Pioneer Woman at Heart

Our shell peas are done for the season.  Sadly, we did not get what we should have due to lack of rain.   Speaking of lack of rain...everyone is on edge here at the homestead.  Not sure if it's just the heat and drought, or what's going on in the world.  Lots of agitation, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and lack of patience.  I know I am tired of all of it. I've been icing the chickens.  They are so hot they are panting in this heat.

Some thing new for the hom estead - three rooster door pulls.  Love them!  They went on the ma ster bath c a binet doors. S omething harvested at the homestead - stin ging nett le.  I filled the dehydrator, but will need to cut more for "greens" for the free zer this spring.   I took a walk out to the fruit trees.  I am happy to report that all tre es have buds, and the peach tre e has t eeny tin y pink blo ssom s about to bloom.  I'm thr illed to see most of the fungus is gone on the p lum tree, so my homemade neem spray is w orking.  My el derberry trees actually have leaves on them already.  The grape plants are budding, and I will have to buy one grape pla nt to replace the one th at died last year.     We are still playing the car shu ffle.  Daughter's car is not fixed.  W e now know the problem, but the other problem is the labor involved.  It's a bout an 8 hour job with her engine....

I made the mistake of turning on my TV in the middle of the day about a week ago.  I am addicted to watching "The Chew."  Sigh.  I cannot, cannot do this....I thought I would just take my tea break a wee bit early.  Pretty soon my breaks will be on the porch with nature and no electronics. Anyway, I turned it on and immediately had to ma k e the pea pesto and pasta dish they mad e. I had one box of E ink orn whole wheat past a I wanted to taste, so that was my choice of past a for this dish. Ho nestly, I didn't me a sure.  Once you get the hang of pesto, you may not either.   What a brilliant idea.  So good too.  Parsley from the garden, garlic from the garden, peas from the garden (if I can ever get enough to freeze), etc.   Delicious!  My motto this year , in addition to our fami ly motto on my blog.    

My future goal is to have enough space for a good supply of sweet potatoes in a root cellar.  We are finding ways to swap out white for sweet potatoes more often, but I still like my red potatoes.   Although a lack of rain is getting me a bit worried, I am keeping things watered.  The green onions looked terrible, but I found enough to whip up another sweet potato salad to go with our dinner (or be the dinner since the temperature was 91 degrees out).

While checking the garden I saw one plump shell pea pod.  I picked it to see check the size, so I know when to start picking them.  We even tasted these gems of goodness.  I can't believe I haven't grown them before, but you can't grow everything.  Or can you?  Hopefully, in a few more days, I'll be blanching our first shell peas for the freezer.  I took the pea pod out to the goats, to see if they would like it, but they all turned their noses up.    The berry picking continues.  I should have enough to start canning jam.   Looks like a dry day today, so maybe weeding will continue.  I saw one jalapeno on one plant yesterday, but no green peppers just yet.  One zucchini plant is dying.  Hopefully the garden will have the chance to completely dry out and catch it's breath.