Pity Party for One ~ A Little Baking to Break the Blues

 It's probably a good thing I didn't have anyone around me this holiday weekend.   I'm a depressing, oh' poor me, kind of person.  

The garden fence is not up, and I've lost 6 bell pepper plants, and all of my blazing hot peppers.  It's not our fault other than the fact work hours prevent the fence getting up.  I can't do it alone, and everyone else is having backyard barbeques, out on motorcycle rides for Bike Week, or camping.  It's not just me either.  My husband came home and said the same thing.  He's feeling very depressed. 

Also depressing is the weather pertaining to the garden.  It's dry.  I watered, but the ground is so dry it's cracking.  I'm glad we didn't plant any annual flowers right now.  I'd literally be watering daily for weeks.

I tried to perk myself up with some quiet reading on the front porch.  Nope.  Bees were attacking all over the place, and the bee removal has not come out, not even called or emailed as to when they are coming out.

On a happier note. . .

I managed to get some rhubarb macerating (for homemade rhubarb vodka), and I baked a rhubarb/strawberry crumble.  It was a new recipe, but it required you to use a food processor to finely dice the topping with cold, unsalted butter.  When I make my peach crumble, I add melted butter and stir the topping until it's in crumbles.  I may try melting the butter next time.  It would reduce the amount of work, and the amount of dish washing to be done.  Anyway, it was good!  I used frozen strawberries we froze last summer, and thawed them.

I finally tried a new recipe, that I have had printed for almost or more than a year.  It's whipped feta dip with hot honey.  I have the dip made, and just need to heat up the honey mixture to drizzle over it later today.  If you are interested in the recipe is is the website Greens and Chocolate.  She uses sour cream in her recipe.   There are other recipes online too, and I plan to try the one with greek yogurt next.

We had the feta dip at a restaurant about a year ago, and went straight home to find a recipe online.  I think it would be great for when you have company, and/or need an appetizer.

Garden Clean Up Day ~ Wild Violets

 

I had a full day out in the garden.  It is a hot mess of weeds.  The asparagus bed is going to need TLC this year, or we'll just till the new part again, and buy plants this year.  We dropped seeds last year, and with everything going on called life, I neglected it.   Our wild violets are starting to come up, but I doubt we'll get enough by today.  Monday the weather forecast is snow.  Yes, I said snow.  Ugh.  I'm hoping the rhubarb and asparagus harvest is not affected.  I can live without violet jelly, but this weather is "all over the map."

It is a bit on the early side for all three of these to be starting to come up.

I managed to pull the long 30 some foot pea fence and t-posts all by my little ol' self.  Compost is being added today, so I am in a hurry to get 6 foot foxtail and other stuff pulled first.  I didn't get my other bean fence pulled.  It was already late in the afternoon, and the ground was drying up making it too hard of a job to do it myself.

Today?  It will be the mid-70's and rain moves in.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie ~ Outdoor Work

I checked the rhubarb after watering my garlic and checking the asparagus.  Woot!  I baked us a strawberry-rhubarb pie, and kept several stalks for another project.  This is a new pie for me this year.  So excited!  I thawed strawberries for this, that we froze last summer.  I know fresh is better, but it worked.

Hubby did a lot of mowing, and we ripped out the weeds in the rose bed.  There is a lot of work to do in the rose bed, so while the pie baked I worked in that bed. 

It's in progress, but lots to do to prevent the grass (again for the umpteenth time).

 He promised to get the tiller out and do more of the garden.  We ran out of time yesterday.

Spring Garden Goodies

Early photo from yesterday.  Purple dead nettle is up.

Our rhubarb and asparagus is coming up too.

Rhubarb Vodka

Rhubarb is in season now.  Guess what concoction I made?  Well, the title of this blog sort of gave it away, ha ha!  I created rhubarb vodka.

You can find the recipe online just about anywhere.  I used the recipe from BBC recipes online, adapted with homegrown and organic ingredients.  

Rhubarb Vodka

·         1¾ pints (3 1/2 cups) organic vodka

·         2 stalks of homegrown rhubarb
          3 Tbsp sugar

·         Lemon zest from half of one organic lemon or homegrown

·         3 organic whole cloves

·         1 organic cinnamon stick

·         

(right after adding the sugar - shake it up when you sprinkle it on the rhubarb)

1. I used my food processor to chop up the rhubarb, then placed it in a canning jar with sugar, screwed on a lid left it sit overnight.  I also put it in the refrigerator.  Note:  smaller pieces will macerate faster than larger pieces.

2. I then added the cloves, cinnamon and zest and poured in the vodka.

3 Leave the jar in a cool dark place for 3 weeks, and shake daily.

Strain using a cheesecloth.

Bottle and wait 3 months before drinking.
Shake daily.

What can you make with it?  Well, you can make Rhubarb Mimosa.  

You can also make a rhubarb martini, rhubarb fizz cocktail, rhubarb cosmopolitan, rhubarb vodka sour, and many other mixed drinks with it.  I wanted to give this a try to see if it's gift worthy or not.  Or just plain good.

Note:  Ingredients will not fit in a quart jar.  I used a larger one, but could have tripled it in it too.  We will do a taste test first, and then decide if it's gift worthy.

Note:  Each time I bake/cook with lemons, I take off the zest and put it in the freezer for cooking/baking and now boozy recipes.

Oh the possibilities...

I literally made a "possibilities" list yesterday.  The sun came out (shocker), and the rain was only 10%.  I had no idea what to tackle first.  Garden?  Herb garden?  Garlic? Wash rugs?  Clean off the porch?  Fix the vacuum?  Harvest chickweed, plantain and clevers?  Start another jar of Four Thieves Vinegar?  Take a lawn chair out into the sunshine and read a book?  Oh, so many possibilities.

I just wrote out a list and went with the flow, starting with anything that could be washed and dried outside (taking a chance).

First off the list - leaning tower of dishes.  Put them away only to get most back out again.  Oh look!  Rotten bananas!

Second off the list - rugs washed and on the line.  I could not believe the sun was out and the rain went away for a day.

Next?  I had all good intentions to get the bathroom scrubbed, tidied, swept and mopped. After checking the garlic and asparagus I noticed the rhubarb needed tops trimmed.    First thing I typically make is Rhubarb BBQ sauce, but not yesterday.

Then I brought this in, and made this . . .

Rhubarb crunch. I'll be posting the recipe soon.  Asparagus was saved for another meal.

I weeded the herb garden, and brought this in....

... and made this.

Chickweed pesto.  I need to make chickweed tincture, and dry a ton of it for tea and oil infusions.

So this happened.  Again.  At least the herb garden has been weeded.  Again.  Tomorrow we have a 20% chance of rain, so I am praying the garden dries up.


Hubby is now working 10 hour days for 6 days straight, so it's odd for me to adjust.  Even so, he wanted a short motorcycle ride, which didn't happen.  I knew he'd be too tired, and he was, but the intention was good.

A friend sent me tomato seeds, but it's too late to start the for this year.  I will save them for next season.

All of the chickens are finally getting along.  I just can't let the younger ones out in the run just yet.  Too many hawk and eagle sightings to take a chance. 

Rhubarb ~ Flowers - Tidbits

It's the second year for this rhubarb.  I had so much trouble getting it to take on here, first in the garden, then in a raised bed.  I'm so happy to see it flourishing.  Next year we get to finally eat it.

Random Tidbits

Remember when I posted that we'd have a few "dry days?"  Well that same day (yesterday) we had thunderstorms roll in after 4:30pm.   The weather seems to have it's own mind these days.

Today, the sky is cloud covered, but I am heading out to pick peas and berries.   The sun should arrive today.

Here is our progress on just the cauliflower/broccoli/cabbage/brussel sprout garden.  First day weeding it:

July 4th ~ Sesame Chicken Strips ~ Rhubarb Chutney

Although very rewarding, gardening can be exhausting work to say the least.  No, we did not go camping (again).   I am just dreaming and looking at some old photos.

We are having the most perfect weather, and where are we today?  

Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

Once again Eating Well magazine provided a recipe that begged me to try.  My rhubarb is not ready to harvest this year, and I finally found some to buy.


I made pork tenderloin (organic), but decided to make it in a pulled pork version vs. baked (as the recipe instructed).  The sauce can be prepared ahead of time and frozen for future meals.