Tuesday Tidbits ~ Who knew that cleaning the fridge would lead to fun?

I had all good intentions to give the coop a good cleaning, but realized that physical work such as that could wait until my sinus infection meds (blech) kicked in.  

I fiddled around on the computer early morning.  Paid bills.

Stuck inside, I decided to check on any laundry first (last good dry day before rain comes again).  Second, dishes.  Then I took a look around and decided it was a good day to clean out the fridge.  Like really clean it out.  Everything went out, shelves scrubbed, unidentified objects tossed, etc.

I finished up in the kitchen, unloaded and re-loaded the dishwasher, then decided the rest of the day was rest time.

Looked out the window to see our friend mowing!  Whew!  Some wet parts will have to wait, but Hubby was very happy to have it get done. 

There I was looking down at a huge pile of washed canning lids and rings, and I had just told Hubby I was resting the rest of the day.

Well, you know me.  I dried the lids and thought "I could use them up again for Christmas ornaments."  I went in search of fabric, scissors, paint, glue and couldn't find my plastic jewels.  Darn kids of mine.  I then sent texts out.  One may have them at her apt.  I hope she has them, because I had a lot and the entire container is missing (keep reading about this part).

I then continued with my project as far as I could go for the day, and him-hawed on how to finish them.  

Then...yes, then I went and drafted up a "how-to" on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot (which has been neglected for a while).  Got photos loaded and such.

Then I was back to staring at my craft supplies and thought, "man that was fun to do nothing but fun stuff for a while."

I then thought, "Hm, maybe the rhinestones are in the closet and just buried in the mess in there?"  Which led me to the start of cleaning the bedroom craft storage/bedroom closet.  Just in case the one daughter didn't have them.  Oh, my Hubby is gonna hate me for a few weeks, but love me after it's done.

Don't worry, I didn't do too much, on account of the fact I was taking a "rest" day.  I just wanted a start, so I would back out later finishing it on rainy days.

I did however, find the exact color of yarn I needed to make a Christmas present for one the girls.  Project list is getting checked off soon.

Our friend was still had been mowing for 6 hours straight, so I walked out with ice water.  It's never taken that long ever.  It's just so tall.

Cold Front

Sunday we got on the Harley and headed to meet up with some friends to head to the very last day of Ohio Bike week.  We got as far as the gas station meet up point, and turned around and went home.  First we waited 1 1/2 hours for our friends, and in that time watched the dark skies to the east, and the wind pick up, and that time gave us time to change plans.  

We headed home, waited the weather out, and ended up staying home.  Too many flooded roads in every direction.  On Hubby's only day off, we ended up playing cards on the porch and retiring early. 

Monday morning we woke up to weather in the chilly 40's, but dry.  We had more thunderstorms Sunday night too.  

I decided, after 4 days of sinus pressure to see a doctor.  I tried everything in the book first.  All this moisture is putting havoc on my sinuses despite using a dehumidifier in our bedroom.   I drove home with a diagnosis of an eye infection in one eye and a sinus infection.  Driving was no fun.  I high tailed it back home to apply a warm compress and text Hubby a very short grocery list.  My to-do shopping was halted.  I'll have to get mulch, a load of dirt, and youngest daughter's nail supplies another day.  I wasn't up to it with one eye functioning and the left side of my face feeling like it'd explode.

(had a visitor in the tomato patch)

Today it'll be up in the 70's.  My sweet potatoes that I planted in the garden look better than expected.  I maybe lost one.  The tomatoes look okay and so do the jalapeno plants.  I'm just not going to be planting the green bell peppers very soon.  Radishes have even sprouted.  Praying for enough dry time to till and possibly plant again.  

On the Upside of things. . .

We had a very bad night of thunderstorms and hail Saturday night.  The most rain (5 inches) and hail I have ever seen in our area, the rain finally let up on Sunday and as of now, today.  Fields are now lakes, but the rain has stopped.  I will wait a few days to check my smallish garden for damage.

I harvested a bunch of plantain (before the rain) since the yard was so tall.  I dried some, and started an infused oil for salve making.  I found a recipe to make plantain "chips" and may try it this year.  Has anyone eaten plantain and has a good recipe to share?

I started my horse chestnut tincture too.

I baked a peach pie.  Hubby's request, and boy did he deserve it.  

Our mower was finally returned on Saturday about noon.  

Gardening

Friday of all days, was the best and most beautiful sunny and dry day.  Hubby had to work 10 hours, and I worked in the garden. 

I'm starting to realize that I may need to downsize the garden, so not being able to plant the usual, has now been sort of a blessing and reminder.

Even so, I got 54 jalapeno pepper plants in the garden.  I am delayed, in the planting of the rest (of what we can, including green peppers), due to the burden of the mower never returned in time for our friend to mow.  

Now Hubby has to spend 3 hours mowing after working 10 hour days, which puts a burden on him as well.  Never, ever, shall we loan it out.  Nor the tiller, which has been asked to be borrowed now.  Nope.  Nope.  Double triple NOPE!

The coyote is still around. I heard it from the field across the street making noises.  I'm on patrol.  I may have another out back too.  

I had just gotten all my clotheslines completely full, when I took a porch break to see a plane swoop down and drop his poison.  I ran right back out and used my dryer against my will, on a hot, hot day.

I was lucky to find organic/non-gmo dandelion greens and got some in the freezer. 

Mower still isn't back.  It's a topic that you don't dare bring up with Hubby either.  Rain returns today.

Random Tidbits

Wed. night Hubby, tired as he was tilled a small bit of the garden for me (for potatoes).  I yanked out one section of last year's plastic we had down for peppers, but left the rest in.  It's too wet to work in.

(That's puddle of water, and it's way too wet to till)

It's saturated in most parts yet.  We were to get rain all night, and did not thankfully.  Rain was 80% at 6am Thursday morning, but quickly changed to 50% at 7am.  Then it stopped early. 

Although it was a muddy mess, I planted 17# of red and white potatoes (90 starts).   Took a break, and headed back out to plant 53 sweet potato slips but only had room for 26.  I managed to plant a row of radishes too.  

We are really hurting in our area, farmers included.  Not one farmer has been in their fields this year other than to do soil tests.  Organic farmers may be having the same issue.

Our plan is to take it one day at a time, and then decide what's to be planted.  We will attempt fall planting of radishes, kale etc.  If I can manage it by myself, I plan to pull the pea fence and roll it up until fall.  It'd make tilling a bit easier since we can't plant any pea type at all now.

The weather changes by the hour, so it's hit or miss this year.

Allergies are at their worst ever this year.  I've relied on nettle for years, but I'm now mixing it up with mullien.   I'm also using oregano oil this year.   The diffuser is going at night, but that means turning off my dehumidifier and it's still raining here.

Goldenrod is not in season yet, and I don't have horehound.  If you have a tea remedy that works better, please share.

To relieve sinus pressure I did some essential oil steams the other day too.  I also decided to take my worries away with a long hot soak in the tub with essential oils.

I'll be looking through my herbal recipe books to see if I can find another tea alternative.  If there is nothing new in my own books, I'll be ordering some from the library.

Aurora gifted me an early morning treat on the porch.  Then proceeded to play with it, to the point I had to switch rockers for her to have more room.  Good kitty, but on the porch?  Really?

I was chilling on the front porch with a wine slushy, when I saw something move out in the field across from us.

I then remembered my chickens were out in their run, and ran out there to check.  Whew.  All accounted for, but not the barn cat. Found her later.

Just before that, our biker friend arrived to mow.  No mower.  Grr.  He has plans on Friday, and it's the only dry day for a while.  

Changing Plans ~ Weather Crisis

Horrible thunderstorms woke us up Tuesday morning, and later I found out there were tornadoes that touched down within an hour of us.

Youngest started her internship, and with the rain constant along with Hubby's work schedule, it's been indoor work for the most part.  

I broke down, did some research, and ordered us some reusable potato grow bags.  I just need to get the dirt and give an update on that.  I could not find one person with experience or a resource for bags, so I went with what my out research did.  It can't hurt at this point, as we are as desperate and desperate can be.

I sort of have a plan for the 54 jalapeno plants, but not for the 54 plus green pepper plants.

Rats chewed another hole in the chicken coop.  We patched that and built a rat trap, but noticed a crack in the bottom of my 5 gallon bucket.  We'll buy a new one and reset it.

As for the ants in the herb garden, I sprinkled grits on the hill.  So far, no ants.  You just need a dry day to do it, so they eat it.  Not sure on my weed killer yet.  No good dry days to use it.

Of course we got more rain, and major storms were in the forecast.  Thankfully most went past us giving us less rain.

Wednesday morning it was calm with no rain, but still in the forecast.

I made a sausage and kale millet skillet (recipe is online, but with ham and cheese), considering I couldn't do a thing outside.  The humidity is bad here too.  So bad, I have sinus issues and have been downing tinctures and teas to relieve the pressure.  When that failed to do it's job, I remembered a trick my Dad taught me a long time ago - add one drop of oregano oil (talk to your health store professional) to a teabag and make hot tea.  Worked like a charm.

I'm also having to run our dehumidifier and empty it often.  So this means no painting of anything either.   When I first turned on the dehumidifier it read my bedroom was 85% humidity.  windows in the kitchen and front room have been closed for that reason.

Which leaves me to cleaning.   Cleaning, organizing, and it's driving us all mad.  The rain that is.  We are all literally in bad moods.  The rain has made our "can't do" list so long it's frustrating and downright maddening.  We are all grouches and argue a lot lately.  Hubby's work schedule is also draining him and the rest of us, also adding to the "can't do" list.

The old truck is still broke down, one daughter's car remains in the driveway broke down, the septic not dug, bathroom remodel halted, chimney not swept, garden not tilled nor planted......

On top of that, we kind hearted people let one nephew borrow our mower for his house lot, where we have 6 acres.  He borrowed it Monday morning, and we even had a cookout there the same day, and I don't remember seeing the mower there.   He wasn't answering his phone either.  We only have short windows of opportunities (mostly dry times when Hubby's at work) to mow our own grass.  I have a biker friend we can hire to help me, but we can't do it without our mower.  The mower was to be returned last night, but they never showed up, so mowing didn't happen.  We are pretty upset considering we actually got in touch with them too.

We also went out of our way to locate hay for the nephew's horse.  It's very difficult to find right now, and with the rainfall there is a huge shortage.  The friend was willing to sell a few bales and as of we know, he hasn't gone to pick it up.

If by luck, you may see a "gratitude" post soon, just to try and shift my thinking lately.  It's been pretty depressing.

We didn't get too much rain on Wed. but we will get buckets of it again today (if the weather man is right).  I really, really need to find my "happy" place again.

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.