08.30.09
Posted in Food at 6:02 pm by loretta
If I like a Japanese restaurant, eventually I will order the Omakase Set. Omakase is boss’ or chef’s choice. This gives the chef an opportunity to show off.
This one is different than I’ve experienced in that it is a full course meal, instead of only sushi & sashimi. Except for the edamame, everything was individual portions.
I’m very sad that my camera SD card flaked out so you can’t see the beautiful agadashi tofu.
Whew! It’s a lot of food. At under $40, I think quite reasonable, too.
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08.19.09
Posted in Family, Off the cuff at 8:23 pm by loretta
My boyfriend’s sister in law was kind enough to give me their neglected worm bin when I started declaring an interested in having one. I made a little container to collect vegetable scraps and coffee grounds and have been feeding the worms regularly until they are fat and happy.
When I went to add in a full container of compost this weekend, there was a new tenant inside the bin – maggots!
They turn my stomach but I tried to think about it rationally. They are also eating the garbage. I figured they would be gone within a day or two but upon feeding the worms today, they are still there and in greater numbers.
So I needed to do some research. Why were they there? Would they hurt the worms? Are they good for my worm compost then? These and other questions I researched online.
They turn out to be the larvae of the Black Soldier fly. This type of fly has larvae that feed specifically on compost. The adults are not pests. They don’t bite, sting, or even eat. Their only job is to look pretty and breed. They die in 2 days.
They and the larvae will not hurt my worms. In fact, they will help feed them with their waste. The only concern is that they have a tendency to out-eat the worms. So there should be plenty of food.
Black soldier fly larvae prefer moist composting areas. This indicates my compost bin is too wet. I had thought the catch tray would take care of excess moisture but I guess the compost is too close together to let it all drain. The solution is to fluff up and dry the compost by adding more bedding.
I use shredded paper for bedding. We shred anything with our name or address on it to help prevent identity theft. I figure if a worm eats it, that’s even better prevention. So I mixed in some more shredded paper, spread it out, and fluffed it up. Hopefully, that will help discourage the black soldier fly larva from returning.
I’m okay with some soldier fly larvae composting. In fact, some people have bins with only soldier fly larvae, but I have a worm bin and I don’t want to starve them. If I can keep the maggot level down so they don’t starve the worms, that would be okay.
But they still turn my stomach a bit.
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