Peppers, Bats and Rats

I just had to share this.  We got three habanero peppers from the garden this year.  That's all.  I think we planted 4 habanero pepper plants among our 50-some pepper plants this season.

Check out how small they are too.  Hubby had to laugh when he saw them.  I'm not sure what I will make with them yet. Possibly a second trial run on a hot pepper jelly.

I got three cayenne peppers too.  Those went in the salsa I recently canned.  I think we got one very small green pepper and some super chili peppers.

I'm praying that next year's investments will be producing more bounty overall. 

Only in our house.....will you watch the sunrise, sip coffee, and chat with your kids about what bat and rat poop looks like.  

We have a rat and a bat living in the upper loft of our goat/chicken barn and rat traps are being set.  However, my 16 year-old was attacked early morning by a bat, while tending to her goats.  She laughed, and said she used her goat's mineral feeder to cover her head and run.  Bats are great, but not when then they take over the barn.  I am thinking we really do need to build a bat house.

Phew! I'm Back ~ Family Funny

I'm back, and a day early.  The tulips are blooming and we have beautiful colors surrounding the front porch - pink, purple, red, and white.
 
My break from blogging gave me more time to work on our "extreme" house cleaning.  I got all the windows washed and cleaned of winter mildew, washed all the curtains, a few walls, and boots are put away.  I spent time cleaning out my closet (holds my crafts supplies, so you can imagine how packed in it is), and tidying up and dusted.  I also got work done in the gardens.

Here's what else I got accomplished:

I finished the brightly colored tablet cover.  It was too short for my youngest daughter's tablet, so it went to my 13 year-old.  However, I will still make her one.  I just won't make these for sale.  They will make great gifting ideas though.  The pattern is on Sugar n'Cream (http://www.sugarncream.com/search.php?pspt=o&advps=y), and you do need to register to view the free pattern.

I finally found a hot pepper jelly recipe that tastes hot, but it turned out too thick.  I've only had this problem once, but with another jelly.  If you have a hot pepper jelly recipe to share, I'd love to give it a try.   The one I made yesterday used habanero and green peppers, and the peppers get strained out.  Hubby said he'll eat it all, but I can't sell  any of it, so I'm a bit bummed about that.  It's just too thick.

~The Funny ~

I was sitting at the computer this morning, loading photos, updating blogs, and making the last of the market signs, when I hear my 13 year-old screaming in the bathroom.

Those of us who were up, began looking at each other, wondering what was going on in that bathroom.  I thought, hmm?  maybe a spider?  

I got her to unlock and open the bathroom door (after much more screaming, and by then I was thinking snake?).  We found her sitting on the top of the toilet, with her feet up on the sink, screaming even more.

Guess what it was?

A mouse!  Ha ha ha!  We got the biggest laugh.  Even though we sent in a mouser cat to get it, it escaped through a tiny crack in the floor. 

I was still laughing when the school bus arrived. Ha ha ha! 




 

 


  



 

Family Funnies ~ Maple-Dijon Cod with Spinach and Home Canned Beets

Conversation early in the morning, prior to the school bus arriving.

"I'm thinking about applying for that cook job at the jail house," I said nonchalantly.

"No Mommy, NO!" whined my 10 year-old. 


"I don't think you have anything to say about it," added my 16 year-old.

"But she would be serving prisoners," cried my 10 year-old.

"So," added my 16 year-old.

"Yea," added my 13 year-old.

"She'd probably sneak in her spices and mix up the recipes."

(Giggles)

And the conversation continued from there.  Ha ha ha ha! 

I do have a reputation for getting wild with my spices and herbs.  Last night, I made them Maple-Dijon Cod in a bed of spinach and green onion, and home canned spiced beets.  Dinner isn't always like that, but they love this fish recipe.

I regret not taking a photo.  My husband took a moment prior to eating and said, "now this is worth taking a picture of."

I haven't applied for that job, as I haven't spoken to hubby about it, but here is the recipe for the cod, if you like fish:

Maple-Dijon Cod with Spinach

 I don't have the date for this issue, but I believe it came form Clean Eating Magazine March 2012.  

If you can't read the recipe, post a comment and I will type it up on another post.

I typically have to buy 3 packages of wild caught cod to feed my large family.  I buy it when it's on sale and stash it in the freezer.   And they fight over the spinach, so next time I will have to buy even more spinach.  I never thought I'd get them to like a dish like this.  
  
Now....I just need a miracle in my freezer for tonight's dinner.  I wonder what I will find. 

(Click to see Dark Day's Challenge on Nancy's blog)

Update:  I pulled 1 frozen package of mark down organic chicken thighs, 1 frozen bag of garden tomatoes, 1 frozen bag of blanched corn, opened 1 jar of home canned salsa, and 1 freezer container of of kidney beans (from dry).  With some fresh ingredients (and dried) on hand, I am creating a spicy chicken soup. 

Black Friday Husband Funny ~ More so My Own Funny

If you follow my blog, you probably already know I detest Black Friday.  I detest the overload of wasted paper stuffed into my Thursday newspaper.  I detest the stores attempt to lure in the craziest people, and today, you are liable to get shot while shopping on "black Friday."

"Look honey!" he laughs throwing the entire ton of store flyers at me, "look at all those black Friday deals!!"

Literally, the flyers weighed down a sink hole in my bed.  I was trying to crochet and rest before retiring, and he has to do that to me?

(He laughed, and laughed)

The rest of the night, while sipping our loose leaf organic sleep tea, and attempting to relax with a good TV show, we were bombarded with blurps of black Friday songs, commercials and more commercials - blech!  What a way to ruin the night, I thought.

During every commerical, I'd look at hubby.  He'd be smirking and holding back a chuckle.

I could not sleep after that, and for other reasons.  Finally, I fell asleep about midnight.  Then my son woke me up by taking our lab out at 2am.  I fell back asleep.

Then it happened.

"BEEP, BEEP!"

My cell phone woke me up. It was 4:30am.  I looked at the phone.  A text message.  I better check it, you just never know if it's an emergency.

"Seriously!!" (after checking the message)

I wanted to throw that phone at the wall and smash it, or stab it with my knitting needles.

When hubby woke up, and made us eggs for breakfast, I told him about my night.  When I got around to sharing the part about my text message, he burst out laughing.

"That is SOOOOO funny!" he laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

You see, the text message was an alert from some store, telling me about the first black friday deal they were having.

Hmpf!

Oh, he's still laughing about it.