three main ingredients you will not be lacking information). <p></p><p>So here is the recipe that I came up with. It keeps it in powder form until you are ready to use it. Feel free to adjust the recipe to add more of the things you really like. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOBaneJ5a2mHC0gY-0171TZBA4jGvkkjSW4sNsUIca7FxmOtE0cW-v7NdciPHj5Owwlh6d90BTag9O9H60eHCiX9Ru0SLMNdWCQT7mXXYf7rujDhu8WcFdTW-lEq0skInlZoXJCR3OaSuCAFkS3tWhsJoVmfGaBCzNsoZEXXDKv4q_m34plllxjiE/s4032/IMG_2107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOBaneJ5a2mHC0gY-0171TZBA4jGvkkjSW4sNsUIca7FxmOtE0cW-v7NdciPHj5Owwlh6d90BTag9O9H60eHCiX9Ru0SLMNdWCQT7mXXYf7rujDhu8WcFdTW-lEq0skInlZoXJCR3OaSuCAFkS3tWhsJoVmfGaBCzNsoZEXXDKv4q_m34plllxjiE/w150-h200/IMG_2107.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>- 4 T. turmeric<br />- 2+ T. powdered ginger<br />- 1+ T. cinnamon<br />- 1/4 t. ground black pepper<p></p><p>Mix all the ingredients together. Add one Tablespoon of the combined powder to 1+ cup of warm milk or milk substitute (I really like coconut milk). For a little bit of sweetness, add a dribble of honey. If you have a milk frother, froth it up! </p><p>Then just sit back and wait for the super powers to take root! </p><p>Enjoy!</p>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-36631308383605566862022-12-26T20:52:00.001-08:002022-12-31T21:59:10.761-08:00Chicken Coop - DIY or Premade Kit?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUVlXpo4rcpKWW3h7gQCcRbkivheekWGCcKrRA9kY1gKr_7lAJ9k6zrq_-NQ3AeM7vtBo_bqm0VM4ygi6w2fljOT7LK6AcZQlLYU9SwGdniw-6_KGat2DnfR3TNgCylvXESxvErQ-EyZEfsKoMv5PDvGWPZ7wluoZZAn2FYTZ-JqtnRf2uCgi2tPt/s2157/Chicken%20Coop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="2157" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUVlXpo4rcpKWW3h7gQCcRbkivheekWGCcKrRA9kY1gKr_7lAJ9k6zrq_-NQ3AeM7vtBo_bqm0VM4ygi6w2fljOT7LK6AcZQlLYU9SwGdniw-6_KGat2DnfR3TNgCylvXESxvErQ-EyZEfsKoMv5PDvGWPZ7wluoZZAn2FYTZ-JqtnRf2uCgi2tPt/w400-h301/Chicken%20Coop.jpg" width="400"></a></div>Have you been to the grocery store lately? Have you seen the price of eggs? Have you been able to find eggs? Just this week my local grocery store had only the "cheap", bottom shelf eggs, and they are now $8 per dozen. <p></p><p>Thankfully the city in which I live just recently passed a chicken ordinance that now allows chickens. Unfortunately it takes some time to raise chickens from chicks to egg laying age. But fortunately I have been planning for this for some time, so my chicken farming days are already in the works. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zdle9nHFyqBITyLh4hvqU-GNRcOEsliQmzR-SafHmkipRHX6Ym_zt_BMCD8rQ7ksfKyF1LfFAXeVu59td4vEEXK_jxEd8GGE6Lkui6gtFgr3P_N0YDC53JX1gibrJZv_1TbBP8It_VWWQfi5pX7NWTxhANunvF_IyCIs1cTHwnH5Au624-qFzSU7/s2016/69386880454__2D324CA0-31C8-45EE-B083-871C619A0E6F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zdle9nHFyqBITyLh4hvqU-GNRcOEsliQmzR-SafHmkipRHX6Ym_zt_BMCD8rQ7ksfKyF1LfFAXeVu59td4vEEXK_jxEd8GGE6Lkui6gtFgr3P_N0YDC53JX1gibrJZv_1TbBP8It_VWWQfi5pX7NWTxhANunvF_IyCIs1cTHwnH5Au624-qFzSU7/s320/69386880454__2D324CA0-31C8-45EE-B083-871C619A0E6F.jpg" width="320"></a></div>Let me back up a little bit. As my <span></span><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2022/12/chicken-coop-diy-or-premade-kit.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-11062764880303360282022-11-26T11:47:00.007-08:002022-12-05T19:38:52.650-08:00DIY Tree Collar from Scrap<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pxJxI_dOMZZTWzErHr2RmPxU-cSAPcBKWvtFAHFS_wwTt1N65OhKCTK29rU6Yuq148_lU_UApzvar6vfutjD7NcBvgyZqkl962rZ0HZ14ybjTIWsGFzTRhemzj0X20ik3yclMIXRHOF5knDgBSuusPdNfIuAiVhKa2V8za2cBzlCBHBT8pyMnv08/s1735/Picture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1735" data-original-width="1286" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pxJxI_dOMZZTWzErHr2RmPxU-cSAPcBKWvtFAHFS_wwTt1N65OhKCTK29rU6Yuq148_lU_UApzvar6vfutjD7NcBvgyZqkl962rZ0HZ14ybjTIWsGFzTRhemzj0X20ik3yclMIXRHOF5knDgBSuusPdNfIuAiVhKa2V8za2cBzlCBHBT8pyMnv08/w296-h400/Picture2.jpg" width="296"></a></div></div>I love Christmas! I love decorating. I love putting up lights. I love the joy of the season. I often go over the top, but at this point in my life, that is just expected by the people around me. <p></p><p>We recently got a puppy. After we decorated the inside of our house for Christmas, one of the last things that we did was put the tree skirt around our tree. Within minutes the tree skirt had a puppy pee spot on it. So we took the tree skirt off, washed it, dried it, and hung it outside to air it out. We put the tree skirt back around the tree, and, I kid you not, hadn't even gotten it around the tree before there was a new puppy pee spot. </p><p>So we decided that this would be the year to put a tree collar around the tree instead of a tree skirt (note: I find it kind of ridiculous that we have so many names of things that go around the bottom of trees that we decorate our houses with, but apparently that's where we are. For those of you not familiar, a tree skirt is a cloth that goes around the base of a Christmas tree, while a tree collar is a rigid barrier.)</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgqvAfiz6x9sKsIVCCFPyBZswXaMDU1E0HOYUjlZxVN0c1cqlQWx7yeib_S1gpGxzpdB3TxZUtGgyKiciWeWNLPYYXUFvPNmVw7zLYxzLVzgFrz-Ne5LwaIOjvDuQSqAacaDXU3-U8nXuNHU_HTQTGJ6Z8flbt1OD6Pw92WaEasDC7R5BRle10K9P/s2016/IMG_1871.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgqvAfiz6x9sKsIVCCFPyBZswXaMDU1E0HOYUjlZxVN0c1cqlQWx7yeib_S1gpGxzpdB3TxZUtGgyKiciWeWNLPYYXUFvPNmVw7zLYxzLVzgFrz-Ne5LwaIOjvDuQSqAacaDXU3-U8nXuNHU_HTQTGJ6Z8flbt1OD6Pw92WaEasDC7R5BRle10K9P/w150-h200/IMG_1871.jpg" width="150"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wouldn't pee on <br>the tree skirt...</td></tr></tbody></table><span></span><p></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2022/11/diy-tree-collar-from-scrap.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-37750868096860392002022-10-25T22:04:00.000-07:002022-11-03T18:19:17.135-07:00How to Seed a Pomegranate in Under Two Minutes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxUSSl5SZP14lYgIHwDHBdIt7bkmqgYl1T1-zG5KfzksB07utqlBrkNDEwRFQvIoeUd97agwXuUA3UgnamMuXlQ9MAxSYixVCTAfLw4OfYoFTz5KdlhZcQ0xKOGGX-b0BUSWtAa2pVxA/s1600/Pomegranate.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxUSSl5SZP14lYgIHwDHBdIt7bkmqgYl1T1-zG5KfzksB07utqlBrkNDEwRFQvIoeUd97agwXuUA3UgnamMuXlQ9MAxSYixVCTAfLw4OfYoFTz5KdlhZcQ0xKOGGX-b0BUSWtAa2pVxA/s400/Pomegranate.png" width="317"></a>One of the most prolific fruit trees in my yard is our pomegranate tree. We've had our tree for a few years, and this year, finally, we got a bumper crop. Once I got the first ripe fruit, though, I realized how much I hate pomegranates. Not because I dislike the fruit, but because I dislike getting the edible part out.<br>
<br>
If you've never seeded a pomegranate, let me explain what it's like. Imagine 1,000 tiny grapes all superglued to tissue paper, tightly packed in a leather ball.<br>
<br>
I spent years trying to find the best way to seed them, reading all the infinite wisdom that the internet has to offer on the subject.<br>
<br>
"Break them up submersed in water and all of the inedible parts float, while the seeds sink." Nope. The inedible parts sink as well, and—45 minutes of seed-removal later—half of the seeds go down the drain with the water.<br>
<br>
"Roll the pomegranate with the ends cut off, pulling out the seeds as they loosen." Insane. This creates a mess and most of the seeds end up bursting on your fingers. And 45 minutes later you're trying to scrub the red stains off your counter.<br>
<a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2019/10/how-to-seed-pomegranate-in-under-two.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-42394927829885352022-09-18T15:36:00.003-07:002022-09-18T15:39:22.105-07:00Upcycled Stained Glass Bicycle Wheel<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUy7584d3snVeXDKFZa-8g1bRNvehowS_wrs3-G9nHnTfsB9hCDSbuFlqG7J_tWBoXMZrx-ynSsHAAmwwYk6xIZS90bzZpiU6appxOaO75Ov2FAiw2Ir9RizKitZIfzVfxAvViffA7XkByZ4LtR_q4MhQbKVt-nhA967w_aaQGahzVkeMtfMK75rnH/s3955/Title%20Picture.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3955" data-original-width="3080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUy7584d3snVeXDKFZa-8g1bRNvehowS_wrs3-G9nHnTfsB9hCDSbuFlqG7J_tWBoXMZrx-ynSsHAAmwwYk6xIZS90bzZpiU6appxOaO75Ov2FAiw2Ir9RizKitZIfzVfxAvViffA7XkByZ4LtR_q4MhQbKVt-nhA967w_aaQGahzVkeMtfMK75rnH/w311-h400/Title%20Picture.jpg" width="311"></a></div> In 2014 I got together with some friends and learned to do some basic stained glass. Two years after that I started a big stained glass project that culminated in 2017 with the installation of an 8-panel stained glass piece (https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2017/06/diy-stained-glass.html). Since then I have dabbled in stained glass, doing little projects as an artistic stress relief. <p></p><p>Fast forward to the COVID years, and stress levels were high. So amidst the other things that help me find balance (woodworking, gardening, DIY projects, home improvement). This past spring I decided to start another stained glass project, and figured my garden could use a little color. My inspiration was something my mom sent me years ago as a possible project, and it has been living in my brain for all these years. </p><p>I started by obtaining an old bicycle. I took the front wheel and the fork off. After stripping the wheel of reflectors, the tube and the tire, and after cleaning up the wheel, I had the base for my project. The plan was to put glass pieces in the triangular sections of <span></span></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2022/09/upcycled-stained-glass-bicycle-wheel.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-40780961698413724172022-08-16T19:49:00.000-07:002022-08-31T19:28:59.448-07:00An Amazing Fall BeverageI love fall. I love fall because Arizona is so hot during the summer, and fall is the sign of many months of wonderful weather. During the summer in Arizona, I can walk out of the house at five in the morning and the temperature is already 90 degrees. Hope comes on that first day of fall when I walk out of the house and am hit with air that is cooler than the air in our house. That is always my favorite day of the season. And while that day is not quite here yet, I know it is just around the corner. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6bmiHF9cHwatDJMxIWoBRe6BYQD2HxwJmdy5BKbNfFFTEAqeNQJNmdqTSGKPhLb8-lNco7Iuj47_IhQj614KY6JbZRfyYY543v3qpLF1TdsH0ZS4sLcR7dDyqO7dIFHcN_qe965i_9A/s1600/photo(3).JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6bmiHF9cHwatDJMxIWoBRe6BYQD2HxwJmdy5BKbNfFFTEAqeNQJNmdqTSGKPhLb8-lNco7Iuj47_IhQj614KY6JbZRfyYY543v3qpLF1TdsH0ZS4sLcR7dDyqO7dIFHcN_qe965i_9A/s1600/photo(3).JPG" width="320" /></a>And now I have a new fall experience that I would like to share with the world. The other night my wife and I were sitting on the couch after we got the kids down. We each had an adult beverage - she had a hard cider, and I had a delicious pumpkin beer. We each took a couple of sips, and then we had the epiphany. And by "we" I mean my wife. We looked at each other, looked at the beverages, and my wife said what we were both thinking, "What if we mixed these?" GENIUS! I am married to a genius!<br />
<br />
So here is the Renaissance Dad's Fall beverage - equal parts pumpkin beer and hard cider. This is such an amazing beverage, and I am here and now claiming naming rights to this deliciousness. However, I now need help from my readers. What should this beverage be called? Apple Jacks? Apple Spice? Pumpkin Pie? Apple and Tan? Let the naming suggestions begin.<br />
<br />
Here's to the hope of fall weather, and the beverages that help us along! <br />
<br />Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-35640203768109627902022-07-04T12:06:00.005-07:002022-07-04T12:07:07.999-07:00Repairing Gaps in Laminate Flooring<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAnMFdfWRU9Uwt98_reGrfzs3OlOWdswNhK0XqLxQYvfCEPRwd3AKnq3XffDUED5H2IvxpIqY9C_tYCriVqGqaK4-Thl7-f6IbI--9zFLUnNmp-FVP4mK61Fs1k-1OILj0QmhhnWb2N2OsYq9vTZljRzFB8xcoU40a1YnU-bT1-flK8VA5JNKn1Hm3/s1808/Floor%20Gap%20Blog.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1808" data-original-width="1441" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAnMFdfWRU9Uwt98_reGrfzs3OlOWdswNhK0XqLxQYvfCEPRwd3AKnq3XffDUED5H2IvxpIqY9C_tYCriVqGqaK4-Thl7-f6IbI--9zFLUnNmp-FVP4mK61Fs1k-1OILj0QmhhnWb2N2OsYq9vTZljRzFB8xcoU40a1YnU-bT1-flK8VA5JNKn1Hm3/w319-h400/Floor%20Gap%20Blog.jpg" width="319"></a></div> From 2017 to 2018 my family and I worked the floors in our entire house. Over the course of nine months, every square inch of our interior floors was replaced. It was an exhausting project, but one of the most beneficial projects that we have done to date (in case you missed it, you can see our before and after photos <a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2018/03/diy-flooring-project.html#more" target="_blank">here</a>). <p></p><p>I love our floors, although there are definitely times when I think about replacing them, upgrading them, or completing the new project when these floors wear out, which will hopefully be in a long time. </p><p>A few months ago I noticed some separating, some gaps, between a few of the boards at the top of the stairs. I am almost certain that there is no way it was an installation error. And I really don't see a way that our kids running around the house like drunken monkeys could be the cause for boards to <span></span></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2022/07/repairing-gaps-in-laminate-flooring.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-68885141897663139912022-07-03T14:17:00.001-07:002022-07-03T16:41:09.007-07:00Easy Ginger Peach Ice Cream Sandwiches<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZi9DUClXNWnxTXabxFx_YbPYyRKWNmYhiMnTCaXskkc3bI6bzFiM98ONWkeSQOl3k9IG3Zppi4seZ7dwB48FOvB1k-PJuQDGeX8NyBQWLiKY0uOjpFZgMF9ZuAyfpHYN7w4IqsvrkMWo/s1600/Title.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="583" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZi9DUClXNWnxTXabxFx_YbPYyRKWNmYhiMnTCaXskkc3bI6bzFiM98ONWkeSQOl3k9IG3Zppi4seZ7dwB48FOvB1k-PJuQDGeX8NyBQWLiKY0uOjpFZgMF9ZuAyfpHYN7w4IqsvrkMWo/w315-h400/Title.jpg" width="315"></a>I don't know why ginger and peach make such an amazing couple. It's like Fred and Wilma, Bonnie and Clyde, yin and yang, or lemon and lime. Actually, it's not like any of those things, but it is pretty good.<br>
<br>
So this brainchild came up as I was looking for a quick, tasty snack to have one evening. It is a simple, two ingredient treat - Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Cookies (two sizes available), and Tillamook Peaches & Cream ice cream.<br>
<br>
<a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2020/07/easy-ginger-peach-ice-cream-sandwiches.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-60326221986556973752022-05-25T20:29:00.003-07:002022-06-14T08:45:01.948-07:00Planting a Garden for Polinators<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzDRn4mY7jl3VdBuni70zm81wnzog3FZ1DLohLnFLtm5Hsrm4XURbut94U9Uv100JlHveq1f07L1ELi76xaF20gNkrDMfOgOZGpjKQqyayjHDd2F5e1bwAcHBW8j2uvON4aC0XKJmTTy4sxYw8ohGJLZu6yqUCGTewCxFz4IGZuTNFY1S3VzDniNX/s5050/Flower%20Garden%20Title.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3717" data-original-width="5050" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzDRn4mY7jl3VdBuni70zm81wnzog3FZ1DLohLnFLtm5Hsrm4XURbut94U9Uv100JlHveq1f07L1ELi76xaF20gNkrDMfOgOZGpjKQqyayjHDd2F5e1bwAcHBW8j2uvON4aC0XKJmTTy4sxYw8ohGJLZu6yqUCGTewCxFz4IGZuTNFY1S3VzDniNX/w400-h295/Flower%20Garden%20Title.jpg" width="400"></a></div>All of my garden beds are mostly fruits and vegetables. I went nuts this spring and planted 19 tomato plants; we are on the brink of eating gazpacho for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We have cucumbers, melons, peppers, and herbs. <p></p><p>But last fall my 11 year old helped me pick out some flowers to intersperse around the veggies, and she really appreciated the look (she's into the aesthetics of things). I did as well. It added color, attracted bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and just made gardening that much more enjoyable. </p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2022/05/planting-garden-for-polinators.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-57618664978588299642022-04-30T14:08:00.003-07:002022-06-14T08:44:37.238-07:00Whoops! Nine Steps to Fixing a Hole in Drywall<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3A6GZZevIRBwZuDoc3boF0HTKo6ualXjwb0fxavq2hoxtHb4oVx-8qlDALctjVJA2drHN4yg5-ajC2K5ri4hkKZUDjsT-pwv9iUKb5lBjZlTb0xqLx3iWkboMQuF1epMbemZE4fM3rv1cL3h-oagN5OgiwdFXVVtmloz4AY_eDQmM8_DCGZvxDe0/s4881/Picture1.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3758" data-original-width="4881" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3A6GZZevIRBwZuDoc3boF0HTKo6ualXjwb0fxavq2hoxtHb4oVx-8qlDALctjVJA2drHN4yg5-ajC2K5ri4hkKZUDjsT-pwv9iUKb5lBjZlTb0xqLx3iWkboMQuF1epMbemZE4fM3rv1cL3h-oagN5OgiwdFXVVtmloz4AY_eDQmM8_DCGZvxDe0/w400-h308/Picture1.png" width="400"></a></div> Has this ever happened to you? <p></p><p>Two of your kids are running around the house, totally hyped up on child-like energy, playing whatever game makes sense in their heads. Then one of them tries to close the door, the other one pushes against it, and like two gladiators covered in dust and sweat, they push and push. And the one on the inside of the door decides to step back and let the door fly open, defying the springy door stop to catch the door and causing the door knob to tap the drywall with enough force to create diamonds out of coal. </p><p>No? It's just me? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCo4orsHqM1O9aUnXikHr7WE4TILldiPyQcnI4kXQ0OLMlMT1Dtv5WpZsOMXAar3IE9QmzP7UNhM1a0OD8wIYJiAuS2oG4j8D_jCCBOXVNkHNQA-V__p0PkHeHbmARUDRCiNHfrP380w0EMDa78kRyKa4WO2cP1Ia5BPqAiGvuGXDy3IlUjOEOuft/s4032/IMG_1097.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCo4orsHqM1O9aUnXikHr7WE4TILldiPyQcnI4kXQ0OLMlMT1Dtv5WpZsOMXAar3IE9QmzP7UNhM1a0OD8wIYJiAuS2oG4j8D_jCCBOXVNkHNQA-V__p0PkHeHbmARUDRCiNHfrP380w0EMDa78kRyKa4WO2cP1Ia5BPqAiGvuGXDy3IlUjOEOuft/w150-h200/IMG_1097.HEIC" width="150"></a></div><span></span><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2022/04/whoops-nine-steps-to-fixing-hole-in.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-64168338926101199842022-03-26T22:05:00.000-07:002022-03-26T22:05:52.112-07:00Building on to an Existing Bookcase <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRAgdW9NfBBoap6XF3NL1KdfNNnFpHkarzEHI3BjRjCKlN5kPQLg_wnGmDy50lIS__PGK6OXpInQD8qwWDIjknFnL9zGCuJCA76KDM0LVqslMZ0QK808Jo_8hZ6oybUtySzG7IW5q7yA5kLN_rbNvLTDSVF_z9QesujEq4g2eemjDR4Z1-6hOwG74/s5527/Bookcase.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3593" data-original-width="5527" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRAgdW9NfBBoap6XF3NL1KdfNNnFpHkarzEHI3BjRjCKlN5kPQLg_wnGmDy50lIS__PGK6OXpInQD8qwWDIjknFnL9zGCuJCA76KDM0LVqslMZ0QK808Jo_8hZ6oybUtySzG7IW5q7yA5kLN_rbNvLTDSVF_z9QesujEq4g2eemjDR4Z1-6hOwG74/w400-h260/Bookcase.png" width="400"></a></div> When my family and I moved nine years ago, we had several friends help us with the move. A few of my friends commented on the number of books that we owned, especially when the books had to go up the stairs to the top-of-the-stairs bookcase. That bookcase quickly became overcrowded with additional books, and our bookcase became too small. <p></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2022/03/building-on-to-existing-bookcase.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-80512849183832688442022-02-21T13:41:00.003-08:002022-02-21T13:41:33.725-08:00Expanding the Orchard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF01OyfYUcypYsPvlZ7oo2dvvseaTOgE-jPqZKWVgLWcsopp1yclb6e1XQ7FDXm4yAgcd9tbWc8wARoCkibWpUSKARAFjX6aYBorrPA-GooxXhxbaL2Ma27ONPKMwwtIOagH3Lvc6tDLmHUXDv5BqdUCL28nB5wZivi9vyJhCA_aEusl9WoYblmUTJ=s3955" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3955" data-original-width="2873" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF01OyfYUcypYsPvlZ7oo2dvvseaTOgE-jPqZKWVgLWcsopp1yclb6e1XQ7FDXm4yAgcd9tbWc8wARoCkibWpUSKARAFjX6aYBorrPA-GooxXhxbaL2Ma27ONPKMwwtIOagH3Lvc6tDLmHUXDv5BqdUCL28nB5wZivi9vyJhCA_aEusl9WoYblmUTJ=w290-h400" width="290"></a></div></div>Remember in <i>Back to the Future </i>when Doc was talking about Old Man Peabody having a crazy dream of breeding pine trees? While the breeding trees part is a little weird, it's kind of like my dream, except instead of pine trees, I have a dream of having fruit trees as far as the eye can see. <div><br></div><div>I have written before about cutting down oleanders annually to add fruit trees. I started with 11 oleanders in my backyard, and to date have removed seven of them - only four more to go. Each on has been replaced with some sort of fruit producing tree or bush. This past month was no exception. </div><div><br></div><div>In the fall, I placed an order for some fruit trees through <a href="https://www.urbanfarm.org/" target="_blank">The Urban Farm</a>. This is a wonderful resource for anybody looking to expand their backyard garden, but it is especially beneficial for those who live in the Phoenix-area, as they have an annual fruit tree event where you can buy trees and bushes grown specifically for the Phoenix climate. The one drawback is that the trees are quite affordable, so I ended up buying more than I was ready to plant. This meant that I had to spend extra time preparing the spaces, expanding the irrigation system, and getting the soil ready for my trees. But I also learned a lot from The Urban Farm about feeding my trees, taking care of them, and helping them thrive in the climate I'm in. </div><span></span><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2022/02/expanding-orchard.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-15595305109474031232021-12-26T11:44:00.001-08:002022-01-01T16:18:58.183-08:00Easy Upcycled Fire Starters<p> Nothing is more enjoyable on a chilly evening than sitting in front of a warm, roaring fire, sipping a warm beverage, and reading a book or watching a movie. And nothing can ruin that Hallmark moment more quickly than by having the fire sputter out. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXWMT6Q5E51IU6CEXt6aILE8EUtJNxnvLOHHdeCY8wJsXEe9Brhfh9-Q13EnznnI8ze71wsxt_BgB_yFM3Wh-Alxn9abFRVhl-Ocv-ahGNA-i5Lb5CKsYmkdU4O_ems0ep3SF6tKxe5Y3vn5XztmCbd1xjeu2nfdXCW0inPx0bw3zAZZgm6UOgVBjN=s4867" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="4867" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXWMT6Q5E51IU6CEXt6aILE8EUtJNxnvLOHHdeCY8wJsXEe9Brhfh9-Q13EnznnI8ze71wsxt_BgB_yFM3Wh-Alxn9abFRVhl-Ocv-ahGNA-i5Lb5CKsYmkdU4O_ems0ep3SF6tKxe5Y3vn5XztmCbd1xjeu2nfdXCW0inPx0bw3zAZZgm6UOgVBjN=w400-h315" width="400" /></a></div>Have you been there before? Pulling back the screen, blowing on what little little embers you can find to try to relight the fire? Or shoving another wad of newspaper under the logs, only to have them briefly fill your space with a bright light before going out, leaving you once again with no fire? <p></p><p>I've been there. </p><p>But no more. NO MORE! Years ago I found a way to create a fire starter that costs nothing and effectively gets a fire going with a single match. In fact, they are so great that I am now asking family members and friends for their trash so I can make more of them. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcCO0jxbDXdUWoalmH0x2xqsiFgpL6xpJgucaj4v_lXB_k1YwHrff7_YwZxJQ2DOC8amPEjt2Lpb5OLs1MkBc4ahqhzfrCdTUsrD6ZmDXq4HdZ2V6lvmxIl9vo1HLbebaMMaIDafxCPg0ltQEutXmg5VNDYpNf2CiYD1zkeo7bBb5oIComgL_ZmHmq=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcCO0jxbDXdUWoalmH0x2xqsiFgpL6xpJgucaj4v_lXB_k1YwHrff7_YwZxJQ2DOC8amPEjt2Lpb5OLs1MkBc4ahqhzfrCdTUsrD6ZmDXq4HdZ2V6lvmxIl9vo1HLbebaMMaIDafxCPg0ltQEutXmg5VNDYpNf2CiYD1zkeo7bBb5oIComgL_ZmHmq=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melting the wax...</td></tr></tbody></table>Here's what you do. </p><p>1. Collect a whole bunch of toilet paper tubes. </p><p>2. Pack them full of dryer lint. </p><p>3. Lining up the tubes on a paper plate, sheets of newspaper, or several paper towels, pour melted candle wax into each tube, covering the dryer lint (I most often use a candle warmer for my candles. Once the scent is gone, I use the candles for fire starters. The candle warmer is also great at efficiently melting the candle before pouring into the fire starter). </p><p>4. Flip the tube over, and pour into the other side. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEEh2JzTVTXtTlgxoOf3wot7wou-7Lq2BFRIbtstew_dt9HpX0-D-db9K_UvhqINL_jHQgyq6puwDn87qvWNradnN5Lrml7YB2g5rbQ1VbGZlI5_9AFAuTYqXugduyuDRBXMsSrc6TKPbSvLmc29qeHg4tQ8I3T4STmQlNM-qT77A5zMIneMoeIqxu=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEEh2JzTVTXtTlgxoOf3wot7wou-7Lq2BFRIbtstew_dt9HpX0-D-db9K_UvhqINL_jHQgyq6puwDn87qvWNradnN5Lrml7YB2g5rbQ1VbGZlI5_9AFAuTYqXugduyuDRBXMsSrc6TKPbSvLmc29qeHg4tQ8I3T4STmQlNM-qT77A5zMIneMoeIqxu=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making the fire starters...</td></tr></tbody></table>That's it. Let them dry, and store them for the next time you need to start a fire in the fireplace or fire pit. These are also fantastic for camping and will make you the envy of your camp neighbors. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2fNy5b1IFhYcl69r8U1P_SzoDVtSy75zRRjYvhY6GZPdi36CT6T36DMO5-KXF7pD81q12DNxbPnBi6hQVrvLSpqasWCPyVJ5a68q_ESFufhduWe8Yh6gA4bf9stgHLdlNjYYVhZJH0ScUwLqaX3jWq4MiZWeIRG9gZX4U4svNCvSEO4VkDT-dl6XM=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2fNy5b1IFhYcl69r8U1P_SzoDVtSy75zRRjYvhY6GZPdi36CT6T36DMO5-KXF7pD81q12DNxbPnBi6hQVrvLSpqasWCPyVJ5a68q_ESFufhduWe8Yh6gA4bf9stgHLdlNjYYVhZJH0ScUwLqaX3jWq4MiZWeIRG9gZX4U4svNCvSEO4VkDT-dl6XM=w200-h150" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go baby, go! </td></tr></tbody></table></p>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-13658664076820672502021-11-30T18:13:00.000-08:002021-11-30T18:13:00.051-08:00Cutting Your Christmas Tree in the Arizona Mountains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5xbNuXsYKFgRcUrQAOFJHblxQamhy2Xs37OqZFrgaIWVwcU-rfdEAYBpZFI6J_3rlnW4qda5ikvpgImBKusL9i22qPqnkg-4YT_tmw1sjBSW0pEgfUDK899GM3hmDIJO5dsPuk9oUgw/s2048/Title+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5xbNuXsYKFgRcUrQAOFJHblxQamhy2Xs37OqZFrgaIWVwcU-rfdEAYBpZFI6J_3rlnW4qda5ikvpgImBKusL9i22qPqnkg-4YT_tmw1sjBSW0pEgfUDK899GM3hmDIJO5dsPuk9oUgw/w298-h400/Title+Picture.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not going in our yard...</td></tr></tbody></table>**As you read this post, there is a hidden game. How many quotes from <i>Christmas Vacation</i> can you<br /> find? </div></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I love Christmas! There isn't an area of our house that isn't covered in lights, decorations, candles, or peppermint. There is no such thing as too much when it comes to Christmas. But this year, we decided to try something different. We still did the lights and the trains and the decorations. But in 2021 we teamed up with our neighbors and kicked off our fun, old-fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the mountains in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols. </p><p></p><p>So this year we decided to drive to the Arizona mountains and cut down our own Christmas tree. Here's what I discovered:</p><p>- Arizona has five National Forests (Apache-Sitegraves, Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott, and Tonto) that sell permits for Christmas Trees. </p><p>- Permits cost $15-$20 each, depending on the National Forest, and allow you to cut a tree up to 10 feet tall (Apache-Sitegraves allows trees up to 15 feet tall)</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRJtxKj_6y6OuBLhLi6Kdo8Xxvk863_cJB6GTu9Yl4Ps1QYC5ffUmg3tW7swGxHEDAw0jno_Ul452UWBLiWOZ1_4IiniadML53be9-MGsY9AYHXV5ZcVA14qbGIXUpo8soafZ7EYekHg/s2048/IMG_0630.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRJtxKj_6y6OuBLhLi6Kdo8Xxvk863_cJB6GTu9Yl4Ps1QYC5ffUmg3tW7swGxHEDAw0jno_Ul452UWBLiWOZ1_4IiniadML53be9-MGsY9AYHXV5ZcVA14qbGIXUpo8soafZ7EYekHg/w150-h200/IMG_0630.HEIC" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids approve. </td></tr></tbody></table>- Each National Forest has a number of cutting areas and species available to cut. </p><p></p><p>- Cutting dates vary by National Forest, but some allow you to cut your tree as early as October (that's ambitious, even for me). </p><p></p>So armed with two permits, two dads and their kids (five total) loaded up in two trucks to go to the mountains to get our family Christmas trees (it helped that we already have a stupid tie with little Santa Clauses all over it). And since our wives were not with us, there was nothing to stop us from overestimating the height of our living room ceilings. <br /><p></p><p>We drove for about two hours and turned off onto the gravel road that ran through the middle of the cutting zone that we chose. While we ended up on a small dirt road that definitely needed four-wheel-drive to navigate, the main road would have definitely worked for a car or smaller SUV, and even a wood panel station wagon would have been able to handle it (just don't forget the saw). <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtc3a7rB3Ls9-TzCfx_sD8RA4QavCt7QByvAutj3oR0KwB85eoUAHHfC98-8e6NwJcHTutMms4FQooSMSD8TEbYjmd99mNFFtHogEpsZQNX-DOlvQ5mGaMpMwDL3KEBs8sr9WAeRMRK2U/s2048/IMG_0640.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtc3a7rB3Ls9-TzCfx_sD8RA4QavCt7QByvAutj3oR0KwB85eoUAHHfC98-8e6NwJcHTutMms4FQooSMSD8TEbYjmd99mNFFtHogEpsZQNX-DOlvQ5mGaMpMwDL3KEBs8sr9WAeRMRK2U/w240-h320/IMG_0640.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fully decorated</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p>After about an hour of walking through the forest, we found our tree. Was it the perfect Christmas tree? Yes and no. It was not a perfect triangular shaped tree, with perfect, full branches. But it was the tree that my kids and I liked, and the one that drew our eye. And much like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, this one needed a home for the holidays. <p></p><p>Note: as you are wandering through the forest looking for your tree, be sure to mark where your potential choices are so you can make your way back to them. Our kids marked the path with sticks and rocks so we could find them after looking at several options. </p><p>Yes, we did remember the saws, and no, we did not have to dig the trees up (although part of me really wanted to dig the tree out of the ground and drive home with a giant rootball hanging off the back of the truck, just for comedic effect). And while my 11-year-old took some time to warm up to the tree (she initially didn't think the tree looked good enough, although, in all honesty, it looked quite wonky before it had lights and ornaments), we had fun memories of cutting down our first Christmas tree. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V5bhe-bbG4Fi54akGKnuwp5wTPdki1Fs7EMDhJgfy9marnYScT0zG2Byd2s0pz55omaryCukmdymXWdeyKBD9rXD7pQSjqHDdqe2fg1tZDxs3HCnkymkOa_Sai6hD1iLl16jJcw3eUg/s2048/IMG_0639.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7V5bhe-bbG4Fi54akGKnuwp5wTPdki1Fs7EMDhJgfy9marnYScT0zG2Byd2s0pz55omaryCukmdymXWdeyKBD9rXD7pQSjqHDdqe2fg1tZDxs3HCnkymkOa_Sai6hD1iLl16jJcw3eUg/w200-h150/IMG_0639.HEIC" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The little dog approves. </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p>If you are interested in cutting down a tree, I encourage you to look into the rules and regulations of your area and follow them. And even though you may think they're dirty and messy and corny and cliched, please do not cut down your neighbor's tree, no matter how desperate you are. </p><p></p><p></p><p>From Chandler, Arizona, to wherever you are in the world, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays! </p><p><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKyVSPXdq0xzo73UK0PfDprWj02UWQ4IfaZJL2SKXCKkA5rSY0fMHuWZ8MCxD0Gn3d4XdmzCx0GbSgTx3poPeew81x7NhZjAucEkl7-EORhPYTs4u3MMEmICvKo-emPUkOI-_DttHYAA/s2048/IMG_0642.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKyVSPXdq0xzo73UK0PfDprWj02UWQ4IfaZJL2SKXCKkA5rSY0fMHuWZ8MCxD0Gn3d4XdmzCx0GbSgTx3poPeew81x7NhZjAucEkl7-EORhPYTs4u3MMEmICvKo-emPUkOI-_DttHYAA/s320/IMG_0642.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas! For more decorating tips, click <a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2018/11/eight-tips-and-tricks-for-holiday.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-50654015921127597232021-10-31T13:23:00.003-07:002021-10-31T13:24:26.907-07:00Keeping Fruit Trees Alive in the Vicious Desert<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFOwELO0oqOEsEUc1GBwfiGjcL0rd1cBqWYtfFrShpvzxATQjCpSg-2XN1VijnavvWaE0qztiNYEz10jomo6Glz4soCYM3EOt-fGaPXbgdH5OCWFReIW0omTyC-ufl_VNqFMItj8U5K8/s2016/IMG_0475.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFOwELO0oqOEsEUc1GBwfiGjcL0rd1cBqWYtfFrShpvzxATQjCpSg-2XN1VijnavvWaE0qztiNYEz10jomo6Glz4soCYM3EOt-fGaPXbgdH5OCWFReIW0omTyC-ufl_VNqFMItj8U5K8/s320/IMG_0475.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy, thriving trees! </td></tr></tbody></table>When my wife and I moved to Arizona from Chicago, we had quite a gardening wake up call. In Illinois, the dirt is so fertile that I could sneeze outside and a month later I would have a harvest of whatever I had eaten for breakfast the day of the sneeze. Arizona, with its incredible heat, terrible soil, and overall mocking attitude towards gardeners was quite a different story. </div><p></p><p></p>Originally I had given up on the idea of gardening. But after seeing a garden that some junior high students at my school grew in their science class, I though, "If goofy teenagers can grow a garden, surely I can figure this out." <p></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2021/10/keeping-fruit-trees-alive-in-vicious.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3843724008291894319.post-82159410670887883232021-07-29T20:55:00.002-07:002021-07-29T20:56:42.354-07:00The Joy of Gardening with Your Kids<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Nln4DbvYo2DLHkP9XBatiMiAgCE9jRBfDAxeR2VvSXhZyJPqfqvOZpW01Z7NkuOxBwrU7H1Lu6NxwlU-pAyg1sIk3zpPaRtYgFU2zV3mGtjY0lctitymKqrf1-GvJcs_bvQaKCbdkmI/s1783/Gardening+with+Your+Kids.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1783" data-original-width="1450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Nln4DbvYo2DLHkP9XBatiMiAgCE9jRBfDAxeR2VvSXhZyJPqfqvOZpW01Z7NkuOxBwrU7H1Lu6NxwlU-pAyg1sIk3zpPaRtYgFU2zV3mGtjY0lctitymKqrf1-GvJcs_bvQaKCbdkmI/w325-h400/Gardening+with+Your+Kids.png" width="325"></a></div>Anybody who has followed Renaissance Dad for any amount of time knows that I love gardening. I have regular articles about best practices that I've followed, mishaps in my garden, things that I love to grow, and lots and lots of mentions of manure (it's like gold for the garden!). And for the past 13 years, as long as I've had kids, I have enjoyed my kids joining me in the garden. Sometimes it <i>feels</i> like a chore, and sometimes it <i>is</i> a chore, but I love spending time in the garden with my entire family. But I'm not always sure that they share my enthusiasm. <p></p><p>This past year, things seemed to have turned a corner. My oldest joins me every week with yard work, where she routinely mows the lawn. Not many teenagers will mow, much less <i>want</i> to mow, and yet she is out there with me in the 100 degree weather, working away. </p><p>My ten-year-old middle daughter was very excited to help build a raised garden bed for melons this past winter. She helped measure, cut, carry, place, <span></span></p><a href="https://www.renaissance-dad.com/2021/07/the-joy-of-gardening-with-your-kids.html#more">Read more »</a>Renaissance Dadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13302238907187774564noreply@blogger.com0