Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 142, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 22, 2016 Page: 23 of 25
twenty five pages : ill.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
DENTON IME
6
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Denton Record-Chronicle
DIY Christmas tree
w“
c
Js
■m--.
V"
IA
^ *4
t
x'\\
,u
sp
rV* '
a.*;
r-
-J
Q&z &
It’ll take years to
celebrate, but you
can start from seed
4’tr
u,
i
wmL
iBi
K
’m-
II
■■iff s j-'
PTdej
Jt;
By Lee Reich
Associated Press
Even during this holiday sea-
son, with winter upon us, you
might find some gardening to
do. Growing a Christmas tree
from seed, for example.
That’s no short-term propo-
sition. But the long wait is offset
by the wide selection of trees
from which to choose, their neg-
ligible cost and — best of all —
the satisfaction you get from
growing your own tree. You’re
sure to eye your own, seed-
grown Christmas tree with more
affection than you’ve ever felt to-
ward a tree loaded onto the roof
of your car from a sales lot.
Aside from patience, all you
need to get started are a plastic
bag, a pen, a couple of handfuls
of potting soil and the seeds.
Options in procuring seeds
It’s late in the season, but you
could collect seed yourself if you
know of some nice-looking, ma-
ture trees of species suitable for
decorating and keeping through
the holidays indoors. The most
popular trees for this purpose
include Scotch pine {Pinus syl-
vestris), white pine {Pinus stro-
bus), Norway spruce (.Picea
abies), Douglas fir (.Pseudotsu-
ga menziesii), balsam fir (Abies
balsamea) and white fir {Abies
concolor).
Then again, your choices
need not be limited to those
popular species. Maybe your
taste runs toward a tree with the
long, languid needles of a Hima-
layan pine {Pinus Wallichiana)
or the stubby, bluish needles of a
Colorado blue spruce {Picea
pungens).
Most conifers ripen their
seeds in late summer or early fall,
the cones’ scales spreading to dis-
perse their seeds in the weeks or
months that follow. If you lay
hands on some intact, mature
cones, put them in a paper or
burlap bag so their seeds won’t be
lost when the cones open, a pro-
cess that can be speeded up by
keeping them warm or even
heating them a bit.
The other option, of course, is
to buy the seeds. For small quan-
tities, go to J.L. Hudson (Star
Route 2, Box 337, La Honda, CA
94020, www.jlhudsonseeds.
net) or Tree Seeds (www.tree
seeds.com); larger amounts can
be purchased from such sources
as Sheffield’s Seed Co. (315-497-
1058, www.sheffields.com) and
V.
# w
W
4
tlpp
Revelers
celebrate Jan.
1 as confetti
flies over
New York’s
Times Square
after the
clock strikes
midnight.
bm.
3§p§
;vi ■ 3
Lee Reich/AP
Growing a Christmas tree
from seed — like this pine
seedling — takes a long time
but is very satisfying.
•+ Ik
a-
•I
Schumacher
(www.treeshrubseeds.com).
F.W.
Mary Altaffer/
AP file photo
An artificial winter
Many conifer seeds will
sprout quite readily if sown fresh
out of their cones, although
sprouting is often erratic. Once
stored though, they usually need
some treatment before they’ll
come to life. Start that treatment
— essentially an artificial winter
— by soaking the seed for 24
hours; that’s “autumn rain.”
Then rinse the seeds well to
wash away any germination in-
hibitors; drain; and put them in-
to a plastic bag along with moist
potting soil.
Seal the bag shut and put it in
your refrigerator. The seeds
need to sit in the moist coolness
of the refrigerator for one to
three months, after which they’ll
be convinced that winter is over
and it’s safe to sprout.
Nursery care
Leave that plastic bag tucked
away in the back of your refriger-
ator until spring. Check it occa-
sionally because once some
seeds think winter is over, they
are so eager to get started that
they’ll actually sprout in the re-
frigerator.
Conifer seedlings grow slowly
and offer little competition to
weeds, so when you do plant
them, do so either in containers
or in a carefully tended garden
row. Seedlings in containers need
more watering care; seedlings
out in the garden need only occa-
sional watering, but close guard-
ing against weed encroachment
Neither the containers nor
the garden row will be the
plants’ permanent home, just
nursery areas. After a couple of
seasons in the nursery, trans-
plant the trees, which will still be
quite small, to more permanent
locations where they can grow
until ready for cutting.
Plan on about 10 years until
harvest, depending on growing
conditions and the kind of tree.
New year's on a budget
getaway to keep the party go-
ing?
Yes, you can celebrate the dawn
of 2017 without a bunch of cash
By Leanne Italie
Associated Press
NEW YORK - It’s the par-
ty of the year, for those who like
to party, but what happens
when your New Year’s Eve
dreams are too big for your
bank?
Gregg Steiner in Sherman
Oaks, California, and a bunch
of friends rent a house in
Northern California on Airbnb
every year and save a fortune.
The cost for a three-night stay
amounts to about $100 per
couple, he said. They share
food, liquor and other costs
among 10 to 20 people.
With the drive north and
other expenses, costs amount
to about $250 per couple, he
said.
“Comparing yourself, and
your New Year’s plans, to oth-
ers not only steals your joy but
also your paycheck,” she said.
For families, lots of towns
host inexpensive “first night”
gatherings.
West of Boston in MetroW-
est, for example, there’s an out-
door event along a local rail
trail. Families sponsor and
tend to bonfires along the
route, supplying marshmal-
lows, chocolate and graham
crackers for s’mores.
ing glassfuls.
Depending on your style,
hosting doesn’t have to cost a
lot. Do “sweets and treats”
rather than a full meal, go for a
potluck or get crafty with dec-
orations you already own, said
Sara Skirboll, a shopping and
trends expert for the deals site
RetailMeNot.
“Repurpose your Christ-
mas tinsel and string lights,”
she said. “Tack up some tinsel
and twinkly lights around
main doorways within the par-
ty area or gift wrap a wall for a
festive photo op.”
Andrea Woroch, a consum-
er and money-saving expert,
said don’t be afraid to ask
guests to BYOB. Most of your
friends ask what they can
bring, anyway, so why not say
bring your favorite drink,
whether it’s beer, wine or li-
quor with a mixer, she said.
“If you prefer to provide the
booze, as many do, don’t stock
a full bar,” Woroch suggests.
“That will become incredibly
pricey, especially since you
can’t predict what everyone
will want to drink and how
much of it they will consume.”
Pick a signature cocktail to
serve instead, along with beer
and wine. For food, make it a
dessert party or go with a bur-
ger bar rather than multiple
dishes or passed trays. Try do-
ing finger foods and a cookie
swap to help save money.
Looking for a destination
There are lots of ways to cut
corners and still have loads of
fun. You need a little imagina-
tion, possibly some elbow
grease and the willingness to
compromise.
Among the first things to
consider is budget. Have one
and stick to it, said personal fi-
nance expert Rachel Cruze.
Without a bottom line, she
said, it’s too easy to hop from
shop to shop dropping $10
here and $20 there. And pay
with cash to stay on track.
If the goal is to go out, look
for places that aren’t charging
extra for special New Year’s
packages. Some venues maybe
hosting a big-ticket party in
one spot and opening another
area on the cheap.
In Temecula, California, for
instance, the Pechanga Resort
& Casino offers party packages
for a set price but opens its
Round Bar area for no cover
and free valet parking. Drinks
aren’t free but there’s a balloon
and confetti drop at midnight.
As for fancy duds, party at-
tire can be rented and trendy
pieces are plentiful at lower
prices. Or throw a no-pressure
pajama party at home.
The key, overall, when try-
ing to save your New Year’s Eve
bucks is to forget about the Jo-
neses, Cruze said.
“It allows us all to be togeth-
er in one big house instead of
several expensive hotel rooms,”
Steiner said. “It’s fun to be to-
gether.”
Maria Velasquez gets to-
gether with friends and their
families every year in Ring-
wood, New Jersey, to rent their
local clubhouse or hall. Every-
body brings a dessert or an ap-
petizer. They collect $20 or
$30 per family to cover the
rental.
A railway tunnel along the
trail is strung with lights and
local Boy Scout troops provide
hot cocoa and hot dogs as peo-
ple of all ages walk, some
draped in strings of Christmas
lights.
Brad Nierenberg, who lives
near Scranton, Pennsylvania,
said he helped throw a bash at
his church last year, ordering
inexpensive party favors online
and using as centerpieces wine
bottles he spray painted gold
and silver to hold similarly
painted branches he collected
in his backyard.
They skipped Champagne
and went for ginger ale in-
stead.
They had enough for a DJ
once but otherwise rely on
Bluetooth speakers and some-
one’s phone playlist for music.
On decorations and bubbly,
the goal is to spend less than
$100, she said. The Cham-
pagne is enough for a midnight
toast. They usually have 15 to
25 people, including kids of all
ages.
On the subject of spirits,
not all less expensive Cham-
pagnes are swill. And there’s
always the prosecco or cava
options. If you can’t give up
the idea of Champagne alto-
gether and are hosting a par-
ty, do a punch instead of serv-
“No one shoulders the fi-
nancial burden of hosting the
party in their home,” Velasquez
said. “Everyone pitches in to
clean up at the end of the night
and we all have a blast.”
Mnm
iIJLLKT HHIEJ-W.f
BOLDEN Rfl
ill IF IVhMlIi «r ■
1?
11
1
11 tin
L
ji
■
L
LA I
Jn
A
\
I
*
YL
4
* .
I Ml
■oXItj
o-q
HUL
II
f
1
A
I Ij
iSf
t
-• ■
I
sV
h
Vr
Ai >
/j
ii
Cyndi Long Studios/Noble Rey Brewing Co.
Dallas-based Noble Rey Brewing Co. features whimsical, stackable can de-
signs.
ifti
i If*
Courtesy photo/Ed Steele Photography LLC
1 really like Sunset,” Audacity Brew House’s Vienna lager, says Bearded Monk owner Ben Esely. But for the shop’s
‘12 Beers of Christmas” series, it’s got to be “rarer — a little bit stranger.”
cion from Four Comers Brewing Co.,
another Dallas brewery. The beer is a
malty, sweet variety with hints of
citms and ginger — the very scents
Williams-Sonoma somehow produces
in its stores after Thanksgiving. Esely
interviews Four Comers brewers
during the weekly DentonRadio.com
show Free Beer Fridays at 7 p.m. the
same day.
Christmas Eve brings a double
feature of beers: Avery Brewing Co.’s
Tweak and Oskar Blues Brewery’s
Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy. Both brewers
are based in Colorado. Tweak is
Avery’s riff on its popular beer Meph-
istopheles Imperial Stout, but aged in
bourbon barrels with coffee. The
Oskar Blues brewers describe their
label as flavored with “espresso, burnt
sugar, rich chocolate, caramel notes”
blending with the vanilla, oak and
bourbon from the barrels.
“We just had North Texas Beer
Week in November,” Esely said. “All
the craft places have the rarer beers
and all the brewers from across the
country come in with their beer. It’s
like the Olympics of beer in North
Texas. This week rivals that for us.”
Some beers — like Barampus
will be on draft and patrons can fill a
growler. Other beers are available in
just a few cases of bottles or cans. The
Bearded Monk is at 122 E. McKinney
come a-running for a tapping of a
standard beer. So it’s got to be a little
bit harder to find. It’s got to be rarer.
A little bit stranger.”
Tonight’s beer samplings hit those
marks, but without sacrificing good
fun. At today’s event, Bearded Monk
patrons can taste a special beer by
Dallas company Noble Rey Brewing
Co., Barampus. The variety uses No-
ble Rey’s Baracus BA. American
brown ale as a base, and then spikes it
with the flavors of peanut butter,
cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. The
can features Mr. TsA-Team charac-
ter, Sgt. B.A. Baracus, but with the
horns, crooked tongue, tail and reeds
for thrashing that are emblematic of
the Christmas demon Krampus.
Esely said Bearded Monk doesn’t
have the sheer volume of beers avail-
able at bigger retailers, but it can offer
rare beers sold by a staff that has
tasted them. And smaller guys like
growler bars and brewpubs are some-
times the only spots where brewers
offer rare labels.
“These guys are so much fun,”
Esely said of the Noble Rey variety.
“So much fun. Beautiful artwork. The
cans are like adult Lego. One half of
the can has the head of the character,
and the other half has the body of the
character. You can stack up the differ-
ent beers to make your own charac-
ters. So fun.”
On Friday, Bearded Monk pours
the 10th beer of Christmas, Celebra-
From Page 1
Craft
Esely said the series draws from a
big pool of beer, and that patrons are
testing either seasonal beers or what
Esely calls “one-offs.” Some of the
varieties are harder to get.
Esely said for this year’s “12 Beers
of Christmas,” the Bearded Monk
chose “just the beers we like. And we
like some of the weirder stuff.”
By weirder, Esely said he means
that “I really like Sunset [Vienna
Lager by Audacity]. I really like
Greenbelt from Armadillo Ale Works.
But I don’t know that anyone will
St.
On Saturday, the Bearded Monk
will also be taking last-minute dona-
tions of hats, coats and new socks for
Friends With Benefits’ Keep Denton
Warm campaign.
LUCINDA BREEDING can be
reached at 940-566-6877or via Twit-
ter at @LBreedingDRC.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Parks, Scott K. Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 142, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 22, 2016, newspaper, December 22, 2016; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1127398/m1/23/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .