Settling down for a post Thanksgiving lazing around and I'm trying to think of how to use up all the cranberry pear chutney I made. Whole cinnamon sticks are waaaay better than ground cinnamon. I am now thinking about how to bake an apple pie with whole cinnamon sticks. Maybe I could put a little trap door opening in the top where I could extract the cinnamon sticks post baking. Or maybe I could just make some cinnamon extract. The powder stuff just seems too bitter for my taste.
Anyway, my sister and I have been crafting like crazy. We sewed our own tea bags out of coffee filters and mixed up our own tea blends with lavender, black tea, oolong, green, chamomile... the works. We got three different flavors together and put color coded strings and handmade tags in each of them. With all the hand labor that went into each tea bag, we ended up putting enough in each bag that they can be reused about 3 times. Or maybe I should just say that one bag makes a quart mason jar full of tea. Either way, they're pretty delicious.
This week we worked on handmade evergreen wreaths. We pilfered evergreens from friend's houses with only a few purchased pieces to really stand out. With just some wire, wreath forms, time, and some pricked fingers, we made 7 pretty darn good looking wreaths. They were really fun to put together. I think I might put them up at the vineyard to see if they sell. They are very unique and just as pretty, if not moreso, than the ones that are at every home improvement store now.
Next up, I'm not sure. Soap? Slippers made from the sheepskins? Winter is much less boring when there's something to do. This weather sure does help too. :)
Friday, November 23, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
bare naked trees
The rain trickles down the windows as the wind whips through the stand of now naked trees. They sway and bend but don't break. My favorite is the corkscrew willow that flows in the wind like hair being gently tossed. But that one is always the first to break and it's getting dangerously large and growing very close to my mom's house.
I fired up the wood stove for the first time yesterday to keep my nieces warm yesterday. Temps are dropping down to the 40s at night, but frost has already knocked out all my low lying gardens.
I now have the abundance of time that only the end of a growing season can bring. I try not to look over my shoulder about what I shoulda done, namely harvested and dried or froze more herbs. Overall, the growing season was fine. Weird, but fine.
Now I walk to the far field where the grass is still green and stare at my cows as they chew their cud and stare back. I went with shorthorns this year and they've filled out beautifully on grass. I have a couple beef shares left and a couple of lambs not sold.
I did for the first time ever, cook up some beef heart. Oddly very delicious! It's hard to get over the mental block of what I was eating, but the flavor and texture of quick cooked, very lean beef was amazing. It took awhile to break it down into manageable slices, but I'd say it was worth it. Next up, the tongue. And yes, I'm cleaning out my freezer for this year's lamb and beef crop. How did you know?
Anyway, it's reflection and planning time. And reassessing. And time to head out to the flock and pick the next herd sire, the ram lamb that shows all the qualities that I'd like to keep for the next breeding season. I have a beautiful icelandic little guy that looks perfectly fit for the bill. And I'm wondering if it's too late to shear. I might lock up some of the better fleeced ladies for some beauty shop time with a nice brush out and haircut followed by a nice winter coat to keep them warm after removing theirs so late in the season.
It seems like time keeps slipping away from me so quickly. Oh winter, why are you back already?!
I fired up the wood stove for the first time yesterday to keep my nieces warm yesterday. Temps are dropping down to the 40s at night, but frost has already knocked out all my low lying gardens.
I now have the abundance of time that only the end of a growing season can bring. I try not to look over my shoulder about what I shoulda done, namely harvested and dried or froze more herbs. Overall, the growing season was fine. Weird, but fine.
Now I walk to the far field where the grass is still green and stare at my cows as they chew their cud and stare back. I went with shorthorns this year and they've filled out beautifully on grass. I have a couple beef shares left and a couple of lambs not sold.
I did for the first time ever, cook up some beef heart. Oddly very delicious! It's hard to get over the mental block of what I was eating, but the flavor and texture of quick cooked, very lean beef was amazing. It took awhile to break it down into manageable slices, but I'd say it was worth it. Next up, the tongue. And yes, I'm cleaning out my freezer for this year's lamb and beef crop. How did you know?
Anyway, it's reflection and planning time. And reassessing. And time to head out to the flock and pick the next herd sire, the ram lamb that shows all the qualities that I'd like to keep for the next breeding season. I have a beautiful icelandic little guy that looks perfectly fit for the bill. And I'm wondering if it's too late to shear. I might lock up some of the better fleeced ladies for some beauty shop time with a nice brush out and haircut followed by a nice winter coat to keep them warm after removing theirs so late in the season.
It seems like time keeps slipping away from me so quickly. Oh winter, why are you back already?!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Frost is lingering in the air like an angry coworker peering through the cubicle at you. It's going to strike sometime soon, but all you feel right now is the chill in the air as your hairs stand on end.
I feel bad but I think I might be shearing the sheep now. I was soooo busy up until this point and now with CSA just wrapping up, I have more time. I think they'll make it. I guess there are blankets that I could fashion as sheep coats....
The pasture is loving that recent rain that we just got and has greened up again, almost comparable to the lush green grass of spring. The gardens are starting to slow down a bit, the tomatoes are kinda tumbling down their split frames and sparse foliage. The winter squash are peering out from their giant leaves as squash bugs slowly march along their stems, sucking the life right out of them.
I did get 17 more hens right about to lay which means EGGS! SWEET! I'll let you all know when. ;)
I feel bad but I think I might be shearing the sheep now. I was soooo busy up until this point and now with CSA just wrapping up, I have more time. I think they'll make it. I guess there are blankets that I could fashion as sheep coats....
The pasture is loving that recent rain that we just got and has greened up again, almost comparable to the lush green grass of spring. The gardens are starting to slow down a bit, the tomatoes are kinda tumbling down their split frames and sparse foliage. The winter squash are peering out from their giant leaves as squash bugs slowly march along their stems, sucking the life right out of them.
I did get 17 more hens right about to lay which means EGGS! SWEET! I'll let you all know when. ;)
Thursday, April 12, 2012
spring blossoms, lamb chops, and pink slime
The blossoms on all the spring trees have burst in a beautiful array of spring temperatures this year, which resulted in a very pleasant and successful lambing season. It's great to wake up and look out my window to see a ewe caring for her newborn that's barely coherent and trying to stand up. Within a few hours, they're dry and fluffy and nursing or running around.
It's amazing how they are born with their eyes open and the first thing they do after being catapulted into a new, very bright world, is to stretch out their legs and stand up.
Anyway, in the start to finish fashion of this place, I'm going to switch over the the finishing part of the life cycle at High Mill. Today I head to the butcher and pick up three lambs for a grill out taste test. This will determine what direction to go in order to keep the most delicious stock for future lambs.
To me, this step is incredibly important. Instead of breeding only for the giant-est, fast growing lambs that need a lot of antibiotics and a sterile environment to survive, I'm selecting the hardiest sheep that are able to survive minimal intervention with lambing or pasturing and without chemicals such as wormers or antibiotics. Then out of that stock, I now am selecting out the ones that give me the finest finished product. It's kinda like painting a portrait of my perfect sheep, only it's in slow motion over a period of many years, but with quite a few nice scarves and excellent dinners in the meantime.
I like sheep because they are small and easy to handle. They are very interested in watching me as much as I am interested in watching them. And I love replacing my very loud, gas powered lawnmower with these woolen lawnmowers who reduce my carbon footprint and replace my cable tv.
I also really like my butcher. I think the recent development of pink slime in meat really has reinforced this. I'm sure some young biologist was looking on paper and thought of an ingenious way to use all of those little bits that usually are scrapped for dog food and put them back into a low fat filler... plus a little ammonium hydroxide to keep it "safe."
I doubt that my butcher puts my trimmings in a centrifuge, but I like knowing that I could look him in the eye and ask.
This last trip the the butcher, I tried my hand once again at tanning hydes. This time, I was a bit more successful and it looks like I'm only 6 steps away from having some nice rugs.
Anyway, I've been so wrapped up in counting lambs that I haven't paid much attention to my beef cows that are starting to eat up this lush grass that's growing. I have also been reading about exactly why grass fed cows are healthier for you, and it's not just the leaner beef. There's been a lot of press around the good fats, Omega 3s. Whenever grass or a diverse diet replaces a grain fed diet, Omega 3s increase. CLA is another cancer fighting fat that increases with pasture raised animals.
I should have a few beef that are ready in early winter. Now I'm off to check for more lambs. We're up to 13 already!
It's amazing how they are born with their eyes open and the first thing they do after being catapulted into a new, very bright world, is to stretch out their legs and stand up.
Anyway, in the start to finish fashion of this place, I'm going to switch over the the finishing part of the life cycle at High Mill. Today I head to the butcher and pick up three lambs for a grill out taste test. This will determine what direction to go in order to keep the most delicious stock for future lambs.
To me, this step is incredibly important. Instead of breeding only for the giant-est, fast growing lambs that need a lot of antibiotics and a sterile environment to survive, I'm selecting the hardiest sheep that are able to survive minimal intervention with lambing or pasturing and without chemicals such as wormers or antibiotics. Then out of that stock, I now am selecting out the ones that give me the finest finished product. It's kinda like painting a portrait of my perfect sheep, only it's in slow motion over a period of many years, but with quite a few nice scarves and excellent dinners in the meantime.
I like sheep because they are small and easy to handle. They are very interested in watching me as much as I am interested in watching them. And I love replacing my very loud, gas powered lawnmower with these woolen lawnmowers who reduce my carbon footprint and replace my cable tv.
I also really like my butcher. I think the recent development of pink slime in meat really has reinforced this. I'm sure some young biologist was looking on paper and thought of an ingenious way to use all of those little bits that usually are scrapped for dog food and put them back into a low fat filler... plus a little ammonium hydroxide to keep it "safe."
I doubt that my butcher puts my trimmings in a centrifuge, but I like knowing that I could look him in the eye and ask.
This last trip the the butcher, I tried my hand once again at tanning hydes. This time, I was a bit more successful and it looks like I'm only 6 steps away from having some nice rugs.
Anyway, I've been so wrapped up in counting lambs that I haven't paid much attention to my beef cows that are starting to eat up this lush grass that's growing. I have also been reading about exactly why grass fed cows are healthier for you, and it's not just the leaner beef. There's been a lot of press around the good fats, Omega 3s. Whenever grass or a diverse diet replaces a grain fed diet, Omega 3s increase. CLA is another cancer fighting fat that increases with pasture raised animals.
I should have a few beef that are ready in early winter. Now I'm off to check for more lambs. We're up to 13 already!
Monday, January 16, 2012
raise. shop. eat?
I like when winter slows me down enough that I can catch up on the world around me. Sometimes during the growing season, my hands are in the dirt, eyes are to the ground, and I'm tripping over a million things to do. It's good to refocus and figure out what's going on in the broad view of the world so I can remember why I put so much work into what I do.
Here are a few of my focuses right now:
Meat - To Raise or Not To Raise
The question haunts me after the dizzying whirlwind of getting the animals to the butcher and matching orders up with how much meat I end up with in the end and getting schedules all coordinated and making sure that my cost doesn't outweigh the price but that my price is still inkeeping with market prices, which are artificially deflated and don't match the actual cost. Will I do this again? Winter is the perfect time to work through this.
Here's what I know: I don't eat that much meat. When I do eat meat, I eat chicken. I failed miserably at raising chickens last year. I didn't eat any of them, except the one I found at the bottom of my freezer that wasn't marked, but I think it was a chicken? I finally got my chicken plucker. It works wonderfully, if I can actually get chickens to that size. Chicken feed prices went up as did baby chicken prices. Chicken mortality rates also went up. I need to charge more than $10 / whole chicken, but grocery stores sell rotisserie chickens for $5. That kinda grosses me out a bit. So I'm probably not going to raise meat chickens this year.
I love to eat my pork. Pigs scare me though. One bad pig really can ruin the whole bunch and Jason and I both are still terrified of pigs, including that cute pig on the Geiko commercials. Babe is now ahorror movie. But out of everything that was in my freezer, I enjoyed my pork the most and I miss it the most. So I'm not going to rule out pigs, I might just throw the offer for pork out there and see how many people want it and we'll go from there.
My beef is amazing. I had beef ribs slow roasted to the most meatie bliss I've ever experienced. My ground beef makes the perfect hamburgers, not too greasy but with a delicious flavor that just says 'I'm grass fed!' I'm quite proud of my beef. I also learned a very valuable lesson after picking up my beef sides from the processor - cows aren't as big as you think they are. I now know why farmer's price their beef based on hanging weight. Appropriately noted and now pressing on. I have 10 calves on pasture now. They won't be ready this year, but maybe the year after that. I'm working on getting some steers to put on pasture this year that will be ready in the fall. Mmm, beef.
I will raise lambs again. I don't eat lamb that often, but there is something inherently therapeutic about raising sheep and for that reason, I'll continue to do it. I'm excited for lambing season this year and I'm passing the tie making wool pillows... but that's another thought entirely.
Turkeys are for sure. Delicious. Easy... except when they decide to roam across Fulton Drive. But worth it.
So that's my plan for meats as of right now. I also should put in an order for more egg laying chickens and put my old hens in the soup pot... but I'm kinda a sentimental farmer, so I'll probably only go through with the first half of that statement.
What to buy - When did grocery shopping get so difficult?
I have a new routine when I go grocery shopping. I pick up a food and read it. Constantly. I no longer just grab whatever is on my shopping list. I pick up everything and look at it.
I'm not a proponent of eating pesticides. If it's meant to kill an insect or fungus, I don't really want to eat it. The US does have testing to make sure that our chemical pesticides aren't too terrible and yes, they do degrade over time or can be washed off. Organic pesticides aren't always the best option either as a neurotoxin made from a plant is still a neurotoxin. In general though, I purchase domestic grown foods as often as possible.
Health and safety issues arising in trade are not always easily resolved at either the domestic or international levels. Domestic regulations that prohibit the sale of, for example, a toxic pesticide, do not apply internationally. “Goods that are restricted in domestic markets, on the grounds that they present a danger to human, animal or plant life or health, or to the environment, may often be legally exported. This may cause a problem for the importing country, where information is lacking on whether and why the product is banned: exporters may make false declarations, customs authorities (particularly in developing countries) may lack adequate product testing facilities.” from http://www.eoearth.org/article/Trade_and_the_environment
I also am amazed at concentrated juice in the frozen food aisle. Look at them some time - contains juice from at least three contries. Wow. Our food web is so oddly interconnected.
I try not to purchase processed foods. I'm not sure how I feel about 'chemically separated' or 'modified' anything. And I'm alright with eating lard over crisco. http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/lard-the-new-health-food It feels like a whole animal fat is way better than
The more I look into food additives, the less I really want those oreos. I am even having trouble finding a soup base that doesn't have MSG or some chemically modified something. http://www.rense.com/general84/foods.htm and bouillon cubes no longer appeal to me.
Cooking Soup
So right now I've got a pork bone in the stew pot with the onions I've been saving from last growing season and some dried beans. I know the ingredients so far: pork bone, dried beans, onions, bay leaf, garlic, salt & pepper. I guess I'm not going to get those short cuts of bouillon cubes anymore, but the from scratch smell that's emanating from my kitchen is satisfaction enough and will keep me and my family fed for quite a few days.
I'm finishing off my delicious beans and broth by adding frozen spinach towards the end of the boil and then sauteing up more onions along with a ham steak cut into spoon sized cubes along with some french filet cut frozen green beans saute'ed in butter. Non-homogenized, of course. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_er_Pkf7Fdk&feature=related
Here are a few of my focuses right now:
Meat - To Raise or Not To Raise
The question haunts me after the dizzying whirlwind of getting the animals to the butcher and matching orders up with how much meat I end up with in the end and getting schedules all coordinated and making sure that my cost doesn't outweigh the price but that my price is still inkeeping with market prices, which are artificially deflated and don't match the actual cost. Will I do this again? Winter is the perfect time to work through this.
Here's what I know: I don't eat that much meat. When I do eat meat, I eat chicken. I failed miserably at raising chickens last year. I didn't eat any of them, except the one I found at the bottom of my freezer that wasn't marked, but I think it was a chicken? I finally got my chicken plucker. It works wonderfully, if I can actually get chickens to that size. Chicken feed prices went up as did baby chicken prices. Chicken mortality rates also went up. I need to charge more than $10 / whole chicken, but grocery stores sell rotisserie chickens for $5. That kinda grosses me out a bit. So I'm probably not going to raise meat chickens this year.
I love to eat my pork. Pigs scare me though. One bad pig really can ruin the whole bunch and Jason and I both are still terrified of pigs, including that cute pig on the Geiko commercials. Babe is now ahorror movie. But out of everything that was in my freezer, I enjoyed my pork the most and I miss it the most. So I'm not going to rule out pigs, I might just throw the offer for pork out there and see how many people want it and we'll go from there.
My beef is amazing. I had beef ribs slow roasted to the most meatie bliss I've ever experienced. My ground beef makes the perfect hamburgers, not too greasy but with a delicious flavor that just says 'I'm grass fed!' I'm quite proud of my beef. I also learned a very valuable lesson after picking up my beef sides from the processor - cows aren't as big as you think they are. I now know why farmer's price their beef based on hanging weight. Appropriately noted and now pressing on. I have 10 calves on pasture now. They won't be ready this year, but maybe the year after that. I'm working on getting some steers to put on pasture this year that will be ready in the fall. Mmm, beef.
I will raise lambs again. I don't eat lamb that often, but there is something inherently therapeutic about raising sheep and for that reason, I'll continue to do it. I'm excited for lambing season this year and I'm passing the tie making wool pillows... but that's another thought entirely.
Turkeys are for sure. Delicious. Easy... except when they decide to roam across Fulton Drive. But worth it.
So that's my plan for meats as of right now. I also should put in an order for more egg laying chickens and put my old hens in the soup pot... but I'm kinda a sentimental farmer, so I'll probably only go through with the first half of that statement.
What to buy - When did grocery shopping get so difficult?
I have a new routine when I go grocery shopping. I pick up a food and read it. Constantly. I no longer just grab whatever is on my shopping list. I pick up everything and look at it.
I'm not a proponent of eating pesticides. If it's meant to kill an insect or fungus, I don't really want to eat it. The US does have testing to make sure that our chemical pesticides aren't too terrible and yes, they do degrade over time or can be washed off. Organic pesticides aren't always the best option either as a neurotoxin made from a plant is still a neurotoxin. In general though, I purchase domestic grown foods as often as possible.
Health and safety issues arising in trade are not always easily resolved at either the domestic or international levels. Domestic regulations that prohibit the sale of, for example, a toxic pesticide, do not apply internationally. “Goods that are restricted in domestic markets, on the grounds that they present a danger to human, animal or plant life or health, or to the environment, may often be legally exported. This may cause a problem for the importing country, where information is lacking on whether and why the product is banned: exporters may make false declarations, customs authorities (particularly in developing countries) may lack adequate product testing facilities.” from http://www.eoearth.org/article/Trade_and_the_environment
I also am amazed at concentrated juice in the frozen food aisle. Look at them some time - contains juice from at least three contries. Wow. Our food web is so oddly interconnected.
I try not to purchase processed foods. I'm not sure how I feel about 'chemically separated' or 'modified' anything. And I'm alright with eating lard over crisco. http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/lard-the-new-health-food It feels like a whole animal fat is way better than
The more I look into food additives, the less I really want those oreos. I am even having trouble finding a soup base that doesn't have MSG or some chemically modified something. http://www.rense.com/general84/foods.htm and bouillon cubes no longer appeal to me.
Cooking Soup
So right now I've got a pork bone in the stew pot with the onions I've been saving from last growing season and some dried beans. I know the ingredients so far: pork bone, dried beans, onions, bay leaf, garlic, salt & pepper. I guess I'm not going to get those short cuts of bouillon cubes anymore, but the from scratch smell that's emanating from my kitchen is satisfaction enough and will keep me and my family fed for quite a few days.
I'm finishing off my delicious beans and broth by adding frozen spinach towards the end of the boil and then sauteing up more onions along with a ham steak cut into spoon sized cubes along with some french filet cut frozen green beans saute'ed in butter. Non-homogenized, of course. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_er_Pkf7Fdk&feature=related
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
It smells more like spring.
The creek is high again.
This year has washed away the sides of the creek bank more than any other year. The rains come all at once and I'm happy to have the dam upstream hold up against this torrent of water. Our little bridge by the chicken house that's been there since I was about 6 has eroded away from below. The high waters came up and chipped away at the earth around it until there was just a crust on top that turned into a sinkhole when my dog stepped on it. I'm surprised I didn't lose her! She also has noticed that places in the creek she used to be able to walk across are now a swimming endeavor.
I'm on my second cup of tea, my fourteenth tissue, and still in my pajama pants debating where this day is going to go. My dad has the fedco tree catalog and keeps milling about thinking over the descriptions of the trees both with interest and incredulous disbelief. They actually tout the amazing properties of the locust tree! They describe how to turn acorns edible, and they sell unsexed ginkgo trees for city plantings. Ha! Nothing like some stinky fruit to give your city a very interesting nickname. I guess it could be a conversation piece.
I am contemplating ordering more kiwi vines. We've been planting them for the past few years with no fruit yet. I guess that's how my cranberries are too. And the blueberries, plum trees, cherry tree, aronia bush, serviceberries, gooseberries, and baby apple trees i've been nestling all over this little spot of ground i have. The pear tree that marks the grave of my sister's late great cat produced this year (the Jasper pear, as we'll call it) and the peach trees tried to produce baby peaches which were delicious, albeit rather tiny. Our strawberry patch went crazy this year. A week ago, my sister was back in there breaking up garlic bulbs and planting them among the mat of junebearing and the sporadic everbearing that still have little flowers and tiny fruit coming on.
Bronchitis has slowed me down a bit today and I'm back to curling up and watching the cooking channel, planning winter soups and trying to use up all the winter squash that I've squirreled away. Jason made winter squash enchiladas, which were amazing. He boiled the winter squash until tender then cubed it along with some summer squash, carrots, and made a sauce with garlic, cilantro and onions and some chili spices and butter. He mixed that all together and stuffed a soft shell tortilla. He topped it with sauteed garlic, onions, butter, and rooster sauce put in the blender and baked it. A little sour cream on top and I really didn't miss the meat at all! It was slightly sweet but still spicy and completely delicious!!!!
Now my task for the day is to figure out a winter vegetable storage plan. I have my root cellar (aka a corner of my basemet) cleared out and now I've just got to figure out the best way to store the surplus of winter squash that I've collected along with some apples, onions, beets, and other random veggies.
I know that apples must be stored completely separate because they give off something that accelerates the rotting of other fruits and veggies, which is why they shouldn't be placed in a functional fruit bowl.
So now is a good time to share a tip that I've learned about storing fruits and veggies - there are two requirements to consider when cellaring fruits and veggies ::: temperature and humidity. Think of the difference between moist loving veggies like turnips or cabbage vs onions and winter squash. Your turnips would turn into dry little shrivels if they were stored dry and your cabbage would split without high humidity. Meanwhile, your onions would get that annoying mold under the skin at high humidity and your winter squash would get squishy.
So here's a list from Root Cellaring that gives a basic outline of what fruits and veggies should be stored at.
Cold & Very Moist:
Carrots, beets, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, celery, chinese cabbage, cereriac, salsify, scorzonera, winter radishes, kohlrabi, leeks, collards, broccoli (short term), brussel sprouts (short term), horseradish, sunchokes
Cool and Moist: potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower (short term) apples, grapes (yeah right, not for very long), citrus, pears, endive, cucumbers, sweet peppers (45-55) cantalope, melons, eggplant, ripe tomato
Cool and Dry: garlic, onions, green podded soybeans
Moderately warm and dry: dry hot peppers, pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, green tomatoes
So now I've got to get my winter squash out of the basement and into the living room by the fire and my potatoes are going to the basement and I'm suddenly really hungry for brussel sprouts and apple pie. I'm going to put the goats in the garden to try to mow down the weeds that have all gone to seed as I shake my head and hope that next year works out better as I shovel dirt into the holes in the eroded bridge while enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. I love the smell of mud, but I fear my brain is getting tricked into skipping winter entirely and thinking it's spring already. I know my lilac is tricked into leafing out already. Oops. I'm sure we'll see the snow fly by next week and all will be back to normal... well, as normal as Ohio weather ever is.
This year has washed away the sides of the creek bank more than any other year. The rains come all at once and I'm happy to have the dam upstream hold up against this torrent of water. Our little bridge by the chicken house that's been there since I was about 6 has eroded away from below. The high waters came up and chipped away at the earth around it until there was just a crust on top that turned into a sinkhole when my dog stepped on it. I'm surprised I didn't lose her! She also has noticed that places in the creek she used to be able to walk across are now a swimming endeavor.
I'm on my second cup of tea, my fourteenth tissue, and still in my pajama pants debating where this day is going to go. My dad has the fedco tree catalog and keeps milling about thinking over the descriptions of the trees both with interest and incredulous disbelief. They actually tout the amazing properties of the locust tree! They describe how to turn acorns edible, and they sell unsexed ginkgo trees for city plantings. Ha! Nothing like some stinky fruit to give your city a very interesting nickname. I guess it could be a conversation piece.
I am contemplating ordering more kiwi vines. We've been planting them for the past few years with no fruit yet. I guess that's how my cranberries are too. And the blueberries, plum trees, cherry tree, aronia bush, serviceberries, gooseberries, and baby apple trees i've been nestling all over this little spot of ground i have. The pear tree that marks the grave of my sister's late great cat produced this year (the Jasper pear, as we'll call it) and the peach trees tried to produce baby peaches which were delicious, albeit rather tiny. Our strawberry patch went crazy this year. A week ago, my sister was back in there breaking up garlic bulbs and planting them among the mat of junebearing and the sporadic everbearing that still have little flowers and tiny fruit coming on.
Bronchitis has slowed me down a bit today and I'm back to curling up and watching the cooking channel, planning winter soups and trying to use up all the winter squash that I've squirreled away. Jason made winter squash enchiladas, which were amazing. He boiled the winter squash until tender then cubed it along with some summer squash, carrots, and made a sauce with garlic, cilantro and onions and some chili spices and butter. He mixed that all together and stuffed a soft shell tortilla. He topped it with sauteed garlic, onions, butter, and rooster sauce put in the blender and baked it. A little sour cream on top and I really didn't miss the meat at all! It was slightly sweet but still spicy and completely delicious!!!!
Now my task for the day is to figure out a winter vegetable storage plan. I have my root cellar (aka a corner of my basemet) cleared out and now I've just got to figure out the best way to store the surplus of winter squash that I've collected along with some apples, onions, beets, and other random veggies.
I know that apples must be stored completely separate because they give off something that accelerates the rotting of other fruits and veggies, which is why they shouldn't be placed in a functional fruit bowl.
So now is a good time to share a tip that I've learned about storing fruits and veggies - there are two requirements to consider when cellaring fruits and veggies ::: temperature and humidity. Think of the difference between moist loving veggies like turnips or cabbage vs onions and winter squash. Your turnips would turn into dry little shrivels if they were stored dry and your cabbage would split without high humidity. Meanwhile, your onions would get that annoying mold under the skin at high humidity and your winter squash would get squishy.
So here's a list from Root Cellaring that gives a basic outline of what fruits and veggies should be stored at.
Cold & Very Moist:
Carrots, beets, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, celery, chinese cabbage, cereriac, salsify, scorzonera, winter radishes, kohlrabi, leeks, collards, broccoli (short term), brussel sprouts (short term), horseradish, sunchokes
Cool and Moist: potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower (short term) apples, grapes (yeah right, not for very long), citrus, pears, endive, cucumbers, sweet peppers (45-55) cantalope, melons, eggplant, ripe tomato
Cool and Dry: garlic, onions, green podded soybeans
Moderately warm and dry: dry hot peppers, pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, green tomatoes
So now I've got to get my winter squash out of the basement and into the living room by the fire and my potatoes are going to the basement and I'm suddenly really hungry for brussel sprouts and apple pie. I'm going to put the goats in the garden to try to mow down the weeds that have all gone to seed as I shake my head and hope that next year works out better as I shovel dirt into the holes in the eroded bridge while enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. I love the smell of mud, but I fear my brain is getting tricked into skipping winter entirely and thinking it's spring already. I know my lilac is tricked into leafing out already. Oops. I'm sure we'll see the snow fly by next week and all will be back to normal... well, as normal as Ohio weather ever is.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
sick slipping into fall
Oh man. I feel funny.
I think I need to find a really good book to dive into. I think I've been running for so long that the cool air that hit me this morning really knocked me back and hit me really hard. The wet rain is lingering on the leaves a little longer and the dark cool nights are creeping in. I have that twinge of -where did the time go- feeling in the back of my mind. I'm not ready for winter.
I think these feelings are compounded by the knot in my throat. I think I'm getting sick. And when my head gets cold with these cool nights, I have more bad dreams. It's too early to start sleeping with a hat on!
Anyway, I had a wonderful time down in North Carolina. I like learning and having someone so amazingly knowledgeable and fun to follow around, I really feel rejuvenated and excited about making wine from start to finish.
I like working constantly, eating really good food, chatting with other wine people, and meeting some great new friends too.
My mentor down there is terminally ill. It makes me really try to capture and freeze every minute that I can. I'm super happy to have met him, but also painfully sad at the same time. I came back with this feeling of -wow, what a great trip- mixed with a twinge of regret for not staying longer, not helping more. I'm already planning my next trip.
So in this Ohio chill, I'm looking at my ewes this year and quite excited for next years lambs already. I can't wait to get a good ram! Oh crap, I should probably email that lady back and confirm that I'd love to get one of her excellent ram lambs.
I'm very excited about this year's rugs and lamb chops. Anyone know about tanning? I guess I'd better learn soon.
I think I need to find a really good book to dive into. I think I've been running for so long that the cool air that hit me this morning really knocked me back and hit me really hard. The wet rain is lingering on the leaves a little longer and the dark cool nights are creeping in. I have that twinge of -where did the time go- feeling in the back of my mind. I'm not ready for winter.
I think these feelings are compounded by the knot in my throat. I think I'm getting sick. And when my head gets cold with these cool nights, I have more bad dreams. It's too early to start sleeping with a hat on!
Anyway, I had a wonderful time down in North Carolina. I like learning and having someone so amazingly knowledgeable and fun to follow around, I really feel rejuvenated and excited about making wine from start to finish.
I like working constantly, eating really good food, chatting with other wine people, and meeting some great new friends too.
My mentor down there is terminally ill. It makes me really try to capture and freeze every minute that I can. I'm super happy to have met him, but also painfully sad at the same time. I came back with this feeling of -wow, what a great trip- mixed with a twinge of regret for not staying longer, not helping more. I'm already planning my next trip.
So in this Ohio chill, I'm looking at my ewes this year and quite excited for next years lambs already. I can't wait to get a good ram! Oh crap, I should probably email that lady back and confirm that I'd love to get one of her excellent ram lambs.
I'm very excited about this year's rugs and lamb chops. Anyone know about tanning? I guess I'd better learn soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)