Swimming in clutter (drowning)

Well friends it seems that all of us who read the blogs that I read have the same thing on their minds...de-cluttering and trying to get back on track.  I do not mean at all to talk about what everyone else is talking about, and I do not think that I am copying anyone particular blog, if so, I am sorry, but this has been on my mind for a while and it seems that this is the fall type of going-on's with everyone life.

I am currently in the kitchen, since this is where I do my work, and food prep, and it seems the kitchen catches all of the activity, this is where I am starting.  Now, on top of trying to can around the clutter I have around me, I am trying to go through and make piles for the trash, the thrift shop, and/or give-away, that is hard anyway, so I am still stepping around things to get the canning done.  The tomatoes and peppers don't seem to wait.  I am freezing the peppers till I can get to them, this helps, and the tomatoes, I am currently just slipping the skins off, and putting them up with a little garlic and onion, and then I can process them further when I need them.  I just do not have enough hours in the day or enough hands. 

Part of my out of balance is I have elderly parents that I do look after, and this dips into the day, and the heat of this summer takes a toll on me, so I generally do my canning in the very early morning starting in about 4 am, and start firing up the stove, I have a gas stove which I adore, but it does heat up the kitchen, so I generally have everything laid out and then get my stock pot going to heat up the tomatoes, and then a little tub with some ice water in it to dip the tomatoes in to slip the skins off.  This is really what takes time, the actual processing doesn't take much in my opinion but the produce does.

I know a lot of people I talk to, or visit with a our local farmer's market, ask why do I work so hard  to do this, and I tell them I like the idea that I know what is in my food, and I control the ingredients.  I have a very bad sensitivity to MSG and other preservatives, usually resulting in week long migrains, which I do not enjoy, and I definitly do not have time for  and I cannot afford the meds to control them, so I am very, very careful about what I eat, and what is in the food, meaning I do not eat out very often.

I also love my idea of not depending on some multi-national corporation feeding me from crap that is processed in some 3rd world nation, or sprayed with some out-lawed poison.  I want control on my food, not someone telling me that it's ok to eat because I said so.  Example is the gulf oil spill and the government is telling you its ok to eat the shellfish or shrimp, I don't think so, and I will not go any further on that, period.

I had some Marconi Italian peppers and some Aneheims peppers roasted by one of my friend vendor's at the market last week, we had a street fair, and he brought his big roaster behind the truck, and we were having a roasting frenzy, I put some Aneheims in my first batch of salsa, and it turned out delicious, just a little heat on the tongue, then lots of flavor, gloat, gloat......

I am working on a recipe page so I can put what I do here on my little patch of earth to make me happy, they are strickly home cooked, nothing fancy, not low fat, and no fancy cooking.  I love plain food with flavor.  Yes, I use butter, and whole milk and cream when needed, the other crap will cause you heart and health problems later.

It has been busy here otherwise, I apoligise for not getting back on my blog, I miss it, and I love talking about simple things, and visiting with others also.  But it seems again, time just skirts about a little, just enough to make your day out of whack.

I still trying to get a camera, I took some photos with my cell phone, so I am not sure if they turned out  to post, I will try maybe later Sun afternoon to see if I can get a few loaded to see if they are ok, it is nothing spectacular, as we don't have a huge market, but it stays busy, and you get a lot of your regulars that follow you around.  I grow herbs and do herb mixes for people who are sensitive to MSG, and other stuff, and I do have a small cult following of chefs, and small town cafes and they love my stuff,  me, I just love my herbs!  My best sellers are lemon-pepper seasoning and celery-onion mix, which goes like a wild fire, and I am out of my lemon peels for my lemon pepper seasoning, I am trying to find a source of organic peels from another place until my origional source comes in again  next year from California.

I have 2 new additions to the critter family, 3 kittens that were found wrapped into a plastic bag at about 2 days old  and thrown in a flooded ditch, there were 3, the 3rd, went to his new home about a month ago, I have had these sisters a month ago today, (Sat) the 14th, so I have been busy with them also, they are quite busy and are growing and doing normal kitten things, like climbing your legs when you are at the computer, or going up the curtains, but they are very lucky girls and I love them, they are blending in with my older guys and holding their own.  I will try to take photos of the critter brigade here for you.

Well, again, I am beat, tired, pooped out, or however you want to say it.  I enjoyed my blogging with you, and hope to hear from you all.

Have a most wonderful and peaceful weekend doing what you love and love who you are with......