Weather Heats Up ~ Hot Peppers ~ Eggs ~ Boiled Eggs

 It is tough getting the day started this week.  The cooler weather, just screams "sit, sip and enjoy the morning while you can" and then I delay the day ha ha ha!  It's worth it, as we are heating up now to the 80's again.  

I picked all of the hot peppers that were on the plants.  I don't think we'll get  anything more, as this could be the very last warm fall week we have this season.  There were zero Anaheim  peppers, two baby hot banana, no serrano, and just these jalapenos.  Not enough to can hot pepper jelly this year.  I could buy extra from a farm stand, but I decided not this year.  I will freeze these remaining jalapenos, and keep a few for cooking this week and next.

If you read yesterday's post, I forgot to pack my husband's breakfast for the day (2-day's prep in photo).  I decided to use up some of the smaller eggs, from the newer laying hens, and scramble them.  I added them to his breakfast (and mine).

I put some of the larger eggs in the fridge a few weeks back, and got those out to boil.  There are people who raise layers, and still do not think they can boil their own eggs.  You can, but you have to let them sit a week or two (in the fridge) before boiling, or they will not peel for you.  Also, I put the saved eggs out on the counter to come to room temperature before boiling them.  I do not add anything to the water.  If you want a boiled egg, and only have fresh eggs, you can poach your egg for the same taste.

I add enough water to cover the eggs about 1 inch before I set the pot to boil.

They boiled up perfectly, and I used some for egg salad, and save some for slicing on sandwiched or for snacking.  I sometimes like a few boiled eggs for a quick breakfast.  The chickens are earning their keep.

Hot Peppers, Garden Updates, and other Tidbits ~ Released from Kitchen Captivity

 

I've gotten most of the jalapenos sliced and frozen for the winter/spring season.  I used a few to make another batch of fresh salsa as well.  There are a few more hot peppers to pick yet.

I canned one batch of hot pepper relish, using up the hot banana peppers, two bell peppers and some jalapenos.  I am not getting enough hot banana peppers to make it twice.  I'm okay with that.

We are still enjoying our slicer tomatoes for meals like tacos, breakfast side dish, topped on burgers, or in other meals.  

I will do a re-check on our hot pepper jelly, but I honestly don't feel I will get enough hot peppers over all to can any this season.  The evenings are dipping to the 40's here, so unless we heat up again, the plants won't last much longer. 

We never did get any fall planting done.  Life can throw a wrench in your plans once in a while.

We hope to get back to the chicken coop this week, during evenings.  It's on the top of the list right now.  The floor in the old coop is about to give way.  I had to crawl inside to fetch an egg, that one of the littles laid on the floor of the coop.  The floor is not in good shape right now.

My husband has been battling ear pain, but twice at the doctor, they said they see nothing wrong with him.  The ear pain is slowing down projects, so I am praying it gets better, or he'll have to go get x-rays or something.  He has ear drops, but he cannot sleep well, and days at work are rough with ear pain.

It's a freeing, and exhilarating moment, when you wash, dry and put away the "big pots."  It's even more freeing, when you can put the canner pot back in storage (even if it's for a weeks or months).  I have felt like I have been released from kitchen captivity!!   

New Recipe ~ Heat Index ~ Jalapenos

 

I made the black bean salad suggested, and ended up adding one more jalapeno (with seeds) to it for some flavor (a small one).  Pretty good.  I got to try out my new tool too.  It's for removing the hair off the corn without damaging any corn.

As for the recipe, it makes way too much for us.  We will be eating it for breakfast burritos, nachos, daily snack, etc.  Goodness it makes a lot.  

The heat last week was almost unbearable, and yesterday we hit a high 98 degree heat index.  It's been extremely humid as well.

I took the day off from tomatoes and picked jalapenos.  One batch of Cowboy Candy was made.  It's a good time to save seeds ha ha!  That's a lot of slicing.  I brought in about 4#.

What I call garden dump breakfast.  I made a casserole.  The squash is completely done, but I have not pulled the plants yet.  It's too hot out there.  The bees have cross pollinated the plants and the yellow squash is now producing half yellow and half zucchini.  I will get them yanked, but we are enjoying a few last yellow squash.

I'm moving rather slow this morning.  I tripped and fell over a suit case we had not put away. I'm always good at putting it away right after we get back, but not this last time.  I've been so busy, I have been too tired at the end of the day to get that job done.

Good gravy I am sore.  Maybe it's a sign I need to pack up and take a trip, and ignore all  the tomatoes I brought in.

Speaking of travel, I have a prayer request.  I typically post these on Monday's Happy Homemaker post, but we have a very close friend (Aaron) to my husband that will be driving over several states to see is daughter right now.  He and she, could use prayers.  His adult daughter is in ICU with an unexplained brain bleed, and they are unable to do surgery right now.  Her name is Cheyenne.  

Broken Waste Funnel ~ BBQ Sauce ~ Bell Peppers ~ Tidbits

Here is a photo of the waste funnel that goes to my food strainer/sauce maker.  There are 3 plastic tabs that secure it onto the metal strainer.  One tab broke off.  It has happened before, and I have talked to my husband about upgrading to a metal food strainer.  I have now figured out how I broke it off too.  If you are not careful when you slide the  the piece on, that is the splash guard/strainer, it will brake those tabs off.

The white tray that drains it off into your pot is what I am talking about.  Now my gasket has gone bad that is inside the metal stand part of it, and where you insert the handle to hand crank it.  Juice from the tomatoes now seeps out, so when I crank I have to wrap a towel around the base.  I could not replace the funnel for a year, as it was out of stock, and now the gaskets are out of stock.  With the amount of paste tomatoes we grow, and the amount of sauce making I do, I think an all metal food strainer/sauce maker is going to the top of our wish list.

I am making it work for the season.  I have to hold the funnel, so that the waste does not fall into the sauce pot.

BBQ sauce was canned  (day 7 of "sauce" canning).  We have been super blessed with paste tomatoes this year, but it is exhausting, and heats up the house.  I have been running a dehumidifier this year, to help with the humidity created from the sauce reducing all day.

I have finally caught up with bell peppers, and we are thankful for all that we are getting this year.  Most of the peppers went into the freezer, but we are still enjoying them with our meals.  I made more breakfast stuffed bell peppers and gave some to one of the kids.  They are so good.

Some of the produce we grow is needed ingredients for recipes I can too.  I have a growing list of new items to grow next year, crossing my fingers we get raised beds built.  I did not grow greens, due to the busy spring (husband had crazy work hours), so I have to find local greens and have a day of putting them up for winter.  

Update on the potluck . . . we ended up taking watermelon.  What happened?  Well, we went to Wal-mart to find me some summer slacks to wear to it, and because they renovated and moved everything around, it took us forever to shop and we were late to the gathering.

There were so many high carb sides served, so we ate at home afterwards.  They had lots of chips and dips, pasta sides, creamed corn (starch that we limit), and lots and lots of sweet desserts (so I'm glad we too the fruit).

As for the "slacks" I came home with 3 pairs, and ended up wearing a pair I had in the closet.  Not one of the ones I brought home fit well.  I am tall, and now losing some inches off of me, so it's been hard to find the right fit.  Anyway, I have to return them all now.  At least the return station is in the same place in the store (ha ha!).  

Oh, also, we ran all over tarnation to look for a farmstand with cherry tomatoes.  Not one had them.  I'm planting about 3-4 of those plants next year.