Fair Food Craze ~ Homemade Sopaipillas

Apparently, in this pandemic time, people are going crazy over "fair food."  One restaurant started it.  They dedicated one night for serving a drive thru with just fair food.  I didn't go, but the entire town (Big City) went.  I heard there was a 3-4 hour wait in line.  

The next day, the town announced that fair food vendors will be set up this weekend at the fair grounds for selling food.  I am sure that will end up a crowd too.

I decided to do a fair food night at home.  I made homemade corn dogs with real beef dogs and homemade batter.

We also made hand cut fries to go with them, but that's not all.  I started us out with a batch of homemade sopaipillas, an old, old high school recipe from Spanish class.  We used to make them and sell them at lunch at school to raise money for our Spanish class.  They are like mini elephant ears you'd get at the fair.  Just for the update, all the fairs have canceled their fair this year.

Sopaipillas

2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp Baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 Tbsp. shortening

2/3 cup lukewarm water

Fat for frying

Cinnamon and sugar to coat

Stir together, flour baking powder and salt.  Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles corn meal.  Gradually add the water stirring with a fork (dough will be crumbly).

Turn onto floured surface, knead into small ball.  Divide dough in half and let stand 10 minutes.  Roll each dough into a 12 ½ inch by 10 inch rectangle.  Cut into 2 ½ inch squares (do not re-roll the dough).  Fry a few at a time at 400°F in hot oil.  Drain on paper towel.  Roll in cinnamon and sugar.  Makes 40

Rose Bed Progress

We split hostas a while back and added them to the troublesome rose bed.  These are very large hostas and will crowd out the grass, but we have much more work to do on it.  Hopefully, I'll be back with a good update.

Yesterday I planted 23 sweet potato slips, but the rain returned and the garden is swamped.  I could only plant from the edge.  More rain fell last night and I am so sad that it may be another year of battling the rain.

We now realize how important a greenhouse is.  It may go to the top of the list if the rain continues.

On a good note, the plants have had 4 days of hardening, and we pray next weeks (predicted the entire week ahead) is wrong.

Everything but the "to-do" list

It was breakfast for dinner.

Biscuits were baked for sausage gravy, scrambled farm fresh eggs (thank you chickens), and fried potatoes.  I forgot to see if I had enough apples for fried apples though.

I also cut all the yellow netting up, and got them the strips rolled into balls for future dish scrubbies.  I have a few more colors to cut in strips, so I won't run out of things to do on rainy days (as well as deep clean totes in my closet, which I discovered high school stuff I can clean).  

I finally felt like crafting after I cleaned up some rooms around the house.  Got the last two of these painted with white paint.  More work needs done to finish them.

I think I did everything that was not on my to-do list this week, so I need to get back on track ha ha!

Frustrating Weather

The water receded this morning, but we had horrible winds, and our lamp post that was propped up in a tree was blown down again and looks broken this time.

The ground is saturated and I fear it'll be another year like last year.  Not sure, but the weekend is the only good weather time to till more and it all depends on if this ground dries up.

The library is open but curbside, and next week by appt.  Not sure I'll be going for a while.  I do miss it, but too many restrictions - no interloaning at all.  Our library is very small, and doesn't have many choices and can only loan out from their library to city patrons with their library card.

Next week's predictions of weather do not look good for us at all.  Thunderstorm after thunderstorm.  Not only is this a problem for putting in the rest of the garden and the condition of the garden for growing, but for hardening of my plants indoors.  They got two days outside, but the wind and colder weather today are not conducive.

On the upside, we have talked about how the last two years have made it very difficult, and the importance of a greenhouse now.  I could have them all hardened by now (plants) and made it quicker to plant.  Time is the issue.  When your husband works full time, it's hard to have the energy to work at night after a full day of work of climbing ladders etc.  Say a prayer we get one built this year, so it's ready for next year.

I hope your weather is better and your gardens are doing good.  I'm just very very concerned again this year.  We need the food from it too. 

I'm also frustrated with our Governor.  Yesterday he lifted the ban on non-essential travel, but I'm so confused if he lifted the stay-at-home order or not.  When the media asked questions, he never answered them directly - is it an order?  is it strongly recommended? is it an advisory?  There was no direct answer to it.  He also lied.  He said 95% of Ohio would be open by the end of May, and that is not true.  Restaurants running at 50% capacity and some not even open.  Even the library is only doing curbside, and that is not the same for them either.  He said churches were never closed.  Huh? Like I said, I'm so confused and what they are doing, but he did say no groups of 10 or more and yet we can sit with 50 strangers in a restaurant.  It's so messed up in our state, and they are still pushing the wearing of masks.  That's been an argument from the beginning.

More Rain

My radishes are already coming up.  I picked a bit more asparagus, and dropped some zinnia seeds.  I also planted my thyme and rosemary plants, and dropped some cilantro, parsley and basil seeds.

By noon yesterday, I had only accomplished that, plus 2 rounds of dishes, some of the laundry and had taken the trash out.  

We are getting more rain today, but my recently planted seeds and flowers are loving it.  I need another day indoors anyway.  In between rain storms or rain, I'm hardening my pepper plants and tomatoes.

Woke up to this today.  The planted field across the street is completely flooded.  They need to clean the drain out that drains it to the river.  A sheriff is out there warning drivers to slow down, so they do not hydroplane.

I have yet to check the garden, but will later.  I am sure it's okay considering we haven't tilled the wetter part of it yet.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Sunday's rain that was predicted all day changed on us.  Thankful for that, as we had time in the morning to plant more flowers.  

(just a few snippets of our work)

We had 4 bags of mulch leftover from last year, but we still need to go get a truck load of it to finish the flower beds and add some pine mulch to my herb garden.  We worked the good part of the day beautifying the front of the house.  I'm debating on dropping some zinnia seeds today or not.  They keep saying torrential rain, but we are not getting it and so far completely wrong on when we are getting any and how much.

Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather . . . 

99% humidity, 73/59°F, Thunderstorms

How I'm feeling this morning . . . 

Ready to get back to a regular work out schedule.  With Hubby's crew off two weeks and on two weeks, I've been off track.

On my mind . . .

Just my to-do list, and making preparations for days to work more on the garden.

On my breakfast plate . . .

Sweet Potato/Black Bean Frittata

On my reading pile . . .

Call of the Wild

On my TV . . .

Re-watching The Ranch

On the menu this week . . .

-Spaghetti and meatballs, homegrown asparagus, homemade coconut flour garlic muffins

-Biscuits and gravy, potatoes, eggs (didn't make this last week)

-Turkey breast (crock pot), 

-4 beans and sausage (crock pot)

-maybe sweet potato and black bean chili

From the camera . . . 

Looking around the house . . .

There is a lot to clean up since we devoted most of our time to anything outdoors (veggie garden, flower beds, etc.)  There is a lot on the to-do list today. . . putting it here to stay on track this week.

-make a breakfast dish

-laundry

-dishes

-master bath

-sweep/mop

-vacuum

-dust

-tidy office area/pay bills

-clean windows

-clean up utility room now that the chicks are in the barn

-water plants

-re-pot lettuce starts

-drain Four Thieves Vinegar

-freeze bell peppers, freeze cauliflower

-make homemade foaming hand soap

-call vet (other two dogs need shots)

-make a list for the garden center

-restock freezer pizza dough and pie crust crumbles

-things need made, lip balm, and many other needs (homemade)

Chore I am not looking forward to this week . . . 

Mucking the coop.  If the weather is good, it'll be getting a clean sweep from winter pile up.  

To relax this week I will . . .

Journal, maybe handiwork.  I have Christmas tree ornaments  that need finished up as well.

On my prayer list . . .

My friend's eyesight, for this virus to go away, and personal requests.

Devotional/Bible Verse . . .

Random Tidbits

We started planting flowers yesterday. It rained, so we have more to plant.  We found hanging baskets too, but could use a few more to brighten up the front of the house and porch.

We woke up to fog this morning, and cooler weather due to the storm front coming in down in FL.

Our daughter who is graduating is getting her yearbook made by us.  The school declined the photo I took, saying it was not "professional" and her dog was considered a prop.  She told the school if you don't use the photo, I don't want in the school yearbook.  So sad that she had one more disappointment added to her senior year.

Mom got her hair cut and colored and is a happy gal.  She plans to grocery shop herself soon.

I am still getting new asparagus shoots, so that makes us all happy.

No sign of the raccoon for the last few days, so I hope it moved on.

Not much else going on here right now.  Sales for my "farm" store have been zero since last early March.  Farmer's markets are still going on, so I may join up and sell at least once if they are allowing more than food.  I haven't been making much due to the lack of need either.

For fun, we've been playing cards on the front porch.  It's been nice too.    I ordered myself a few books as well.  The library is opening, but with curbside service.  I'm not going yet, and will see how they get operating (wondering how they will clean the books, and what chemicals they'll use).

Hopefully, I will have a more exciting post soon, and possibly with photos.  I hope you are all safe and healthy right now.