All Work and No Play? ~ Sittin' n Knittin'

 

I've been trying to enjoy the sunrise with my morning coffee, as these days are soon approaching colder weather.  It delays my start to my day, but worth it.

Lately, I feel like all I do is cook and clean.  Time goes too fast too. It seems like yesterday, that I was excited to bring in a bowl full of freshly picked green beans.

I tend the hens, collect the eggs.  Check the garden(s) and bring in whatever is ready.  I brought in another spaghetti squash.

Bulk spices were refilled.

Homemade taco seasoning made and refilled.

Someone in your household thinks there is a toilet paper fairy that magically restocks the toilet paper in the bathroom(s).

Bathrooms are cleaned weekly.

There are always dishes to wash, a dishwasher to load or unload, and then more dishes.  Cooking and baking from scratch, or preserving food will cause that.  I sometimes wash the larger dishes 3-4 times a day.

Maybe I just feel this way, due to the suffrage the house goes through during canning season?  There are always clean linens to fold and put away.

Sittin' n knittin' is much deserved time around here.  Handiwork is slowly coming back into action around here.

Chicken Castle is delayed temporarily.  The brakes on the truck need replaced.  

Stocking Up ~ Using Up ~ Prepping Homemade Sausage

 

I finally got around to make a full batch of meatballs.  I like to get this done before the freezer fills up. One year I barely had room to flash freeze, and made a mess with meatballs stuck to the wire shelf above, ha ha!  

While the meatballs were flash freezing, I shredded up the very last of the picked zucchini.  I made us a batch of the most delicious chocolate zucchini muffins I have ever had.  I found the recipe this year online, and it is a keeper.  Yum!  I uses Einkorn all-purpose flour.

I had two pounds of pork, so I prepped it for homemade sausage with home grown sage.  I let it sit in the fridge overnight before cooking it, so the ingredients can produce good flavor.  I apparently have two different recipes for this, and I added extra seasonings, so this will be interesting.

I saved a few boiled eggs for snacking, and topped some chicken salad with them.  I may add boiled eggs to my chicken salad next time.  I make our chicken salad pretty simple - organic avocado mayo and home canned sweet pickle relish.  I added some hot pepper relish this time as well.

We are in the 80's during the day here, and pretty warm. Are you stocking up or preserving anything right now?

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.

Beautiful Weather ~ Breakfast Prep ~ New Salad Recipe Tried

I love these crisp, cool mornings.  I plan to enjoy my morning coffee with the sunrise before starting my day.  The snow will be here before we know it.  We worked on "Chicken Castle" last night, and I slept fantastically.

I'm trying to get as much porch time in as I can, as the weather is absolutely beautiful these past few days.

Yesterday, I got the blueberry Einkorn pancakes made, but I will not be buying the breakfast roll sausage anymore.  I had some in the freezer.  Anyway, the ingredients include "sugar" in the sausage.  I cannot find any sugar free breakfast sausage anywhere here, so I bought more pork to make my own again.  Anyway, I prepped breakfast for my husband.

I slept so good last night, and was not totally awake this morning.  I packed my husband's lunch and coffee, and completely forgot the breakfast!  Urgh.  We are both getting a laugh out of that.

 

Our pear trees do not have pears this year, so I had to buy a pear for this salad, but the apple came from our trees.  It is a new salad, and looked interesting.  It contains 1/4 cup honey, but that is for the entire salad.

The taste test?  Absolutely delicious.  Potluck worthy.  I typically do not add the links to my posts, but here is the recipe if you are interested.

https://juliasalbum.com/broccoli-cashew-apple-and-pear-salad/

I used the Greek yogurt option, roasted raw cashews myself (to avoid bad oils), and used juice from a lemon (not bottled juice).  I do suggest the pear be on the firm side, vs. a soft ripe pear.  We really liked it.  If you are avoiding sugar, this does contain the pear and apple and 1/4 cup honey.   I would not make this every week, but we will be enjoying this during apple season.  So good!  We will just balance it with a low-carb dinner.  

We tried rutabaga roasted with carrots and non-gmo/low fat chicken sausage.  Delicious.  I didn't realize it, but carrots are a high-carb vegetable.  I have to remember that when I pair this dinner with a salad.  I may add another vegetable next time, but so good.

Has anyone frozen rutabaga?  If so, what is it good for, after it's been frozen.  Just soups/stews?  What is the texture?   I am wondering if I could use it in place of potatoes in a breakfast dish?  What's the best way to freeze it?  Diced or mashed?  Or both?

Happy Homemaker Monday

 I finally got a chance to join this again.  The tomatoes were exhausting this year, but we are thankful to have them.

The tomato plants have all been yanked, and are done for the season.  That was a big job.  The yellow squash and the zucchini plants have been yanked.

(that's just the zucchini plants)

The plants were huge this year.  I had not had time to pull the plants earlier, and it appears that the bees cross pollinated the zucchini with the yellow squash plants.  I am still getting some nice yellow squash, but some plants are like in the photo above.  Either way, they are out now.  I'm trying to leave the acorn squash, spaghetti squash, and pie pumpkins in as long as I can. 

We got more work done on "Chicken Castle" or otherwise known as the Hilton Hen House.  We still need to frame in the door (woohoo for a regular walk-in door for me), build the door,  frame in the windows (yay for ventilation on hot summer days), then side it and roof it.  After that we will build the run.  We are far from done, but making progress again.  We reached out help, but they never called us back.

The weekend was cold!  Our nights were in the lower 40's here.  It was a perfect time to dehydrate Goldenrod.  It's been preserved and stored for winter.  Dehydrating may happen a few days this week.  It all depends on the weather.

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  It's been a while since I've done this, but like I said, I canned two weeks straight when the paste tomatoes were harvested.

I will link up when she posts.

The weather . . .

Woke up to a chilly 54°F, with high's in the 70's, but will heat up to the 80's mid-week.  

As I look outside my window. . .

It's pitch dark out right now, but I see some schools are delayed due to fog.

Right now I am . . .

Posting this, so I can go do my exercise for the morning.  

Thinking and pondering . . .

We are working on a plan for the garden next year.  We need to get at least one raised bed built for fall garlic (new plan and hope is works).

I have a small ornamental apple tree in the front of the property.  I am thinking I will dig it and move it, so in the spring I can add a plum tree to the homestead in the same location the apple tree was. 

Listening to . . .

Work out music first, then Country music

How I am feeling . . .

Pretty good now that things are slowing down in the canning department here.  I am getting used to my exercise routine, and my husband's health is doing better than ever right now.  We will have actual numbers in about 3 months, so I am hoping for a really good doctor check up for him.

On the breakfast plate . . .

-Einkorn pancakes with blueberries, sausage patties

-next will be crockpot steel cut oats with our apples

On the lunch plate . . .

-chicken salad on a Swedish bread cracker, apple with peanut butter dip (Greek plain yogurt mixed with sugar free all peanut, peanut butter)

On the dinner plate . . .

-Sheet pan chicken sausage dinner with carrots and rutabaga

What I am wearing . . .

Still in jammies, sipping coffee at the moment

On the reading pile . . .

Mostly recipe books.

On the TV . . .

Movies on YouTube lately

On the menu . . .

-Southwest Chicken Quinoa bowls
-Try a new slaw recipe for a side this week
-Try a new broccoli/fruit salad this week or next
-grill burgers, topped, no bun, with one of the above sides

Looking around the house . . .

-I need to fold down a large table I brought inside for tomato season.
-I have yarn on a shelf that needs put back in storage
-I have a bunch of scrap yarn in my bedroom that needs put back in storage
-one kitchen counter is covered with stuff that piled up during busy canning season.  Something always suffers, right?

To-do list . . .

-dishes
-laundry
-sweep and mop all floors
-make a breakfast for the next few days

-mail a check to secure a craft show this coming Christmas Holiday (updates on that later)

For the week:

-can applesauce with our own apples

-can hot pepper jelly if I have enough hot peppers

-boil eggs for snacking, salads, and egg salad

-clean camper, wash down cupboards, clean out things, sweep and mop etc.

-start working on the floor in the upstairs spare bedroom (I want this done before the weather turns too cold), if I can actually remember to put "funnel" on my shopping list and buy one.

-make and freeze meatballs (I use oats in place of bread crumbs)

-clean bathrooms top to bottom - Monday, toilets scrubbed, Tuesday, sinks and mirrors, Wed, dust, sweep and mop floors, wash rugs

-check emails (there I wrote it down, so it better happen ha ha!)

Devotional, verse, thoughts, prayers . . .

In regards to the prayer requests for our friend's daughter (brain bleed), she is off the ventilator, and making some movement, but not talking.  Thank you all!  I will try and get updates here as I get them.

Roasted Rutabaga ~ Goldenrod Paradise

 I have attempted to try this vegetable more than once (back between 2012 and 2015, but could not find it here locally.  Finally, we have found it at one store recently.

I roasted it with olive oil and salt and pepper, to get an idea of the flavor we are working with.  I was told it would taste like a golden potato, by roasting it this way.  It did not, but it was delicious, and creamy in the center. I peeled it, diced it and tossed it in olive oil.  I sprinkled it with salt and pepper both.  I roasted it at 425°F for 40 minutes (stirring half way during roasting time).  

A rutabaga is a cross between cabbage and a turnip.  It is a root vegetable.  Do you grow rutabagas in your garden?  We are considering it, as we have a terrible time finding it in our stores (or any farm stand) in our area.

I have one more to experiment with, and I hope to return to the same store and get a few more.

I did not get any answers about the bee keeper's inquiry on keeping bees on our property.  It is a haven for bees already.  I harvested some goldenrod, and I can tell you we have no shortage of bees.  My husband said, "it sounds like you need to keep bees for honey."  Yeah, sounds grand and all, but I am not ready to add more work to my days around here.  

I do not know any local people, that have a bee keeper's bees on their private property.  I think we are going to refrain from this offer (see yesterday's post).  One we have a ton of bees already, and two I do not want someone we do not know coming to the property to check on the bees whenever they want either.  I don't think it's worth it, just for the exchange of honey (which I buy local already, and we do not use it in large quantities).

Table Talk and Questions (one a serious one about bee keepers keeping bees on your property) ~ Goldenrod

 

This was not all in one day.  I do have a question at the end of this post today.  Actually two questions after someone stopped at our place yesterday evening.

I made the breakfast bell peppers again this week.  I used up spinach and bacon, that we had leftover from our camping trip.  The top pieces of the bell peppers were saved for another meal.

Roasted the first of our spaghetti squash for a chicken dinner casserole.  I saved some seeds, but gave the rest to the chickens.  It was not worth my oven time, to roast the last 1/4 cup or so of seeds.

I roasted a second spaghetti squash to make this dish.  We love it.  It is a meatless dish, but pretty good, and easy to make when you still have tomatoes.  I have also used cherry or grape tomatoes from the garden in the past. 

Not only is it delicious, it's very self sufficient.  You can grow everything for this (aside for the black olives), and you can make your own feta.

 The recipe is simply "Spaghetti Squash" recipe online with Allrecipes.

Due to my husband's long work hours in the spring, we did not get our raised beds built, so no greens were planted.  I am relying on what I can find locally.  I froze some kale and spinach this week.

Sage made it to the dehydrator.  I use a lot of it for homemade sausage.

Question:  Has anyone here made "breakfast" mushrooms?  I am re-thinking our breakfast, and would like to add mushrooms as a side when I make eggs or scrambled eggs.  I know they can be added to an omelet or casserole, but I'm considering it as a breakfast side.

My other question is a serious question.  We were sitting on the front porch last night.  My husband was making calls on his cell, and I was knitting.  A van pulls in, and a guy walks up to the porch.  He says he has a farm slightly north (maybe 20-25 minutes), and is a bee keeper.  He asked if he could bring 50 units (forgot what he said they are called) to put out back on our property, because we have a lot of goldenrod right now, and his bees are not doing well.  He proceeds later to say he has issues with his bees having mites, and if the bees are in the back corner of the property, we would not know they were even there.  He also told us that the government will only allow bee keepers to treat their bees with specific chemicals.

I'm hesitant on this, so I'd like your opinions on this.  He has to be able to drive them to where they will sit.  Also, he said he'd exchange a gallon of honey if we agree, but not until next year. 

We looked his farm up. He is legit.  He used to raise a bunch of meat birds and chickens, but has turned bee keeper now.

Getting some honey would be great, but I am on the fence with someone coming onto our property with his property, that we do not know.   What about these bees with mites and being treated with chemicals we know nothing about?  

 What if deer trample the bee hive boxes?  Or something happens otherwise out of our control?  Or am over thinking this?

I would appreciate all of your input, especially if you keep bees.

Sorry for the long post today.  Speaking of goldenrod, we have an abundance of it.  Do you dehydrate it?  What do you use it for other than tea?  I have wanted to put some up over the years, but it always seems something else needs done.