The Silly Things of Charles http://www.horslin.com/index.php Copyright 2010, Charles Horslin Charles Horslin en-US SPHPBLOG 0.5.1 Gone already... http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry100103-073213
So, like a lot of people I spent the holidays overindulging and being lazy, so I'm feeling bloated and tired. I don't think holidays should be like this. I'd have rather spent more time working on my many backlogged projects. I'm excited for my carbon-fibre kit to come so I can patch up that specialized sirrus. I'm so excited to finally have 21st century bike in the stable. It hangs on a separate wall, even. I'll post an entry about the repair process and how/if it holds up.

Here's a list of projects for the year:
- fix broken sirrus
- finish bolt-on cog fixie for Toronto use
- make leather seat
- re-do deck table with metal
- find cool new housemate
- take some time off work and have a holiday of some sort
- narrow the focus of my garden and be more diligent in its care

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry100103-073213 Charles Horslin Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:32:13 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=10&m=01&entry=entry100103-073213 Food Review: Camping Flackjacks Vintage 2004 http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry091213-002819

Harvest Foodworks Multi Grain Flapjacks



I was lucky enough to obtain a vintage sample of Harvest Foodworks "Flapjacks crepes multi-grains" camping pre-mix pancakes. Unfortunately they expired in 2004, which is the primary reason they are now in my possession.

As it seems people would rather not purchase, let alone consume, food that expired 5 years ago. As you can probably gather, I have prepared and consumed this food and in doing so are providing a valuable contribution to modern society.



The Harvestworks package is clever. The bag has measurements in cups and millilitres printed on it, as well a ziploc should you want to reuse the bag. I appreciate the thoughtfulness in packaging when I'm rummaging through the dumpster.

Inside the package are two smaller envelopes, one with maple flavoured brown sugar crystals and the other with the flour and other little bits. To my disappointment they are no intact grains, rather everything is flour. The mix turned out the right consistency when following the directions.

Being that I wasn't camping, I used butter and I think the addition of which is crucial to making these palatable after 5 years. Another thing I would recommend would be some additional seeds, nuts, or berries. These are pretty bland. There wasn't enough salt for my liking but conspicuous use of butter solved that problem.

The syrup was prepared by dissolving the crystals in half a cup of boiling water. I would somewhat less water than suggested, as the reconstituted syrup was a bit runny for my tastes. The maple flavour was more subtle than pure syrup but less artificial than cheapo syrup. This isn't the strong suit of this package, I can assure you.

I also recommend the use of black iron when cooking these pancakes. I know that probably isn't feasible if you're backcountry camping but if you happen to be enjoying these lovely flapjacks in the city, they certainly benefit from the even heat of cast iron.

One thing I can never understand is the presence of corn in panackes. I'm not a fan, and I find it in a lot of premixes that I review. I think it's out of place in pancakes and seems ubiquitous in cheap pancakes at dirty diners and things like that. I wouldn't consider buying this product because of this. I wouldn't make my own mix with corn flour or meal in it either.

Given those faults, I can imagine mixing these up with some boiled lake-water and tearing into them one morning on a sweet canoe trip, so they are still totally good for that. And they're totally good when someone finally gets around to throwing them out after they expired oh so long ago.

In the end, should happen to stumble across this powerhouse of nutrition, I suggest its immediate preparation and consumption... it's completely unequalled in the world of camping premixes that end up in the garbage and eaten years later far removed from their intended purposes.
]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry091213-002819 Charles Horslin Sun, 13 Dec 2009 08:28:19 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=09&m=12&entry=entry091213-002819 Oui! http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry091115-043517
In other news, well, I'm back working in town making drainwater heat recovery systems. It's nice to commute by bike again. I'm going to bring the puegot hybrid out of retirement, stud its tyres and ride it during the worst of it. The red raleigh singlespeed will be the other bike I'll primarily use on days when the road is dry. I'll clean it up and put a few coats of hard wax on it. I'll have a fixie that I can bring out on sunny days after a storm, when the streets are clean and dry... it's an old raleigh frame I found that has been converted. It'll have fenders, all painted really nicely too... the patient rattle-can job. I should take some pictures of the progress.

Foodwise, it's been a rediscovery of potatoes. I've been roasting them a lot, and did some garlic smashed. I'm going to have leek and potato soup tonight. I've a loaf of sourdough rye from Golden Hearth. Should be a good meal for a dreary sunday evening.

Otherwise, nothing much to report!]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry091115-043517 Charles Horslin Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:35:17 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=09&m=11&entry=entry091115-043517 um. yeah... http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry091029-105244
Protein is like that now eh. Feeling blue? Have a protein shake! Too chubby, eat more protein. Fuck ... Read morebread, have a ham-wrapped bacon burger. Then use this protein soap to get the grease you couldn't lick off your fat hands. PROTEIN!! HGH!!!! MAAAA I NEED MORE PROTEIN POWDER]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry091029-105244 Charles Horslin Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:52:44 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=09&m=10&entry=entry091029-105244 Things of late http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry091004-060124 Recycle cycles and have been learning heaps about fixing bikes.

I've got two fixed gear bikes now, a nice 80s road bike, an raleigh single-speed, and I still have my busted puegot hybrid. I also have a dutch city bike, a gazelle, but that's going to likely end up in Toronto with Ben as my Toronto bike.

I took a short trip to Chicago with the black fixie and had a blast. Great city to cycle... it's all flatlands. I visited family and had a blast.

Ironworking has been going well, I've learned a lot this summer and hopefully will get some welding tickets this year or early next. Thanks to my aunt, I'll have a good machine of my own and a set of torches, so I'll be doing all sorts of crazy things, for sure.

Food-wise, I've been canning lately... put up a dozen litres of sliced peaches, and a dozen litres of tomato sauce. Lots of frozen berries and tomatoes in the freezer, and some spinach from a friend too. I need to get the chard I still have blanched and frozen.

Lots of thing have happened too, but as I always am fond of saying, hopefully I'll get more pictures and recipes posted soon!

Oh, I started a picture a day thing, but then I dropped my camera into a pint of beer, so that's done until I decide on a new camera. You can view some of them at my flickr album but only the first 100, and up until I broke my camera.
]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry091004-060124 Charles Horslin Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:01:24 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=09&m=10&entry=entry091004-060124 Overhaul in the works... http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry090419-114551
Hopefully, haha, but as you can see my track record in this department isn't the greatest. LOL. Thanks for reading, anyway!]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry090419-114551 Charles Horslin Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:45:51 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=09&m=04&entry=entry090419-114551 Back, again... http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry090309-011620
Otherwise, life has been pretty good the last little while... might head back to school part-time for chem since work is kinda shite these days, but I'd like to finish my welding tickets and all that jazz too. Ah well, we'll see what the future holds.]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry090309-011620 Charles Horslin Mon, 09 Mar 2009 08:16:20 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=09&m=03&entry=entry090309-011620 Garden Update! http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080719-125153
I also dug a new bed for lettuces, it's in partial shade... I'll expand it next year I think, as there is some room for that. The raspberries and strawberries are doing well, though ants beat me to the strawberries, and they will face eradication soon enough... mwhaha.

Anyway, here are some pics of the digging, and the rest of the garden.


Here I've cut the sod into strips and will remove it with leaving as much topsoil behind as possible. I double-dig, and bury the sod about a foot down, upside down. Works for me.


Ta-da, all done. The soil here was nicer than the main plot, no sand, just nice soil. There's radicchio, red leaf lettuce, chard, and some mesclun mix too.


Here's my strawberry patch. Cost me 12$ for the plant, and the rest was free from the curbside. The plants are ever bearing, Rona had 'em in baskets for 1.99, guess they thought there were June bearing and wanted them gone. Their loss.


Those monsters just left of centre are the zucchini plants, and they give me 2-4 a day. Crazy stuff. Good think I have friends that love zukes too.


It's hard to tell, but the stakes are where I have tomatoes, I stake them instead of caging, I find it works better since I believe in pinching off the suckers, and stakes are cheaper than cages. Also are some of the peppers in pots, and they seem to do better in pots than in the ground, I guess the warmth or something.


Lucy dog doesn't like the heat so she just chills in the shade.


Here are the balcony cukes and some other assorted sundries. Tarragon, thyme, chicory and a pineapple plant.


The pineapple plant is making some new leaves! So, it seems that it really took root and should make me a pineapple in a few years. Sweet!]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080719-125153 Charles Horslin Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:51:53 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=08&m=07&entry=entry080719-125153 Berries galore! http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080703-144239
I've made a bunch of jam with some of the strawberries, and we froze the rest. The mulberries won't end up in jam, they're a bit too precious for that, so we just froze them so we can have them on cereal or in something later in the year. I'm not sure how much longer that tree will be fruiting. I'll try to take some pictures of it when I get the chance. The berries are absolutely delicious though, kind of like a fragrant blackberry with some blackcurrant notes... quite sweet too.

Other than that, not much happening... went to Port Franks on Canada Day and got a bit of tan, good times had by all.]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080703-144239 Charles Horslin Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:42:39 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=08&m=07&entry=entry080703-144239 100 mile diet http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080624-132021
But that's just crazy idealism on my part, my veggie plot is mostly a hobby that might break even without paying myself for my labour (since it's a hobby I don't think I should account for my 'lost wages')

Anyway, here's the approximate area for K-W's 160km/100mile radius (I originally plotted a 50 mile radius (100 mile diameter) and it was still a large area, just touched Grimsby so you'd be able to get wine easily enough). Jen also made the point that if you can bike there and back in a day, it should count too, so that's a rule I'd use if I were to do this but I think it's unlikely that I would. If I had my own space where I could grow more stuff I'd be all over it.



The hardest thing for me would be the caffeinated triumvirate of coffee, tea and chocolate. Spices too, I haven't started to grow enough of my own yet to sustain me. But there are a lot of greenhouses in that 160 klick circle... I know they grow peppers and tomatoes here, and plenty of fresh herbs, so we'd make due I reckon.

I also picked ~5kg of strawberries with Jen this morning. We're gonna make some jam and stuff with 'em sometime soon. They're delish, and it was a great day to pick too, sunny but not sweltering. ]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080624-132021 Charles Horslin Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:20:21 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=08&m=06&entry=entry080624-132021 New Things http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080623-145316
I've dug another little plot out back, a 4x4 raised bed for strawberries. I got a deal on some everbearing strawberries at Rona, they were 1.99 each, in hanging baskets and overflowing with berries. I'm nor sure why there were getting rid of them, but they've been transplanted and are doing well in the ground. I've fenced it in to keep the animals out. I should probably make netting for the top too.

I have started to mulch the vegetable plot with straw I picked up out in the country, I started with it on the onions but think I'll eventually move it out over some of the crops too, as I hate to weed.

On the brewing front, we've had a few batches, as well as two 40litre batches, though I'm not really setup for doing those quite yet, my kettle is just a bit small, and my chiller isn't that great.

So far this year, I've made a bitter, an IPA, chocolate stout (from old stout), a Bramling Cross bitter, and a weizen. I also put the strawberry wine on tap. I've got a rye stout recipe, and cream ale I want to make. Brian wants to try making Pilsner, but I don't have any place to lager it, perhaps we will lager it in his fruit cellar. ]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080623-145316 Charles Horslin Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:53:16 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=08&m=06&entry=entry080623-145316 Same old, same old! http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080427-101217
I have stuff to post about, but I think I'll just leave it until I redo the site.

http://www.myccr.com/canoedb/routeDetai ... outeid=125
http://www.myccr.com/canoedb/routeDetai ... routeid=70
http://www.myccr.com/canoedb/region.php ... egionid=14]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry080427-101217 Charles Horslin Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:12:17 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=08&m=04&entry=entry080427-101217 Oh, and you can hear me now... http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry071127-193824 speech accent archive, if you've ever wanted to hear what I sound like... har har.]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry071127-193824 Charles Horslin Wed, 28 Nov 2007 03:38:24 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=07&m=11&entry=entry071127-193824 What's new? http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry071124-085141
As I mentioned way back in the summer, I signed up to foster boxers, and I now have a nice old bitch with me. Her name is Lucy, and she is all kinds of awesome. If you're ever thinking about getting a dog, look into adopting a rescue. And please, remember that a dog is 10-15 year commitment, so don't do it on a whim!

Lucy 1
Lucy 2
Lucy 3
Lucy 4

Oh, and I'm painting my kitchen red. It'll be rad when it's done. It's a super shade of red too...tomato garden. It looks "redder" on my walls than on a monitor, but I guess you get the idea. I'm going to rip up the crappy old vinyl floor and lay down vct tiles in a black and white checker pattern. There used to be hideous tiles on the walls, very ugly yellows and greens, so they got ripped off... and the bare wood cabinets were painted gloss black (they look so sexy), and another set of cabinets were painted gloss white, and they look nice too. I cheaped out and put black plastic handles on them, so they don't look so nice. Anyway...]]> http://www.horslin.com/index.php?entry=entry071124-085141 Charles Horslin Sat, 24 Nov 2007 16:51:41 GMT http://www.horslin.com/comments.php?y=07&m=11&entry=entry071124-085141