Kitchen-ness and weather updates

 

I did a lot of kitchen work early, due to the water needing shut off again, for the bathroom repairs.  I finally got a batch of taco seasoning made, whipped up some biscuits for a breakfast for my husband - biscuits and sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, and fried potatoes.  However, I have a mound of dishes to do this morning, and need to empty the dishwasher.

We got more rain early yesterday and more last night.  We hit a heat index of 100°F yesterday, and boy was it humid and hot.

The bathroom repairs are coming along, but slowly due to the rain.  The old drywall is cut out, and the floor is in, but there needs to be another layer of floor to get it the the same height as the kitchen.  Not sure how long that will take.  All water lines to the bathroom sink have been replaced.

I brought down another bag of trash from the upstairs and got more organizing done, but have a large tote of hay to get rid of.  Apparently, Daughter K had it for her rabbit, and the rabbit didn't like it.

Both the younger two daughters left their graduation gowns up there too, so I brought them both down and put them up for free.  Hopefully that will help someone else out.

Trash day was delayed a day, so I also got some of the fridge cleaned out, but not all of it.  I still have stuff in there like pudding cups from Daughter K that need to be cleaned out.  It's just been so busy here with the garden, painting and what not.

Rain

 We got rain as predicted and I was happy.  I hopefully will have an easier time doing some digging in the garden.  I doubt I'll have much, but it must be done.

Yesterday's dinner was beef stew.  I whipped up some homemade biscuits too.

I still don't have a vehicle, and everyone working here is working long hours.  I had no milk.  I had to make these using powdered milk.  They were still good.

As for a vehicle, my car is supposed to get towed this week or next to get the new engine.  Cross you fingers.  It's been so long since I had the freedom to go out when I want or need to.  Living in the country I have no options but to rely on others as well.

I am back to my to-do list, but first I'll see if we got any good sized beets out there.  Then I'll make up a list of what I need and send it out to everyone with a vehicle in this house.  Just maybe, just maybe someone can bring it home for me.

I hope all is well with everyone.  With the garden slowing down, and my days not so long, it feels strange so I'm trying to allow myself to have handiwork time without guilt.

Everything but the "to-do" list

It was breakfast for dinner.

Biscuits were baked for sausage gravy, scrambled farm fresh eggs (thank you chickens), and fried potatoes.  I forgot to see if I had enough apples for fried apples though.

I also cut all the yellow netting up, and got them the strips rolled into balls for future dish scrubbies.  I have a few more colors to cut in strips, so I won't run out of things to do on rainy days (as well as deep clean totes in my closet, which I discovered high school stuff I can clean).  

I finally felt like crafting after I cleaned up some rooms around the house.  Got the last two of these painted with white paint.  More work needs done to finish them.

I think I did everything that was not on my to-do list this week, so I need to get back on track ha ha!

Biscuits ~ Sewing ~ Planting

I was slow to get started yesterday morning, but so happy I could actually sleep in. 

I started the day with some hand sewing - fixed a pair of jogger pants.  Finally planted my heirloom organic lettuce seeds, and baked some biscuits for dinner.  These kids will never want to move out with all this home cooking (the older one who moved back in truly misses the healthy meals.  Especially breakfast, as it's never out of a box (or very rare).

Youngest learned how to make sausage gravy and was so proud of herself.  She now wants to learn how to make the biscuits.  I sure hope she really does.

I did my daily call to Mom.  She was feeling better than the day prior.  With our future so uncertain, I must call her daily for support.  I need the one on one time as well.

It's a chilly 29°F here this morning.  Huge change from our 60-70 degree days lately.  Not sure of what's on the list for today yet.

I'm pretty sure there will be zero craft shows this year, so I plan on putting items up for sale via the mail.  Packages can be sprayed or left 72 hours before opening.  I'll admit, my motivation for crochet and knit work is at an all time low though.  I have not started to knit the socks yet, as we've been working on jobs that haven't been done for years (which is a good thing).  

Unfortunately, one bakery (local in the Big City) is closing it's doors and it may be for good.  So sad to see local businesses go through this.  

I may need to try some new recipes to keep myself upbeat during this shut-in order.  Just depends on what the grocery store has right now.

Snap!

....and just like that (snap!) my tidy quiet house went to noisy, chaotic nerve ending mess.  Once the dogs wore each other out, it was finally quiet again.

Due to complicated events, and work schedule not all of our daughter's belongings have been moved.  What a mess. Sigh.

We need to find her an apt. like yesterday, for my peace of mind.  It'll be tough considering the pandemic, and the number of animals she has.  

Keep us in your prayers.  I'm so stressed with anxiety right now.  I found my 18 year-old in my closet doing homework, but when I walked in, she was sobbing.  Her peaceful space upstairs has been disrupted for now, and he's having trouble accepting it temporarily.  We all are, but to have our 20 year-old here is the only thing we can do to help her.  We are all trying our best to think positively about it all.  First, finding her a car....not sure how that's gonna happen.

On a good note....

Dinner last night.  Biscuits and sausage gravy, eggs, fried potatoes and "fried" apples (using a crock pot).  It was so good. Note:  the photo of my original post/recipe looks like I was a bad baker.  The post here shows what a better baker I've become making them.

Now, I need to find homemade masks today.  With the help of social media/daughter, we'll find 4 for us.  Two work.  One has a mask, one doesn't.  We have to shop inside stores for toiletries and disinfectant.  People are still hoarding, so it may require more than one store.  Last I heard, 39 dead in our state, but not one media is sharing how many are surviving.  

Our state Governor stated yesterday that they are working on modifications to the order to stay home.  I'm guessing more closings.  There are churches still holding services when they shouldn't be.  I hate watching the TV at 2pm anymore.  They are warning elderly to not leave their homes for anything over the next two weeks.  My Mom and Dad have been locked in for more than 5 weeks now.  My younger brother now is the only one left to seek their needs. 

Cardinals ~ Weather ~ Peace Treaty ~ Cookies!

More photos from the other day.  I went outside for these, and most flew off, but a few came back.  Much better to see instead of through a dirty window, ha ha!

Snow moved in, and we were told it could bring 4-6 inches 7 in other areas.  We woke up to maybe 2 inches and it is 32°F not the 8 degrees they said it would be.  It's still snowing though.  School has a 2 hour delay.

On the breakfast plate . . .

A garbage frittata with some sliced zucchini, topped with garden chives.  I added a pinch of fire powder to boost our metabolism too.

I've been taking treats (peace treaty) out to the chickens when I feed/water and fetch eggs.  So far, it's sort of working.  

In the morning I brought in 3 eggs, and later in the evening 2 more, but that darn rooster went at me again.  I think he has cabin fever or something.  I can't wait for a warmer day to send them out into the run.  Oh, he went at Hubby too. 

Speaking of eggs, I broke down and made biscuits for dinner.  Sigh.  Hubby isn't supposed to have all those carbs, but I've been doing so good at keeping them out of our meals, so I am caved in and made sausage and gravy for dinner.  Along with scrambled eggs etc.

I've been hankering a sweet treat lately.  I've stuck with the low carb/low sugar etc. thing with the Hub-ster, and I needed a treat.  Not being able to make my regular cookies, I googled for a low carb shortbread cookie and wa-la!  

However....they tasted terrible.   Like a mouth full of almond flour.  I'm just gonna bake my regular recipes, but only once in a while.

I got another cross bookmark finished, read my book a bit, and one yarn order arrived for the baby blanket.  I'm waiting on one more color to arrive and I can start that.

Homemade Biscuit Recipe and other Random Chit Chat

I was asked about how I get my layers in my homemade biscuits.  Click "Here" for the recipe on my blog.  I hand cut the butter into the flour.  I also don't work the dough to much, and when I cut them, I roll them out with a rolling pin, but the least amount of rolling I have to do.  Hope that helps.

I got another small batch of strawberry jam canned.  I am tall, so I can a batch daily until the strawberries are gone.  That's a lot of standing to do.

First I have to wash them all, and hull them.

Then I have to cut them up and crush them.  Then can the jam.  It's a process for sure. Our favorite produce stand has them now, but want $5/qt.  I paid $30 for a flat at the other source, and that comes down to $3.75/qt.  I did not have one bad strawberry in the last 4 qts I canned either.  When I buy the other kind, I get about 3-5 bad strawberries in each qt.  I may stick with this new source this year.

Super excited to see my soap order arrived, and it came with a sample of citronella!  Thank you Debby at Ole Lake Farm!  You saved the day!   I still can't find anyone local with raw goat's milk, and our youngest daughter can't use anything but goat's milk soap.  They all smell so good too!

Weekend Updates

Friday night we took Youngest to our favorite, locally owned steak house.  Sadly, we will not ever go back.  First our appetizer was served burned (first time to send back food), secondly, when served our steak I noticed the roasted half of garlic not on the plate.  I asked about it, and the waitress said something like "cutting corners." 

I tasted my steak - over cooked and not the same steaks as they previously served us (over the years).  It tasted like liver.  We all didn't like it. The steak is now much thinner than any steak we've eaten there. Oh, and the butter isn't real anymore either.  They used to serve it topped with herbed garlic butter - real butter.   I noticed the "butter" not even melting on my steak.  I did not eat much of it, and we all decided to spread the word of mouth about it, and not return.  Sort of sad too, as this place is biker friendly with biker parking.  I told Hubby my kitchen is my favorite restaurant and when organic steaks go on sale, I'll be fetching up a supply to grill here this summer.  And making my whiskey butter to go on top.

Saturday, Hubby joined a nephew to cut wood.  They had a dead tree that went down on a property that our nephew knew.  They hauled the splitter there to share the wood, as our nephew just moved into his new house and has 2 fireplaces.  

Following that, I reluctantly joined a birthday party.  I was in no mood to entertain for some reason.  Either way we went, taking a tray of fruit, as I did not want to cook anything either.  We were both tired. The weather was cold and I just wanted to snuggle up inside and take a day off.  Hubby was feeling the same way.

First thing Saturday morning, Hubby asked "did you check on your chicks?"  Ha ha!  The concerned person he is....of course I did.  They are so darn cute. Sleeping on top of each other.

What's on the breakfast plate Sunday morning?  Sausage gravy, biscuits, fried potatoes and scrambled eggs.  Snow is due to return today.  

The Good ~ The Bad

The Good:  we are still being provided with frozen, mashed garden grown sweet potatoes (and they taste great when reheated).  

The Bad:  I didn't can applesauce this past fall.  Organic apples are too expensive yet, and our trees have not produced.

Homemade Sausage ~ Biscuits and Gravy Oh My!

I woke up Monday to a warm 63°F and later a high of 87°.  And guess what?  

We started the "resurrection" of the flower beds/rose bed/herb garden on Sunday (no chance in convincing Hubby to break out the chainsaw for wood chores in the heat either), and now we are to get 4 days of possible rain.  I guess the Good Lord thought I needed softer soil to rip those weeds out, ha ha!  

Clean up before the end of the day.  But oh, so much more to weed (like about 60-70 feet of flower/herb beds).

Monday, we labored (again).  Hubby mowed some more, we weeded, and prepped the garlic bed.  Oh that was a joy - windy as heck, and try putting plastic down in the wind.  It took us about 1 1/2 hours or more to pull up old plastic, till, and put the new plastic down.  Now it will sit for a week or so to kill off more weeds/grass before I fall plant.

Laundry was put out.  Dried in seconds with the wind, heat and sun we had.

Pie pumpkins were picked and brought inside.  There are more, and more baby ones just starting.

A few blackberries were enjoyed.

Now about the homemade sausage.... 

In our parts of the world, we can buy "natural" sausage in patties, but it's not organic/non-gmo.  I've been buying organic pork, and making it myself.

It's the next best thing to raising my own pigs, butchering and making the sausage myself (goals). Or some day having a neighbor, like-minded, to barter with some day. 

That's the tickler about homesteading - it's a simple way of living, but so many people confuse "simple" with "easy."

To make the homemade sausage:

Wacky Weather

I woke up to checking the weather yesterday, and saw rain was 60% at 10am and 90% at 1pm.  So, I adjusted my day.  I started by making 3 "cans" of homemade condensed mushroom soup.  Smelled so good too.  I love the smell of shallots cooking in butter.  Mmm.  The "cans" went into the freezer.  By the way, this soup on top of turkey breast, in the crock pot, tastes amazing.

At 11am the rain had not arrived.

At noon, no rain.  At 1:30pm?  No rain.  I chopped up a head of cauliflower to prep for dinner early.  Put that in the fridge and checked the weather again. 

Homemade Biscuits

I had a request for the link to my homemade biscuits:  Click "Here" to get the recipe.

Homemade Biscuits ~ From the Family Cookbook

We've been using this recipe for years.  I like the  fact that it's basic, similar to what the Pioneers used.  I can use milk from my goats or future cow, and I can make my own butter from cream.  These are delicious with buttermilk also.