the first REEDO CAST! :) a reedo podcast.... err video cast! :)

the first REEDO CAST! :)  a reedo podcast.... err video cast! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLzMTLjOyes&feature=youtu.be

How to Grow an Avocado Tree from an Avocado Pit

How to Grow an Avocado Tree! 

I found this on a gardening website... so I'm going to try it, won't you join me?

Now, being summer, we eat a lot of avocado-based stuff at The Mouse House. Guacamole. Avocado salad. You get the picture. Which means that we wind up with a lot of avocado pits rolling around in the kitchen.
Did you know that if you plant those pits, you can actually grow your own avocado tree at home? Even though trees rooted like this rarely bear fruit without help (more on that in a little bit), it’s still a ton of fun to plant your own tree and watch it grow.
And if you have kids, this is a great project. Here are detailed instructions for how to root and plant a tree from an avocado pit. All you need is an avocado, a little water and a few toothpicks, a sunny window, and a whole lot of patience.
Avocado trees grow best in warm, sunny places, but you can keep one quite successfully for many years in the right indoor environment. They can grow to between 20 and 40 feet, but are quite happy if you keep them pruned indoors.
I’ve managed to grow several trees over the years just like this. I usually wind up giving the saplings to folks as presents.
Here are two that I grew a few years ago, when I had a large rooftop garden. I started them on my windowsill in the winter, then moved them outside when the weather got warmer. (They’re the two in front.)

Not every pit is guaranteed to root, so you may want to try two or three pits at once, just in case.

Equipment List

1 avocado pit
4 toothpicks
1 small glass or ceramic dish, about the size of a custard cup
Yields: 1 avocado tree sapling, with patience and a little luck

How to remove the avocado pit

In case you aren’t sure how, here’s how to remove the pit from an avocado.
Cut a full circle longways around the avocado. Twist it apart.

The two halves should separate neatly.

Whack the pit with a sharp, heavy knife so that the blade bites into the pit just a little bit.

Twist the blade and the pit will come right out.

Do something really yummy with the avocado…

…then clean off your pit. Scrape off any avocado that’s still stuck to the pit.

Rinse it off under cold water, then wipe it off. You want to be sure you’ve removed all the avocado. The pit is going to be sitting in water for a few weeks, so you don’t want anything funky to start growing in it.

When you root the pit, you want to do it pointy side up. The stem and leaves will sprout out the top. And the root will push its way out the bottom.

Stick toothpicks into your avocado pit

Grab your toothpicks.

Push one toothpick into the side of the avocado pit. You want to get it in far enough so that you can pick the pit up by the toothpick.

Do this with the other 3 toothpicks. You want them evenly spaced out, like this:

Keep the avocado pit well watered

Place the avocado pit over your dish, so the toothpicks are resting on the rim of the dish and the pit is suspended over the center.

If it’s not sitting well, wiggle your toothpicks around a little so they’re tilted up slightly, like this:

Fill the dish with water so that the avocado pit is about halfway submersed.


Change the water every day or two, so that the pit is constantly sitting in water.

Keep your avocado pit on a sunny windowsill

Set the dish on a sunny windowsill. Keep an eye on it, and replenish the water frequently.

Remember: Until you plant your avocado sapling in soil, you need to keeping the pit in water at all times. No water, no tree.

How long does it take for an avocado pit to root?

For the first few weeks, your pit won’t really do much. It will just sit there, looking very much the same as the day that you first propped it up. You may start to despair. After all, you’ve been changing the water for days, so, what gives?
Well, Nature, as they say, takes her sweet time.
Then, after about three weeks or so, the top of the pit should begin to split open. (Nature is also kind of imprecise…this can take up to six weeks to happen.)
Over the next few weeks, a stem will shoot up, the first leaves will begin to grow, and roots will begin to force their way out of the bottom. In a few more weeks, you should see more leaves.
The whole process will generally take about 3 months, give or take.

When to plant your avocado seedling

When your tree is maybe 7-8 inches tall, nip off the top few leaves. (That’s right…pinch them off. It will encourage growth and help the tree branch out.)
Grab a 10-inch pot with a saucer and at least one drainage hole in the bottom. Fill it about an inch from the top with potting soil.
Dig a shallow hole in the center of the soil (just deep enough so half the pit is covered). Nestle the bottom of your avocado sapling in it, root-side down.
Cover the pit halfway with soil, so half the pit is still exposed. Press down firmly on the soil to secure it. It should be standing up straight, at attention.
Pour a little water into the pot gently, because the soil hasn’t settled yet. And…you did it! Set your tree in a sunny window. Keep it watered, and watch it grow!

Tips for caring for your avocado tree

Where should I keep my avocado tree?
Avocado trees like warm, sunny spots. If your tree doesn’t get enough light, it will get leggy (i.e. all stem, few leaves). Depending on where you live, you should be able to keep your tree outside in a sunny spot. If the temperature ever drops below about 45 degrees F, bring it back inside.
How often should I water my avocado tree?
Water it enough to keep the soil moist, but not muddy. You never want your tree sitting in a puddle of water once you’ve potted it.
If your leaves start to turn yellow, it’s a sure sign it’s getting too much water. If this happens, stop watering it for a few days until the soil dries out a little.
Should I ever pinch off any leaves?
Yes. When your tree is about 7-8 inches tall and ready for potting, pinch off the top few leaves. This will encourage your tree to branch out and be nice and bushy.
Will my avocado tree bear fruit?
Now, if you grow an avocado tree, it’s unlikely that it will ever bear fruit.
From what I’ve gathered from my (admittedly uncomprehensive and unscientific) research, you need to graft a piece of a fruit-bearing tree on to your seedling. I’m an avid and enthusiastic kitchen gardener, but sadly my botanical knowledge ends there.
If anyone knows more about this, by all means, pipe up!

パート３．。。より強く、より楽しく、ポッドキャストを聞きましょう! MORE podcasts, more fun, more learnin'

パート３．。。より強く、より楽しく、ポッドキャストを聞きましょう!　MORE pod-casts, more fun, more learnin'

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

今日はとくにカテゴリに入んないポッドキャストの話します！

1アンド２．まず。。。理科は好き？ もし理科好きだと。。。こちらへおねがいします！
http://www.radiolab.org/
http://www.goodjobbrain.com/
なんか。。。すごく面白い！！　たとえば。。。知ってた！？猫のごろごろはどうやっておこるの？こちら０００。。。

３．http://www.thisamericanlife.org/　This is a great show!  アメリカの生活や文化やまつりとか。。。　中の物語です。。。

４． True Murder: The Most Shocking Killers in True Crime History
毎週。。。本との犯罪の話します。。。。ちょっとくらいけど。。。面白い!

*** PART 2 *** ポッドキャストを聞いて！ *** PODCASTS part 2 - Listen and learn!

Last time we talked about EDUCATIONAL podcasts.  Today we will go right into the COMEDY genre.
前回は教育のポッドキャストの話しました。。。今回は、コメディのポッドキャストにしましょう！ 
もしも’ポッドキャストが何’と思ってると、こちらへどうぞ


There are lots and lots of COMEDY podcasts in English all over the web.  I have gathered a few of my favorites... These are both FUNNY and INFORMATIVE and, most importantly, ADDICTIVE to listen to!　アメリカに本とにコメディのポッドキャストいっぱいある。。。こちらは、僕の好きなコメディポッドキャストある！。。。おもしろいし、勉強なるし、夢中になれる！

1. The first comedy podcast is WAIT WAIT, DON'T TELL ME.  It's a news quiz show with LOTS of comedy!  You can downloads the podcasts directly here。　このポッドキャストは毎週末でる。1週間のエベントやへんなニューズやアメリカの話ある。。。けっこアメリカンの勉強なる！このショーは僕の一番好きなショーです！

2. This show is a little... um, different.  It's called IDIOT OF THE WEEK and each week (or sometimes more or less each week) the girls (Frangela) feature 5 or 6 idiots who made it into the news.  You will fall out of your chair laughing!  Click HERE for the video podcast!!  このショーはね。。。ちょっと違う！今週のバカもの!毎週一番バカの５，６人のニューズのVideoもAudioもでます！

3. The next PODCAST is called Good Job Brain.  It's kinda geeky, but mostly very funny!  And you will learn so much every time!　次は、ちょっとお宅らしいなかんじする。。。でもいつもおもしろくて、いっぱいならいます！。サイエンスやPopカルチャーやテレビや日本のはなしもします！本とに毎週いっぱい勉強なちゃったぼくも。。。

4.  This last show is quite weird.  But if you like to celebrate the New Year, EVERY WEEK, this podcast is for you! Happy New Year Everyday! 最後は。。。　もしも毎週末が新年のお祝いのふりしたければ、このポッドキャストへ！ききやすいし、本とに〝何だこれっ！”　になる！Check it out!

ポッドキャストを聞いて！ ** PODCASTS - Listen and learn!

One of the best ways to learn English is by LISTENING to as much English as you can! 英語をうまくなりたいでしょう？じゃあ、いっぱい英語のポッドキャストを聞いて！

  まず。。。ポッドキャストて？何？

こちらへどうぞ

But you might ask yourself.  When do I have time to listen to a PODCAST!!??
ANSWER: during your COMMUTE to and from work.
でもさ。。。いつ時間あると思ってるでしょう？さ。.。あなたの朝と夕方の通勤時に!

Most of us spend at least an hour a day crammed into a train, bus, subway, or maybe even a boat...  So instead of listening to music, reading the newspaper, or just doing nothing.  Listen to an ENGLISH-LANGUAGE podcast!  It's like a free lesson every morning.　大体みんな朝と夕方電車やバスや地下鉄や船をのるでしょう？音楽の代わりに英語のポッドキャストを聞いて！

Now comes the fun part.  In the next few blog entries, I will give you some FUN, INFORMATIVE, AMAZING podcast links to check out.  Today we will start with THE BASICS:　　今日は初めます。。。まずかんたんなレベルから行きましょう！

POCASTS FOR ESL STUDENTS... 

 There is a GREAT website with ESL PODCASTS HERE:

http://www.eslpod.com/website/index_new.html#

This website basically posts new podcasts every day! They also have the full script of the podcasts, so you can actually read as you listen.  It's really a great tool, and it's free!　このサイトで毎日ぐらい新しいポッドキャストあるぜ！もちろんFREE！

HERE (about AGE) and HERE (a cooking show) and HERE (about Immigration) you can click to listen to some examples.

Come back soon for COMEDY podcasts, NEWS podcasts, and OTHER amazing podcasts (crime, history, pop culture, talk radio, etc).　次回もっと楽しいポッドキャストの話します。。。コメヂまた二ューズも。。。いろいろある！また来てください！

What is FARK? ”FARK"ってどういう意味？

What is FARK?

Weird, unique, and always surprising... won't you check it out!?

FARKとは・・・・風変わりな, 独特な、ユニークな、または驚かすようなという意味詳しく見てみよう！

 

Are you into funny news?  Strange stories?  Amazing images?  I think that you might like this website: http://www.fark.com/

おもしろ仰天ニュースや、ちょっと変わった画像とか好きな人は多いですよね。このサイト　http://www.fark.com/　あなたもそうなら、このサイトhttp://www.fark.com/を気に入ること間違いなし！

Every day this "news" site posts many news stories.  They are categorized under "funny" "strange" "stupid" "hero" etc. It's a great way to start your English day!  The founder of this site has a unique sense of humor, and somehow it matches mine.

こ のニュースサイトは毎日”おもしろい”、”ちょっと変わった”、”ちょっとバカバカしい”, おもしろネタをニュースとして更新しています。 英語があまり読めなくても、画像もたくさんあるので英語に触れ合うクセをつけるのにいい方法です. ぜひチェックしてみてくださいね！

Here are some TYPICAL Fark headlines:
Mom dies, gives birth, then gets brought back to life
An underground nightclub in a rooftop water tower
Atuk zug zug, caca Lana
A newly-wed couple got back from honeymoon to find their home painted in the style of Mr Blobby - as part of a revenge prank by the groom's brother

   

ROAST CHICKEN! ホールロストチキン！

Lemon, Garlic & Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Prep time:  15 min

Cook time:  1 hour

Total time:  1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients

• 5lb whole chicken, washed & dried　　
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil　　
• ½ cup butter, softened　　
• 2 large springs fresh rosemary, diced finely
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• zest of 4 lemons
• salt & pepper
• Fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
• Cavity stuffing (sliced lemons, sliced onions, spring of rosemary)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celcius (425F).
2. Add butter to a medium sized bowl.
3. Add in olive oil, rosemary, garlic and lemon zest.
4. Stir to combine. Set aside.
5. Generously season chicken with salt and pepper, including inside of the cavity.
6. Brush the butter mixture onto the chicken generously covering up all of the chicken.
7. Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons all over the chicken.
8. Stuff the chicken with lemon slices, rosemary and onions.
9. Tie together the legs if desired.
10. Place chicken in roasting pan.
11. Cook for 45 minutes and then baste.
12. Return to oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until golden. Lightly tent with foil if chicken is browning too quickly.
13. Let chicken cool for 15 minute before carving.
14. Enjoy
    
    How to Make It video!!!