Back to Weeding ~ Window Peeper who was almost dinner ~ From Pile to File Recipe

Wednesday Hubby and I got the air conditioner in downstairs, so the electric bill will start soaring, but we'll be comfortable indoors - humidity will hit us like a ton of bricks early next week.

As for the long work hours, it's felt like eternity.  There is no talk as to when it will end and Hubby is completely worn out.  We are just exhausted from it - lack of work done here, so much to do that can't be done, him being exhausted beyond belief, me trying to do late dinners so we can all eat together, and so much more.  Keeping up with the weeds has been so stressful on me, as I'm doing it myself, and there has been no tilling done either.  

Good news:  Mower guy showed up about 10am
Bad news:  Hubby messaged me - they are now forced to work 12 hour days, 7 days a week. Just not what we needed.

Oh, farmers are out in the fields now.  Thankful to see that, as the deer are increasing in numbers, and they are looking for food (it'll help keep them off our property).

Thursday was another hot day.  I am now spending the mornings dragging 100-some feet of garden hose (early morning workout) from way out to the garden to back to the front of the house, watering everything.  There were possibilities of thunderstorms, but only a slight chance. 

In the midst of weeding, I brought in some cilantro to dry.  I was grabbing the door handle to go back out, and a ground hog was standing up looking in.  It was almost dinner.  I do have a friend who I believe knows how to butcher and cook them, so it's not out of the possibly realm.  In all honesty, I am wondering if he came to the door to enjoy some barn cat food.

Weeds.  Weeds everywhere.  No end to them at this point.

Tasted the rhubarb vodka.  It's more of a cinnamon flavor than rhubarb, but good.

Also strained the strawberry vodka, and tasted it too. It's smelled great, but the flavor was so-so.

Made the Garlic scape-Radish spread.  This time I put it in the food processor so it looks different, but it tastes the same.  Thankfully, our radishes that were planted late, are not hot in flavor, but delicious.

I laughed when I saw Tiger sleeping in a heep of packing paper.  Poor guy must of worn himself out playing in it.

Dinner - bourbon marinated steaks on the grill.  New recipe we tried (Americas Test Kitchen, video online).   An 8:30pm dinner no less, sigh.  His 12 hour shifts started yesterday (which turned into a 14 hour day and never saw him until this morning), and we are now told that it will continue into the July 4th weekend, and possibly beyond.  I'm so beyond this work schedule, I thought I'd retire last evening with a little adult drinky drink. 

By the way, that was only the second time to grill anything.  Hubby is the grill man, but guess who is the grill gal now.  I grilled the steaks to perfection.   

Tiger

I'm posting a very short post today, since I bombarded you with a over lengthy one yesterday.

I had pulled paper out of a box, and I found him pouncing in the paper.  He then darted in and out of the kitchen, flying into the mound of paper.  So funny!  Glad he had some fun before I cleaned it up, ha ha!

Day Interrupted ~ Tiger the Tomato Thief

My big "to do" list was interrupted on Monday.  School called.  The nurse.  Sigh.  After an hour round trip ride, I had her home sipping medicinal teas.

I managed to get some dishes washed, only to dirty more.  I am happy to say we are still enjoying sweet potatoes from the garden - sweet potato and beet green frittata.  I got that done too.  Along with some laundry.  I also managed to get the homemade sausage made too.

I am so glad spring is around the corner.  My supply of thyme and sage are running low, and so are the greens in the freezer.

Got the very last bag of frozen, garden snap peas, to make this side dish with organic asparagus from the store.  

Today is another day I have an "interrupted" day.  Hubby announced he ordered propane.  I have to be home for that, and of course no set time.  However, it's another "big ticket" job that will be done and out of the way.

Last night after a short trip to the grocery, I came home to discover the tomato plants and green onions half destroyed.  Tiger had a hay day and ate most of them.  Grrr.  There goes my plants.  Some how he got in there.  I'll try and save the rest, but I am super mad.  He threw it up too, so I'm sure he won't be back. Guess we will buy tomato plants and green onion this spring.  

Randomness ~ Four Beans and Sausage

Tiger is feeling better now.  In fact, the day we took him to the vet he got a shot and when we got home, he was running around the house chasing nothing, ha ha!  Then later I found a ball of yarn that was dragged all down the hallway, ha ha!

Every year we joke about what will get left out, after putting all the Christmas decor away.  I did it again this year!  Ha!  While pulling dried clothing off the drying rack, I noticed all the stocking holders sitting on the breakfast bar.  Hmpf!  Guess I'm digging out a tote to fit them in.

I finally got around to locating a Tupperware dealer.  I have lots of items that are cracked and need replaced.  I just have to pick up the phone and call her now.  Then go around and collect all the cracked stuff.

Has anyone used psyllium husk powder in a recipe?  I have a new recipe I want to try, and wonder if this stuff is available in most stores?  It's the "glue" in a recipe I want to make, but un-assure that I will be using it all before it goes bad.

It was another crock pot day, and we love this recipe, but it's adapted to using organic ingredients.  Organic smoked sausage is a thing, but hard to find.  In fact, we have plans to visit some health stores after this nasty weather breaks.

Here is the recipe (adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook)

Note:  I have used cooked dry beans for this before as well.  I do have stores close to me that sell BPA free canned organic beans, but supply is limited.

1 can organic Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can organic butter beans, rinsed and drained*
1 can organic red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups home canned (homemade) ketchup*
1/2 cup organic diced onion
1 organic green bell pepper, diced*
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
2 home grown cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
1/2 tsp. organic dry mustard
1/2 tsp. home canned hot sauce (or Tabasco sauce)
1 lb. organic smoked sausage, sliced into bite size pieces

Place everything in your crock pot and cook on low for 9-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

Plan ahead during gardening seasoning, and freeze your green bell peppers to make this recipe even easier.  You can dehydrate your onions and re-hydrate them also.  Of course you can also dehydrate your garlic, but our supply of fresh is still providing.  I am getting low on home canned ketchup, so I am praying for a good garden year this year.  I may give it a try to grow black beans along with our usual pinto beans this year too.  Maybe even lima beans.

I have used Annie's organic Worcestershire sauce and personally do not like the taste at all.  For the amount used, I use a regular brand.  I cannot buy organic butter beans in any store close to me, so I stock up when I get to a store, or it can be ordered online as well.  I have substituted other organic white beans for butter beans, so feel free to mix it up.

The link to: Homemade Canned ketchup
The link to:  Home Canned Hot Sauce

Sick Cat ~ Wood Cuttin' Day ~ Snow Rolling In

Tiger is sick again, so that was on the list of to-do's.  We got him to the vet in the morning Saturday.  Thankfully, the family get together was cancelled.  That freed up our morning to cut more, much needed wood.

I'll admit we laughed our way through it.  Layered in 5 layers of clothes, wind blowing and almost getting the truck stuck....we laughed and laughed.  What idiots we were for not cutting more wood over summer (again, he does this year after year).  Then again, he was a pretty depressed man after losing two nephews.  I gave him a pass.  Next summer we'll hit it hard.  By the way, I much rather prefer dry sawdust than sogging sawdust that sticks to everything.  It was everywhere.

After we cut wood we pretty much hunkered in.  We parked the car at the front of the drive, and thankfully we did.  Hubby has to work this morning and the drifts behind the car are 3-5 feet high.  The snow plow has buried the end of the drive and most likely the mailbox.

I was up at 3:42am precisely.  I had to check water pipes and the fire.  I got both going and opened cupboard doors.  I also heard our barn cat Aurora crying on the front porch and brought her inside.  It's gonna be way below 0° and there is no way she'll find a warm place.  I just hope the chickens do well with their heat lamp.  So far, the power is on and the hot water flows.  We are just waiting for family to plow us out.  Behind the car anyway.  The truck is buried.

In the Jungle...the mighty jungle

 View of the larger garden, and raised beds looking south.  Pretty scary, and downright a frustrating mess.  These photos were taken a few months back.

I "bit the bullet" and went out day after day ripping it all out.  Yeah, rain prevented us from winterizing the garden this fall.  I'm pretty frustrated, but what can you do?  Nothing.  That's what we can do.  Spring will be a very, very busy spring for us though.  Snow is in the forecast for the weekend, and Hubby is working overtime all week, including the weekend.

I'm so happy the political ads are done.  I got so much junk mail this year.  

We are past the funeral now, and continue to pray for "A's" family.  We are so emotionally drained, I can't even imagine what his family is going through right now.

We had high winds yesterday, so I can thank the weather Gods for clearing all of the leaves off one of my porches.  The wind has died down today, but the cold is moving in.  I have tomato stakes to get out of the garden and into the barn, but that's about all I'll have time for out there.  

This morning it was Tiger who gifted us a mouse.  Right in the living room.  Good Kitty.  He's such a good mouser.  

Well, this day will be another day of "busy." Breakfast was literally coffee and toast.  I know, I know.  I'll eat a banana in a bit.  Just gotta get the dishes dried and put away first.

What's been going on . . .

Thursday we had a high of 90°F, Friday we were told by numerous weather sources that we'd get very bad storms, and winds of up to 60mph.  I was out early to pick tomatoes

(11#)

. . . lost my phone in the jungle of a mess and thanks to a call from my Mom, found it.

I then prepared for a Tsunami, and battened down the hatches.  I took hanging plants down, flags down, etc.  Then nothing happened.  We got a bit of wind, but absolutely no rain whatsoever.  We are thankful about that and thanks for all the good vibes and mojo you sent.

The least amount of dishes to be washed one day.  What a shock that was.  Made the best crock pot soup with the last of our garden potatoes.  

Tiger has the right idea.  

....how I survived the weekend.

Friday morning I went out to pick tomatoes, and lost my cell phone in my jungle of a mess.  Sigh.  I found it though thanks to my Mom calling and heard it ringing.  Whew.  So glad I found it before the rain arrived.

In  preparation of the Farmer's Market event, I went through my inventory and took notes on what needed restocked, priced and taken out.

More of these kitchen flower scrubbies were crocheted.  The aqua and pink was already in my tote, I made a few more and then crocheted some flower dishcloths to somewhat match for those wanting sets for themselves, or for gift giving.

Here are the dishcloths.

More pig Christmas tree ornaments were crocheted (sold 3 already).

Here is one pair of hand crocheted candy corn earrings I made too.  These take time and patience, as it uses smaller crochet thread, jewelry tools and I added a bead.

Saturday morning was the Farmer's Market event. Not many vendors but I sold the earrings, and all of my knitted dishcloths but three.  I'm already looking to book a holiday craft bazaar and possibly a third.  Saturday night I took a break from crochet work and went dancing.

Sunday we woke up to 46° weather.  Brr.  The sun was shining though.

We were gifted about 10 pie pumpkins.  I'll be busy putting these in the freezer this week.  So happy to get them too.

My kitchen looks like a yarn store right now, so I better get it back in order.  Dirty dishes everywhere as we took Sunday off from just about everything.  The weather is wonderful, so I hope to get the house in order quickly today.  The weather forecast today says we'll get rain later.  They've been pretty wrong lately, so we'll see.  

What's been goin' on in your neck of the woods?

100 days of weeding....coffee, coffee, coffee (grab a cup of our favorite bevarage too...it's a long one)

I'm up at 5am this morning.  The corn is all done for the this season.  Well, sort of done.  It's been shucked, removed, and frozen finally. 70 cups so far this year, and I am saving a dozen for another reason this weekend.

Tiger comes crying for an ear right when I starting slicing off the corn.  It shuts him up for just a while, until he begs for more.  Most of the cobs went to the chickens, but some went in the compost.

I'm still putting up blueberries (20 lbs).

Sliced a few cucumbers up for vinegar-cucumbers.  I typically use the recipe I posted years ago, but leave the oil out.  I was plum out of garlic (getting pulled soon), and had one dinky dill plant to use for it).

New Recipe Tried - cucumber juice.  Delicious.  I just peeled and blended, strained the pulp, and added some organic lime juice and sugar to taste.  The juice would be pretty good to make cucumber margaritas with too.  The pulp was given to the chickens for a nice afternoon treat.

The pumpkins have been resurrected now.  They look good, but man the weeds are out of control this year.  I used the hoe for these (getting a 3 hour upper body work out).  The idea is for the sun to dry up the weeds and create a mulch to prevent more.  The popcorn is next.  It's been a weed, water, weed, water year.  Once again....no rain, but it's in the forecast for today.

Speaking of rain...if we don't get any, I don't see us getting tomatoes, green peppers, turnips, chard, hot banana peppers, potatoes.....you get the picture.  Watering with well water is great, but not good enough. 

Yes...depressing year this year.  I now have to find a resource for stocking up organic, freshly grown green beans.  Almost makes me not want to plant a garden next year.

Even thought the squash all looked great, it's not producing anything now.  What was producing is now looking like it's dying off or not growing right.  Even the cucumbers.

I seriously need to focus on something else.  Something positive. Something constructive - target practice?  I had another driveway "creeper" the other day while I was sitting on the front porch.  It may help blow off some steam too.

We were also invited to a weekend bike week in WV.  We turned it down, and now I wish we didn't.  I soooo need a break from negativity, bad mojo, and set backs.  Every day starts with several cups of coffee, combined with heavy sighs.

I'll be honest, I'm not even sure a motorcycle ride would revive me.  I've been down right cranky, miserable, tired, and as "Youngest" called me, salty.

Even the chickens are causing havoc.  Four got out of the run fence the other day.  Guess I better check the fence.  Then again, maybe I should just let them have at it in the garden?

Hubby has lost his mojo for just about anything too.  The truck now needs work, two tires need replaced on the car, he's way behind in mowing, and the hitch has not made it's way to the truck.  Which means no camping, and we haven't gone camping for 1 1/2 years now, and that is definitely one of my "happy places.

Stand by, while I go find my "happy" place.....I'm sure ya'll getting tired of my weed posts.

This and That

Cookie and candy baking came to a halt this week.  Money flew out of my wallet as fast as it flew in.

With Hubby's work schedule the truck is not yet repaired, and the ignition went out on the car that was handed down to our daughter.  So...$230 (so far) for the truck and another $160 for the car.  Talk about frustrations and headaches.  I know this is not a happy update, but it's reality.

Zuri is modeling a dog scarf I crocheted for Jesse (Vet Tech daughter's dog).  She loved it, but King tried to eat it off of her, being jealous and all.  I guess, sigh, I'll have to whip up one for all our dogs and one for "grand dog" Mia too.  They are made to fit so they don't slip off when the bend their heads down. Jesse loves to eat snow. You always know where he's been because there is a tongue mark between his paw prints in the snow, ha ha!


Update on Tiger.  Blood work ($175.00) ruled out most types of cat cancer.  They are saying it could be an allergy of some sort, so he's getting kids allergy medication and he hates it.  They don't make it for cats, so he gets what kids get these days.  He spits it out, sneezes it out, whatever to avoid swallowing it.  Poor guy.  I hope it makes him feel better.  If not, it's back to square one again with him.

It's cold out, but the wind and sunshine helps keep my electric bill down.

Someone is slacking in the egg department. 

Christmas goodie recipes were dug out, and a grocery list written.  Here's hoping to get a few holiday treats soon when vehicles are up and running. I'm picking maybe two recipes this season.

Crochet work continues, and all standing orders are finished.  My hands are very sore today, and I have one scarf to make for a daughter, so I'm taking a break today.  I only have my muscle rub to work with, so here's hoping it helps.  I am so close to ordering dried organic arnica, but I may have another idea if the "muscle rub" I made doesn't work.  I really need something that will help the joints too.

It's freezing cold here, so I tossed my hens some more fresh straw last night, and stuffed their roosts with warmness. They were not out in their run yesterday, on account of another fox sighting. I heard him early morning, and daughter saw him the night before.  Sigh.  I am hoping that after a few days, he'll/she'll move on up through the woods.

Cats to the Vet ~ Harry Potter Scarf ~ Calendula Cream Update ~ Cashew Brittle Recipe

(these are older pictures, but you can see who is who)

The cats have both been to the vet this week. Somehow, with the "car shuffle" we managed it.  Jasper had to be seen because of his teeth.  He has gum disease.  He's going back for a teeth cleaning to prevent it from getting any worse.  There is no cure for gum disease in a cat sadly.  He's on antibiotics until then, and he's not liking getting it.  

Tiger is sick.  He started to vomit all over the house, so we switched his food, and he'll only eat one wet type (and it has to be cold).  He was keeping it down, but now his back bones are sticking out too much, even though he was eating.  Now his hair is falling out in large clumps.  The vet looked him over, and blood work is getting processed.  We'll get results soon.

Slowing Down

Things were much slower yesterday.  I was thankful for that.

Jasper has found a new toy to play with, ha ha!  He loves boxes.  I caught him trying to dig into the Christmas tree box too.  Silly cat.

It's been too wet to work in the garden.  We had a lot of rain dumped on us, and with it cold, it's not drying up.  The wind has died down too.


I have however, removed nails from some of the barn wood.  We are at least reducing our piles out there (ever so slowly).

The homemade hot chocolate jar was restocked and ready for winter.  The girls are happy.  They enjoy a cup after school, and after work.

Heat Returns ~ Spiced Pickled Beets ~ Finished Project ~ Tidbits

Morning sunrise this morning.

It will be in the 80's (almost 90's one day) for the next 7 days here.  The humidity for today is forecasted at 92%.  It's too wet to work in the garden today, so I'm inside again, working on all that garden goodness I brought in recently.

Busy. Busy. Busy.

Yesterday I preserved 6 lbs of those delicious beets. 8 pints restocked now.  I have about 2 more pounds to put up yet.

 One daughter was not happy to hear that "the canner pot" was coming back to the kitchen.  It's only temporary, but needs done.  Either way I preserve the beets, they are boiled, peeled and put into an ice bath (canned or frozen) first. 

Although the recipe I use calls for "baby beets" I used the smallest of my Cylindra beets recently picked.  They sliced up in nice small circles for canning.

I tasted these, and oh my gosh, they taste better than the last beets I canned this way.  We may be planting Cylindra beets again next year.  Yum!!!  A bit more on the sweet side I think.

Small Project Finished List:

Flower Fail ~ Tiger ~ Eggs! ~ Preserving

It's been pretty humid here.  As you can see I can't get great photos due to the lens fogging up.  My zinnias did not do well this year, and I planted almost all my seeds.  These should be double the height.  Only three more areas came up, and all have stunted growth due to lack of rain.  I'll have to see if I still have the person's name who gifted me her Michigan seeds.  I had been saving them year after year, but this year I won't have much to save.  I have zero zinnia color in the very front of the house.  Kind of depressing, but it's been too hot to sit out there anyway.   I do love the color in my garden. Maybe next year it'll be nice and bright.

I went to check on the laundry status yesterday, and found Tiger sleeping peacefully in the hamper.  Ha ha!  I didn't have the heart to wake him up, so I did the laundry later.