Farm: October 2005 Archives

I woke up in a fair mood this morning. Over the following hour my mood shifted and not for the better. I am in a hateful grouchy mood. Looking at me gets you a death ray stare. Speaking to me pegs my you-pissed-me-off meter. How easy it would be to unlatch my jaw and swallow people whole when they get near me. I am laying the blame on pregnancy hormones. I fear you think I am a Susie Homemaker and everything is to the standards of June Clever at my house. It is so not the case. My house gets messy. My hardwood floors show dust. I can see dust bunnies under the big TV armoire. Laudry piles up. I have a basket waiting to be folded. If I spend a day cooking alot nothing else will get done. And you know what? I doesn't bother me at all. Things out of order and out of place would send my mother and grandmother into a full fling tizzy. I mean they would need a valium if they didn't clean everything to perfection. Me? I am not so spastic. It will get done when I get to it. If not it will still be there in a day or three. I learned along time ago not to sweat the small stuff. Life is just to short to worry about everything. Does it nag me my house is not always spotless? Yes, it does, but I don't let it cause me stress. Which is why I am perfectly comfortable to show photos of my freezers and mudroom pantry. Several of you have requested these. Click on the thumbnails to see the larger image. I haven't had time or the energy to paint the inside closet and you will see the garish green and stained paint. When we first moved in this was a coat closet. I don't need the coat closet. I needed a place to store items that I keep on hand as extras. There isn't much I can't prepare with this pantry as my backup. Both freezers are full and ready for winter. We have two because when we lived at the townhouse there was only room for the small freezer. When we bought this house I wanted a giant freezer but I had trouble getting rid of the small freezer -no one wanted it. The cost of the giant freezer was $800. OUCH! I got the medium size freezer for $350 and the two of them have as large a capacity as the giant freezer, maybe larger. Things in the freezers include, fresh summer corn on the cob and creamed corn, fruits, lots of chicken stock, all sorts of meats, (including lamb, pork, beef, chicken, fish and shrimp), soups and stew I have made and put up, tomatoe sauces and whole tomatoes, any number of assorted vegetables, breads and muffins I keep to send with Steven to work daily for breakfast, cookie dough, cheeses, sandwich meats, ready to go meals, timtams :), ice cream, ready to heat and serve taco/fajita meats, premade BBQ, roasts and meat pies, -you name it, it is most likely in there. Inside my refrigerator where I have spent the week cooking, it is nearly empty save for fresh veggies and fruits, milk and other dairy products, luncheon items, butter, apple sauce, whipped cream for the kids hot chocolate, jasmine tea, eggs, made a couple leftovers and all of the condiments we love. Gracie loves egg nog. she always has. As soon as itbegins to appear in the grocery store I buy it for her. She looks forward to this time and year and is greatly disappointed when it leaves. I do keep an emergency can of bordens egg nog in the pantry for those emergency attacks that might occur in March. I told you before we are condiment people. all of us seem to have out favorites when it comes to condiments. Steven is a tobasco and hot pepper sauce guy. The kids love all varieties of jellies. I cook with alot of different things and I love mustards, expecially for really nice super sandwiches. The Sara Lee deli mustards are very good and very affordable. There is always at least 1 (or 3) of some kind in the frig and a brand new spare in the pantry. The spice cabinet is more than just spice. I have a lot of different herbs and things here but I also keep opened boxes of brown sugar, cornstarch, canisters of dried beans and fruits as well as things for baking. I have started collecting my nuts and food coloring and those tiny one shot bottles of liquer for baking during the holidays. I find it is much more economically friendly to my budget to buy a few things along starting in summer than to have to buy everything in November and December for special dishes. There are local wines in the rack that we have tried and like. As well as wines my mother likes that I keep on hand in preparation for her visits. She is able to come up only once or twice a year and I like her to have things she likes and to be very comfortable while with us. I strive very hard to be a prepared and gracious hostess, especially to my family. There are wines that I like and can't drink right now. The Australian marriage wines in red are yummy. I have a center island that I keep all of my day to day items in. open flour and sugar in canisters which when finished I use the flour and sugar in the pantry and buy fresh flour and sugar to replace it. I rotate stock so everything is fresh. Can goods and all sorts of pasta and things are kept in there as well. You might find quick baking mixes, instant oatmeal and cereal in there too. I love home cooked meals but I am not against taking a short or two when needed in a pinch or I don't feel like doing it the long way. In another cabinet by the stove I keep canisters of more dried beans and peas, as well as mixed beans for soups, grits, coffees, dried creamers and milk, canisters of pasta and various tall things that won't fit in other cabinets. The best revenge is living well. It takes a little effort but you can live very well on a budget. Just remember to use it up and wear it out. Try not to waste anything. And don't be so picky about what you eat. You don't need the best cuts of meat all the time. Cheaper cuts of meat are where the flavors are and you can really stretch your dollar if you learn to use everything and waste as little as possible. I always save meat scraps and vegetable scraps to make stocks with. Left over vegetables are used for delicious soups and stews that do not taste like a mish mash of left overs. The kids probably have no idea that much of the things served are leftovers in another form. I am so thankful I am not married to someone who refuses leftovers or is extremely picky about eating. I have only cooked onr thing he has stated he would rather not have to eat again, stewed tomatoes and rice. I have no idea what the big deal is with it. :-/ I'll tell you something though, as hard as I try, we do waste things, but not intentionally. I make mistakes and forget things are in the frig drawers and end having to through it out. I also have been known to cook things no one likes or wants to eat again -and it gets thrown out. Being prepared and ahead of the game where meals are concerned just takes practice and time. It is work but it's not that hard. Cooking for 8 is just as easy as cooking for four. If you plan to cook on a large scale get help. Round up kids or your husband and as you prepare let them wash the dishes or load the dishwasher. < segway into a rant>

I have always had my girls in the kitchen from an early age. By the age of 15 Colby could put a meal on the table as well I can. She loves to cook, to experiement and loves a wide range of foods she may not have been willing to eat if she had not helped to prepare them. Whoever said it is not your children's responsibility to help out with kitchen work and other smaller siblings have their head up their butt and more time on their hands than they know what to do with. My girls are expected to help cook as needed, for example when we are running late or have a big dinner for guests or just when we want to bake cookies or make something special. They are in charge of cleaning the kitchen after supper. Everyone helps for the betterment of the entire family. They are also responsible for cleaning their rooms and bringing down all of their laundry. They are also responsisble for the condition of their bathroom. They live here, too. We all have a job to perform. Chores have never hurt a child. I find it makes a better adult. Girls cannot become great mothers and wives without being taught how. I do not want to see my girls struggle with trying to figure out how to cope with a home and family to raise when they get older. Things learned now will come naturally and they too will have children to teach how to care for themselves and a family. I was raised to be a damn good wife and mother. I think I live up to that expectation and want no less for my own daughters. When this baby boy is born I have the exact same high expectations for him as well. Boys can cook, help with laundry, take out garbage and help clean the yards. I am an equal opportunity mother.

< /end rant> What's in your pantry? *****Updated to add this photo for Judy***** This past weekend at the pumpkin patch Judy, I would have to guess he has gained at least 30 lbs. When we met he was skin and bones, yellow tinted skin, ulcers, literally almost a skeleton. His eye were dark and slightly sucken. He did not eat well at all and did not try to take care of himself. He was on the tail end of years of negelect in a bad marriage and even worse nasty divorce, followed by a realaitonship with a woman who lied to him and he found out was married. He had really given up and thought he would be lucky to live another year. Seriously, he will tell you he expected maybe to live one more year or be in the hospital in severe care for system failure. He intended to never have anything to do with women again. He was finished and would be a bachelor till the end. I guess someone had other plans for him. :-) I put him on vitamins, all sorts of heavy herbal treatments and whole natural foods to heal his body and those damn stomach ulcers. It has taken a year and a half to get him to this point now. He weighs 155lbs @ 6'2". He is still quite thin. His skin is tanned from working in the sun. His eyes are sparkling and full of mischief. He laughs often and loudly. His waist is now 32 inches. And OMG is he handsome!! Photos always come out badly because he doesn't like photos taken. :-/

We took the kids out to a small local farm to choose pumpkins yesterday afternoon. There were three fields of pumpkins, fresh apples, ornamental squash, and potted mums to purchase. They had hayrides, face painting, a scarecrow that tied ballons into animal shapes, hay mazes, corn, horse rides and a small petting zoo. The term petting zoo was pushing it. They had some farm animals in corals close to the pumpkin happenings. Not too keen on horses (I don't think), Steven seemed to be interested in the 2 asses in one of the stalls. He came home and started researching mules. I swear I hope he doesn't decide he wants a mule. We are planning for chickens next spring and 2 dairy goats. After I got pregnant this year I wasn't able to handle a lot of farm stock so we waited. He is convinced he wants to fatten up a heffer and a pig for next winter. What would he do with a mule? The two youngest wanted to have a ride on the horses. The horses were old and I doubt they could have run away if they tried. They really looked tired and I felt bad about it. Steven and I chose three large pumpkins to have on the porch for fall decorations. I plan to only carve one for Halloween and only because of trick or treating. The girls each chose a smallish pumpkin from the fields and we chose yet another small pumpkin. The small pumpkins I will be roasting over the next couple of weeks. We will have fresh pumpkin as a vegetable for supper and I will be roasting and putting away enough pumpkin for fresh pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Roasting pumpkins is very easy. These are every day regular pumpkins not fancy sugar pumpkins. I like sugar pumpkins but you can't always find them. A plain pumpkin will work fine for pie. Don't be afraid to experiment a little. Choose nice smallish pumpkins (5 - 8 pounds). Wash them well. They are filthy even if they look clean. Carefully with a large knife split the pumpkin in half. Use a big spoon and scrape away the fiber and the seeds. Pour a little olive oil (or vegetable oil) into your hands and rub the pumpkin halves until all are coated with a nice thin layer. This protects the meat from drying out and burning. Place the 2 halves skin side up (cut side down) on an oiled baking sheet or lined with foil or a silpat. Bake at 375 degrees until the meats are fork tender. The scent is amazing! To serve as a vegetable for supper you can sprinkle with salt and pepper, maybe add a little curry. Pumpkin is excellent with a little pat of butter and eaten like a potato. For pumpkin pie you will need to mash or puree the baked pumpkin meat. A 5- 8lb pumpkin will yeild 2 - 3 cups of puree. To this add: 2/3 cup sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp nutmeg Pinch ground cloves 1 1/2 c evaporated milk 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 tsp salt Before you add the eggs you can taste the pumpkin filling and adjust the spices to your liking. You can buy pumpkin pie spice and eliminate the need of adding all of the measured spices as well. The pumpkin pie spice is on the spice aisle at the grocer. You can also buy apple pie spice. Pour mixture into a 9 inch pie shell. Bake at 350 until the a toothpick inserted into the center pulls away clean. If the edges of your pie shell are browning too quickly fold a couple of strips of foil around the edges of the pie leaving the center uncovered to finish baking. Any leftover filling can be frozen. We picked up a basket of apples which I will be cooking today as well. We finished up our apples from our trees last month. We had only a small crop thanks to the damn birds. I will be cooking a pork roast today with pumpkin, squash, apples and prunes. Very polish meal. On one side of Steven's family his grandfather was a finnish immigrant. On the other side both of his great grandparents were polish. He has never really eaten alot traditional polish foods -I have no idea why. The pork roast and fall veggies is one of my favorites. I know he is going to love it too. The hearty vegetables with the sweet apples and prunes - mmmmmmmm mmmmm, good stuff. I also make a pumkpin potato soup with bacon that is amazing! I'll try to get that recipe up too while pumpkins are plentiful. I know you all do not cook in big batches and freeze like I do. Since so many of you seem interested in trying the cicken and dumpling I will post later today a recipe on my recipe journal for just a normal size pot of chicken and dumplings -using 1 chicken. Updated to add: What is up with Haloscan? I can't post a comment on most journals this morning.

Mowing: - the yard - the orchard - 2 fields around the chicken barn - clearings around the livestock barn - trim around the house, the boxwoods, the fences, the roadside ditches Clear everything from the side porch and store it properly in the barn. Continue filling the sink hole where the pool heater gas tank is buried and the rain settled the earth. Take everything I have been throwing out of the house and attic to the landfill. Fill the back of the Excursion with all the things I need to take to the Good Will. Lay with me in the dark and dream about our baby. ******* The last time I posted a photo of my house several people commented they had never seen my house before then. Here are a couple photos. The front of the house and the back. The back view was taken before they destroyed my yard constructing the pool -which is still no where near being finished because of 8 straight days of rain. It is now 2 feet deep in rain water. Front of house Back of HouseThe huge bush at the back of the house, nearly reaching the second story roof, is a boxwood. The boxwoods here are the same age as the house. We have at least 25 that size or bigger. They look like trees not shrubs. Koi Pond Path to the Koi Pond Water Garden Damson Orchard I am off to order a truck load of mulch in preparation for the coming winter. We need about 200 cubic feet. Anyone care to volunteer to come help spread it? We do have a front end loader and cart but it will still require lots of shoveling and raking.

I have created a journal just for my recipes. I have only imported the recipes that were in posts here. I plan to add many more. Home Grown Recipes ******* On the advice of MommaK I ordered this BBQ sauce for my Christmas baskets. All I can say is if you like good BBQ then order this sauce before I buy it all and there is none left for you. I cooked a pork tenderloin this week. We have eaten about 1/4 of it. The rest I was going to chop for BBQ and put in the freezer. Tonight for supper I chopped all the meat up. It was alot. We used 2 bottles of the sauce to make wet BBQ. My husband is a lover of BBQ and he said to me 3 different times before dinner just from licking the spoon, "That is really good BBQ sauce." He NEVER repeats himself or makes a big deal out of food or flavors. Steven's stamp of approval means something! Order it now and enjoy some good BBQ this fall. (I bought a case *blush*) I also made coleslaw. ******* Him: Go to google and seacrh groundhog in images. Me: ok (going to google) Him: page 14 Me: (clicking over to page 14) Him: Shaking his head Me: Does it shock you to see yourself on google? Him (still shaking his head) See the google here. See the actual photo here. Why am I telling yout his. We are infested with groundhogs again. Everything he had repaired in the barn has been un-repaired by groundhogs. Frustrating is a mild word for this problem. ******* For the second time in a week Steven has gotten the tractor stuck in our muck of mud from over a week of rain. Dummy me forgot to get the camera on both occassions so I have no photos. The mud was so thick and caked on the tractor he had to wash it with the pressure washer. ******* What's on TV tonight?

Today and tomorrow is my dear friend Hoss' 75th Birthday. Yes, he gets to have 2 birthdays. I was thinking about how long 75 years is: 3/4th of a century 7 1/2 decades 900 months 3,913 weeks 27,394 days 657,462 hours 39,447,728 minutes 2,366,863,682 seconds With all the candles on his birthday cake we could boil a cup of water! 8.69 ounces to be exact. His birthday tree is the Hazelnut Tree which says this about him:

Extraordinarily Charming, undemanding, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody and capricious lover, honest and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgement

I don't know about you but I think this description suits him to a T. Please go over and give him great big birthday wishes. He is a busy man so put his birthday presents on the table, the cake in the kitchen and the beer in the refrigerator -no cheap beer people, only the best for my buddy, Hoss. Text version of the audiolog I would post if I could sing:

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear Gene! Happy Birthday to you! -And many moooooore!

Go here to see my buddy dancing on his birthday. Happy Birthday, Gene!!! ******* Here are a few of my projects I am very slowly starting and trying to finish for fall. This wreath hangs on the side door. We use this entrance to the house from the driveway. Everyone comes in through this door and into the kitchen to enter the house. I made this wreath out of really cheap findings at Walmart. Maybe $12 total to make. I like that much better than some of the $50 wreaths I have seen. I have another wreath I made last fall for the front door. It is in the attic. In a box. We haven't found it yet. I wonder if we will ever unpack all the boxes we moved in with. I am thinking the box it is in got mixed in with all of my Christmas decorations. Oh, No! There are at least 40 of those boxes! I planted these mums. I love orange and red mums and hate those bright yellow ones. I need some pumpkins and hay and turkies to finish out my decor. This is my house in October. If not for the mums it looks the same as August. Cool weather has finally come to Virginia this week. Our morning lows are creeping into the 40's and the daily highs are in the 60's and 70's. It was down right chilly yesterday afternoon! I had opened the upstairs windows and the downstairs doors to let the breeze blow through and freshen the house -I hate a closed in smell from running a/c all summer. By 5:30 we all had chill bumps and Miss HotNature herself (Gracie) went looking for her slippers and sweat pants. If the temperature drops a little more we'll be able to start a fire in the new fireplace insert! I find that so exciting! P.S. I am updating my reading log today! I have found some great new reads! Or they found me first and I went to check them out and stayed.