Another creative week of stretching meals - used up the last two organic sweet potatoes I had on hand.
I had green onions and dill in the herb garden, so I made us some creamy sweet potato salad. Yum. The dressing is half yogurt and half mayo. We love this stuff.
Fish was pulled from the freezer (so thankful for that), and we still have veggies in the freezer from last year. That bumper crop of green beans has been useful. I still have a few servings of broccoli too.
And because I bought that antique (square cake carrier and haven't used it lately), I baked a double layer homemade (from scratch) chocolate cake. I had recently tried a new baked chicken recipe (good but not worth making again nor saving the recipe), and on the same page was this lurking cake recipe. Frosting included. Lucky for me, the recipe is also online, so I don't have to type it out. You can find it - (Family Circle Magazine) here.
Funny how things work out too. The only butter I have on hand this week, is organic-unsalted. I need 2 sticks - one for the cake and one for the frosting. Yeah, I didn't need it, but I needed recipes that didn't require a box of this, a can of that etc. Now if I can just per-fect my peanut butter cake recipe. It is too dry, but this chocolate one was pretty darn good. It got all "thumbs up" from the family.
(two luscious red raspberries)
The peas are still producing, and today's rain should bring on even more...shelled peas on the porch. By the way, if you have a way you like to eat the empty pea shells, I'd love to hear about it. I know I can save them for broth making, sliver them into salads, and make a puree for other dishes, but if you have another suggestion, I'm all ears. Lately the hens are getting the treats. Oh, I know you can make pea pod wine too, but I'm not really interested in doing that this year. Maybe next year.
The walnut cracking resumes. The kids put them in my utility room for the grad party, and when something is out of sight....well....they are back on the table. I needed some for oats, so I got to crackin' them, and they are (thankfully) still good. I just don't like to sit that long, so I'm cracking in intervals. The kids can't seem to remove the center hard part, so Mom is doing all of the cracking this year. And very late I may add.
I took a few minutes to browse a borrowed magazine, sip on some healthy nettle tea infusion, and actually work on my crocheted doily. It may have only been 15 minutes, but it was 15 for me. The weather has been gorgeous.
Then this happened another day...
I finished the doily. This was mainly for practice to increase my knowledge and skills with this thread. It measures about 12 x 16 inches - largest one I have ever done. It's not perfect, but I'm doing better each time. I just need to sew in ends and block it. I only got this done because the weather was humid, about to storm any minute (which took all day), and there was nothing I could do comfortably in the gardens.
Zucchini is on. So is the yellow straight neck. The only issue is, I like to make zucchini salsa, and I won't have paste tomatoes on just yet. I hope my farmstand neighbor has some when the time comes. I will be very busy soon again. There is even purslane growing next to it. Hm. Breakfast?
The kids have been helping me with dishes and household chores, but one graduate is about to be employed (and I'm about to lose the freedom of a vehicle at the same time). Hopefully it will all work out, and she'll be buying herself a car sooner than later (because the last child is about to get her permit to drive sooner than I'd like).
10 comments:
Kristina, I giggled at your raspberries. That looks like the strawberry harvest I got last summer! :) I ate the peas and loved them btw! Raw and right from the garden. We don't like the shells so I'm of no use there. It's raining here too so hopefully we'll get some more soon.
I have to comment on that beautiful doily. It brought back memories of the doilies Mother made before she lost the use of her hands to arthritis. I crochet with yarn but have never mastered crochet with thread. I admire those who have.
Rain, we just planted the raspberry bushes last year and this year. Those are from the planting last year. Yeah, pitiful, but yummy. We eat the entire snap peas, but the shells from the shell peas are said to be sweet. I'm still treating the hens until I find a good recipe.
Vicki, thank you. I have not spent many hours on doilies, and this is the year to do so. I have made thin dishcloths with the #10 thread, and a few eyeglass cases, but not much else. I just borrowed another book from the library on more doilies.
Here is what my grandmother, taught my mother about pea shells. After you have shelled then separate the two halves of the shell, then on one end snap a piece,leaving it attached to the hard membrane inside. With the snap piece bend it to wards the membrane and peel it down the lenthg of the shell. Discard the membrane and voila you have a very tasty pea shell. I usually break the shells in two, then freeze them in small batches for stirfrys.. I know it sounds teadious, but once you get the hang of it, the process goes fast. By the way one end of the shell works better than the other end. Another thing you can do with them is to dry/dehydrate them and use them in soups or ground them down and use them in homemade soup mixes. That is what I was taught and been doing it for forty five years. Love your blog.
Jean, thank you for those tips. I will have to try that now. Thank you for reading and visiting my blog also.
Hey there Kristina!
just popping in to say Howdy! looks like your garden is doing well this year I've not garden since beginning school, kind of like blogging. I don't get much opportunity to come and read but I'm never disappointed when I come here!
Love your doily. I used to make them all the time. I have made and given away and re-acquired several after my mother in law passed (almost 8 years ago!) I don't do much with the #10 thread anymore. I did whip one up for a friend to cover her mothers ashes. Not all my doilies are associated with people dying though!LOL I'm currently crocheting a temperature blanket. I'm supposed to crochet a row everyday for a year-- color depends on the temperature. I've chosen my own colors. It's turning out very nice. It looks like a project you might enjoy. Since you block out a little time to yourself for projects pretty regularly.
I'm not blogging, but I am on instagram almost daily! I post pictures of my blanket periodically.
Hope you're well today. See you!
Grace and Peace
Myyy, you have been busy. LOL I've taken pea pods, sliced them thin on the diagonal and used them in stir fry. Yum. You can do that with the core of a pineapple too, if it's sliced thin and fried, it's not as tough to eat.
Prayers everyone has a great holiday, and a safe one too.
God bless.
RB
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RB, thank you for that tip. I hope you have a nice holiday as well.
Patricia, the temperature blanket sounds like a fun idea. I'll have to google that. Thanks.
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