Garden pics and Hades

Good Morning Everyone,

Just a quick pics of the garden.  Please forgive the photos as my camera is not the best. It is a cheap, poor quality one, but it gets the job done until I can afford a better one.

The garden where I have the cukes and Roma tomatoes and the Super Sweet 100's cherry has gone insane.  I do not know why as the heat here is relentless but when we put this side in, D dug a trench and mulched both sides and we water about twice a week and it is doing great.  I have not seen bugs either, but we do powder down some things and just hope for the best.  The cukes we are getting are very sweet, crunchy and no bitterness.  The cukes I planted were Tasty Green's and a greenhouse cuke called an "Isnik" from the garden catalog.  These are smaller, but very crunchy and this is the second year I had these and they have performed well, even in this intense heat we are having with the drought.  But again, we have trenched and mulched.

This year, my heart just is not into gardening.  I think its the combination of heat, and of too much going on and me doing to much for too many.  So, for canning, I am just going to process tomatoes and cukes as is, and when I need sauce, or salsa, I can just add my ingredients as I need them.  When peppers start coming, I will do the same, just pickle and put up.  There will be no way that I can do more with the amount of time and be more selective in making salsa, or tomato sauce or ketchup.  I am just in the mood to  cheat or make it more simple to put everything up and then when I have more time, and hopefully more cooler, I will be able to make my salsa, and sauces at a later date.  I would like to freeze, but I have no room for anything in the freezer at the moment either, so I will have to just cut corners and make things easier.
To make things quicker, and I put this question out to my readers who have canned forever, can I cheat and just put tomatoes in a roaster pan or crock pot and heat through and then just peel the skins?  There will be no way I can boil water, then dunk tomatoes then peel  time wise, I just can't, but I see if I heat  them up and then peel and then process, I see no difference?  Any suggestions?   I was planning on putting the tomatoes in my large Hamilton Beach roaster pan and putting this outside on my table on the porch and do it this way to keep the heat out of the kitchen. 

Other than the relentless heat, which it is running at or over 100* daily, not too much going on.  The kittens are growing and are now exploring their room I have them in.  They are now using the box, even little tiny grey girl, and she is now eating solid food and getting things figured out.  I did not think that I would see her or Dexter doing this, not after the way they came to me in the shape they were in. I am still amazed and also thankful beyond prayers.

Well, not much is going on.  I still want to do my post that I mentioned several weeks ago about discussion as of what is going on in the country, and the Supreme court's decisions.  I have some things on my mind but then I had the kitten emergency and I got side tracked.  I will work on something and get this out.

Until then, I wish all a wonderful week, stay cool, and try to get through life in general.

Hugs to All.

Too much of a good thing or Be careful what you wish for

Very Good Morning Everyone,

Its a little early for me this morning, BUT, I needed to get up and start things early as we are in a BLIZZARD WARNING! Yep, first one this year, after all of the spring weather we had been getting, SEE, told ya so.  I knew that we would pay for the nice weather.

Why a blizzard warning instead of a winter storm warning or an advisory, is because we are supposed to have 35-50 mph winds behind this snow, and with 8-12 inches like the weatherman is talking about,  will make it worse than Saturday night at Dodge City.  When you get sometimes gale force winds behind snow, you get a mess. So, guess what I;m doing this morning......

I am pretty much prepped anyway.  As usual, I have pantry, fuel, and lamp oils etc. etc.  stocked anyway, just because I do as part of my household anyway, nothing new in this. My snow removal guy is ready and will show up after all of this splats on the ground probably on Sunday, when this is supposed to quit and move out of the area.
I am just going out this morning to get some cat food, litter, and just a few items and I'm done and ready to hunker down for the long weekend.  With the winds that they are talking about, I may lose power, so I may be down on the computer, but that is just part of living out here in hillbilly hell.

And for some of you who asked about if I am getting any quilting done.  I am afraid that I need to start a stash.  Money has been so tight, and I can't afford fabric at the fancy quilt shop we have here.  Good grief, some her fabric is $12 a yard!  I have been thinking that I may just start with a denim quilt, my name sake, which I love denim anyway, and just cut patches out of different colors of denim, which I have plenty of around here and do a bed quilt for D's bed.  I need to haunt the second hand shops too, but I just cannot eake out money, even small amounts for cotton shirts.  But I do have a small amount of shirts from my closet and I have been washing these and slicing them up and stacking them in a small plastic box with a lid and I'll work until I get something saved up to start something small, like a table runner or something.  Thanks to all of you who sent links and ideas and suggestions, its just like everything else, you have to start out small and work up. This weekend would of been a wonderful time to quilt on something.  Oh well.

If we keep the electricity up and going, I am going to just work in the kitchen and finish canning my chicken broth and chicken meat.  When I started hearing about snow on Monday, I thought I'd just wait and then heat up the kitchen when its cold. So everything went in the freezer and I will pull it out probably tomorrow or Saturday and finish.  I may also do another round of veggie broth.  I use a lot of both in cooking.  I won't be able to get to the store for beef  shanks until after this storm so that's on the agenda next week.  Also D and I are planning a trip to the small hometown meat processor about 50 miles from us so I can get some smoked sausage that they do and maybe a few other things.

Well,  I had better get going.  I am going to have a little breakfast, and then try to be out the door by 8:30 am and then get things done, as by the time the afternoon rolls around, people start getting off work, and decide that they had better get to the stores when its too late, and its a mad house around here when people are pushed.  It amazes me, living around here that some people wait until its too late and then cry that there is nothing on the shelves when we have storms.  Its usually very young people who are more worried about their smart phones working than keep their butts covered in a blizzard.
I will try to take some photos if I can. I never know about my little cheap camera.
I wish everyone a wonderful weekend.

Hugs

Cool Air Finally!

Good Afternoon everyone!

I am sorry that I haven't posted as quickly as I should, but I had a mishap at home here, and I have  been gimping around.
A few weeks ago, we had a nice rain overnight, the next morning, I went out early to get the paper, had my bedroom slippers on and "WEEEEE", down the two steps to the concrete.  It happened so fast, the only thing I knew is that I was straddling the step and concrete, I did know that I did NOT want to hit the pavement with my back, which I have done before and I was hurt'in for quite a while. Well, I did catch the stupid guard rail to my right, but I still straddled everything, and even broke a bolt in the rail.  I do know that my right knee was at a funny angle and so I sat there for a little bit and got up and at the time, everything seemed ok.
This all happened on a Tue morning, and then Friday night, I let the dog out before we all went to bed, and I stepped down on my right knee and OMG, the pain was horrid, and I could not even get my knee to work, the pain was horrid.  So I got the dog in and I immediately got my ice pack on and then took some Advil and then just rested for awhile, the pain was still there and then Saturday morning, I was still in pain, cripped around Farmer's market, a pulled my little french market cart around with me, and then went home, cripped around the kitchen, trying to can things, which was not fun or pleasant, but got it done.
Sunday, I went to the pharmacy and got a knee support and then called the doctor's office Monday morning  which I hate to do.  Had x-rays and found I cracked the knee bone that is below the knee cap on the left side.  No wonder it hurt!  Doc told me to baby it and stay off of it so it can have a chance to heal.  There is also a small piece of bone floating around, and if that doesn't go away, doc will make me go for surgery to fix it, which I am definitely not for at all.  So I am trying to behave myself,  I did order Meals on Wheels for a few weeks, so I don't have to cook, which is nice, I hate to say it, I enjoy cooking but not with an intense pain in my knee while I stand cooking.
So, I am just trying to take it easy, it drives me nuts, as there is so much housework to do, laundry, you know, ladies, the stuff that needs to be done.  I am just doing what I can, then I take breaks, ice up the knee, and then hit it again/  It helps when I have the brace on, as it supports my weight some, but still, if I turn on my leg, which I do a lot, to do something, oh my, salty sailor words come out of my mouth.  My parents are ok, and will get by, until I can get my knee working again. D is laid up like I am, but he has been doing some housework,  some stuff, I don't want him to touch, like laundry, but if I don't get to it, it will be there tomorrow.  I am not going to worry about it. I do not have anyone to impress in my home.

I posted photos of the canning I did, surprising it came out right with me hurting.  I am letting the pepper spread sit for a few weeks to meld the flavors.  I will post what I did.  Again, I don't have a "recipe" but I will post what I put in it and you can adjust to your taste. It is very easy.  Since I hurt my knee, I had to roast the peppers in the oven, I put a little canola oil in and then roasted them for about an hour on 350*. I hope that it did turn out, as the peppers I bought were expensive at a $1.50 a piece, which is better than the $5 a piece they are asking for in the grocery store, which I will not buy at all.  My neighbor also has peppers and some of those I will dehydrate and freeze.  Also, please do not look too close to the canning photos, as my kitchen looks like a federal disaster area, and I not even going to show you the stove.  I am waiting to clean the stove when all of the canning is pretty much done.

It is delightful here today.  It rained overnight about a half an inch, and it is only in the 50's as of this afternoon.. I hope that this cool air get to Glenda and Ilene, you need it down there. It is supposed to get down into the 30's tonight, so I sure that some of my garden will get nipped by frost.  Oh well, must be a sigh to slow down, yeah, right! What slow down is that!

Well, I had better gimp on into the laundry room to finish laundry or I will have to run around naked and that would be a total disaster, don't want to scare anyone into the ozone.

Everyone, please have a great week, and hopefully rain and cooler air to enjoy.  I am afraid Fall is here.

Hugs to Everyone

AHHHHHH COOL AIR, AHHHHHHH

Good Morning Everyone,

Well, the cool air that we were told would come is finally here.  Yesterday, (Sat) it was chilly, and the wind was blowing about 25-30 mph and I went to the farmer's market and it was cool.....felt good, but chilly, when a few days ago earlier, it was 100* F.  So it was a change.  I am not sure what the temp was Sat morning, but this morning, (Sunday), at 7 am, it was 38*F.  You could see your breath this morning when I went out to get the paper.  My tea tasted very good this morning. and it is so wonderful not to turn the AC on.  I want to give that poor AC some time off, it has run since the first week of July and has not been turned off, and I want a break from the damn electric bill too!
I am hoping this cool air gets to my southern readers, and a hope of rain to them also.

I am getting ready to process again today.  Since it is cool, I can work a little better.  I got beautiful red peppers and some orange sweet peppers from my favorite vendor from the market, and I will do my pepper spread probably on Monday, or Tuesday.  I have to roast the peppers so I need to fire up the smoker and do them and let them sweat and develop flavor. Then puree them with onions and garlic in the food processor and then I will place the mixture in my crock pot to heat so it does not burn and then put it in canning jars and can and then I am done for a little while.  I also am going to get next week, some small red onions to pickle and can, and then look for something adventurous to try that I have never done before. Not sure what, but I will keep my eyes open.

The vendors at farmer's market have told me that it was a mixed year, some things did very well, other things didn't do good at all.  Some, like my pepper lady, had a wonderful pepper season, while others who grow peppers, had a bust season.  It is funny how people's gardens and farms, some of the farms are separated by 100+ miles apart, while others where separated merely by blocks, had success or failure.  I have my opinions, but I seen a bizarre of strange weather this year all over the country and here as well.  We didn't even have a spring so to speak, just winter, then summer, now it is fall-like now.  Go figure.

Well, other than that, I don't have much to talk about.  I am enjoying the quiet, and solitude. 
Well, I had better get off my duff and get to processing all of this produce. 
Take care everyone, have a great Labor Day holiday and have a great up coming week.

Hugs to all.

canning up a storm

Good Morning Everyone,

I am sorry that I have not been blogging recently, but I have been inundated with produce and fruit and I have had to get most of it process or lose it, which I do not waste anything.

An update of the living situation here:  As of now, it is very quiet.  There are the three rentals still open,  a lot of people have been by to look, and the words from the lookers were not at all nice about the property's that are  open.  I am sure that my ears will burn as most of the people looking mentioned why is the house next to the rental nice with flowers and a mown lawn and this place is a piece of s***.  I am sure that the owners are fuming at that comment.  So yesterday, very late in the day, some squirrly looking guy came over and mowed the lawn of the rental next to me, and this morning very early, the so called maintenance man was over, putting in a new interior door from the NFH when the guy was beating the old lady and put her through the door, which you could hear in my house.
Rentals here are over priced, and what is available, I wouldn't let my dog live in which is what these places are.  We are getting new people in this community from other states, and I have been told by my neighbor lady across the street, who is also a land lady, that people who are moving here are going to city hall and complaining to the mayor and city officials about the conditions of rentals.  I am standing ready as I am sure the owner of my area will surly blame me for this rush of complaints from the city officials,  he usually does.  I do hope though that his ears get tired of the insults from would-be- tenants about his properties.  He deserves every word and insult he gets, and hopefully a fine or conditions that have to be met.

My neighbor lady, the land lady, has given me a huge amount of white flesh peaches from her tree.  They are going to be gone after Labor Day, on and off until the 16th, and I have the tree to myself.  So I have been picking peaches and canning my brains out, literally.  I do not let free fruit or food get away from me.  So I have been doing this for a few days.  I have to get it done, because some strangers have been stopping by the neighbor lady asking if they can take the peaches, so I have been on to this and trying to get the fruit off of the tree.  I am for now, just processing them and freezing them in freezer bags.  I treat them with fruit fresh, sugar and lemon juice and take them over to my parent's freezer.  Mine freezer is absolutely full, and I am going to take a hint from GLD from her blog to clean out the freezer, yikes!!

So, really other than that, I haven't been doing too much.  It has been fairly cool here lately, but yesterday and today it is supposed to be up in the high 90's and then cooler weather is coming our way, which I hope will filter down to some of you south of me.  My garden is slowly fading away.  I pulled up some cucumbers, and have picked a few melons, which I am surprised about.  My tomatoes are still slow, but I am getting some.  My neighbor man across the street has been gone also, and I have been making raids on his garden for tomatoes and green peppers.  I have been waiting for some the of the peppers to turn red as I want to make a pepper spread for crackers and I need colored peppers.  I will make some mild and some a little hot.  If you want, I will try to post the recipe, it is my grandmother's so I really don't have a "recipe" so to speak, but I will keep track of amounts and post later, when I get a batch to make some.

Other than that, I have just been busy putting up some food and just staying out of every one's way.  I am also starting my fall ritual of buying things on sale to put away.  I keep a full stocked pantry for winter, but something i have noticed lately and I am now careful about buying is that the stores are keeping track of what you buy.  A few weeks ago, I bought 6 bags of sugar and the checkout lady asked why I was buying so much.  I would of just ignored this, but it was her tone of voice that alerted me to her inquiry.  I just told her I am making pickles and jellies and jams, (which I am), and she went on about checking me out.  But I am reading from other's blogs, that in some area's of the country, people are being questioned about if they are hoarding.  Top be honest, around here, it would be that no one questioned what you bought.  As we are in ranch and farm country, farmers and ranchers buy a lot especially starting this time of year for the winter, usually to get them through the winter as where these ranches are located, you may be snowed in for a month and a half or more.  Also they have ranch hands and have to feed these men and when you are located 150 miles or more from a large town to get supplies, you just can't get in the truck and go to the grocery store every day or week.
So I am now careful when I go and where.  If I have to, I split my purchases over several days, when sales are going.  And I don't make conversation about what I am buying.  I am personally shocked of this behavior now. It is now a sign of the times.

Well, I think that I had better get off my soap box.  I need to start on my peaches and later the tomatoes.
I wish everyone a wonderful rest of the week and to my US readers, have a wonderful and safe Holiday Labor Day weekend.

Love and Hugs to all.
Thank you for all of your support and comments

No Gulag Yet!

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that all of you had wonderful weekends and during the last week.  I'm sure you have been canning or just busy in the garden or with families.

Well, I am still here.  I have not been issued a eviction from court or anything yet.  The mouth piece of this owner is just that, a mouth piece.  He is a relic from old school crooks, at one time, an embezzler from an auto dealership here in town some 15 yrs ago, and resides with the crook owner who gives him a job as he cannot find any job in town that will take him.
I blow everything off, but I will tell you, the thought of court has me on edge.  I have enough going on anyway, and then to go to court so the whole town knows what is going on so gossip and more gossip goes around.  I try to just go on, but my brain is in high gear and I'm on edge mentally.  I have been canning, as I have to, to keep up with the garden.  I have started my physical therapy so I can get some health issues under control before I can start cancer testing, which will be in October sometime.  I will tell you though, it is wonderful to have quiet, and peace next door from the NFH to the south.  But I am worried of who will go in next....The whole neighborhood including the house neighbors are relishing in the quiet also, at least for a little while, but are worried about what will be next?

Since the NFH incident with the mail box, I have changed everything to go to my box at the UPS store.  I used to get a few things here but no more.  We are missing a bank statement for my parents, who I handle their bills, and we are sure it was in the mail when the NFH took the mail.  I notified the bank, and they have everything flagged, and made a request from the police for fraud or identity theft also on my parents behalf.  So I guess if she goes to jail, I'm sure I'll get it from the owner on this too.  Time will tell.

Well, I need to get ready to go to physical therapy this morning, then home to more canning.  I have some cucumbers I need to do something with, and then I need to clean the kitchen and laundry room.  The kitchen looks like a disaster area, and the stove is horrid, from canning.   So this is on the agenda next.

I will post photos of canning and the garden.  The garden is winding down some, and I have lost some squash to the bugs as usual. 

I wish everyone a wonderful and productive week.  I will post later.

stormy weather and canning

Good Evening Everyone,

I hope that all of you are doing well.  Its the beginning of the week and hopefully a productive and safe week for all of you.

I am sorry for the delays in posting but I have been canning, and freezing some produce.  With great anticipation, we finally got our corn people in from a community about 80 miles east of us.  They produce some of the best corn around, and what I like about their corn is:  ITS AWESOME. and not too many WORMS!  I have been freezing this corn, I blanch first, then I use my vacuum sealer and bag it.  I wanted to can some, but personally, I am starting to get POOPED.  I have been doing tomatoes, and cucumbers, and freezing some peppers, and canning a  few, but I am starting the old, "I tired of the garden routine",  which I shouldn't be like that, I enjoy the produce and the harvest, but damn, my back is sure screaming, especially this year.  So I have just been doing small batches, getting things together, and then I get another batch, and get it canned.  I won't be able to get it all, and if I have leftovers, or the neighbors have leftovers, I will donate this to the food pantries and the homeless shelter. I would like to do some sweet pepper spread, and a few things that I have never tried before, and then I think that I will slow down.

We had a nasty storm yesterday evening, and it rolled through and made a lot of noise, and of course, it had some hail in it, but it was small hail, and not a bad wind behind it to drive the hail through the garden.  We had another a few hours ago tonight,  a tiny one, it made a lot a noise also, but it blew just south of us and is being naughty down the way.  During the night, we had a nasty cloud go over, the clouds were very ominous looking, and the lightning was terrible, but no thunder, just a few piddles of rain drops.  We had a storm last week and we got about 3/4 inch of rain, but that was about it.

Well, other than that, that is just about it in a nutshell.  I will post photos of canned stuff and corn.  Right now, I am totally pooped and am seriously thinking of bed and read a little and then ZZZZZZZZZ.

Good Night Everyone
Hugs

Fall cleanup

Hello Everyone,

Well, I've been able to start some of my fall clean-up around my place.  It is kinda a mess, had a lot going on and not enough hours or time in the day to complete it. 

I pulled all of my peppers out of their buckets except the Tabasco peppers, I am still getting a few and I will throw these into my vinegar jar to seep and see if I can make sauce later.  I have never tried this before, so its a little new to me.
I pulled my bean vines and tomatoes and cucumber vines on the south side and will take down my fence I use as a trellis.  I use snow fence to trellis and string up vegetables holding everything up with fence stakes that are about 5 feet long, since I am a poor slob, I cannot afford the fancy things that gardeners use to trellis cucumbers and tomatoes so I use this.
I also garden in large plastic blue tubs that are about 20 gal each.  I get these at the dollar store and have used these for a long time.   Where I live, I cannot dig as the utilities are strung all over the lot, and I did have the utility company digger's come out a few years ago and mark the utilities where they run, like water, sewer, electricity, and gas lines, so I do know where they are at, but for me to dig is an understatement, so this is easier for me to handle and work with.

I also grow in the bags of garden soil.  I think that is is called "bag gardening" or instant beds, but I use this also.  I have had good luck with tomatoes, peppers, beans, but I will tell you, don't buy cheap topsoil as some of this stuff is clay based and does the plant no good for the root system.  Spend a little more on good soil or container soil and you will be rewarded with a wonderful bag garden.  I bought some cheap soil and had some problems with yucky clay soil.  So I will take this soil next spring, and mix with peat moss and compost and fill my buckets and dress them out for lettuce and greens. I have a very tiny space in which to grow produce, so I have to really plan and use my space well, I will try to have some photos of my garden spaces.
The best soil I used was the Miracle Grow potting soil for containers.  I grew some awesome cherry tomatoes in it to try and they did beautiful.  I'm not promoting Miracle Grow, but they did good. It even had fertilizer in it and I did not have to dress any bags.

I am still canning.  I have some more tomatoes to can for salsa.  I have some hot salsa in the frig to start, and I got some apples from the neighbor's tree to see if I can do something with them.  They have holes, and I'm sure, some worms, so I am not sure if I can do anything with them but I am going to try sometime next week.

It is cooling off here considerably.. It is now getting into the low 40's and even into the 30's but not freezing.  But this morning, it did call for some "patchy frost " in some areas.  So I am sure some of my farmer's market friends are cleaning up and getting ready to finish up the market which ends this month.  I had very good business this first year of market and I hope to have more next year, I learned a lot, but you also learn that the public, especially here in my area, they do  not really understand the farmer's market, and expect things to be just like the Wal-mart or grocery store chain,  they expect perfect produce and what ever else you have, which those of us who live with in our means or frugal know that you cannot provide the "perfect" anything.  So this is a stumbling block with the public here.

Mom is doing ok.  ICU kitty is having some issues with the bowels, but the vet says its because she is tiny and will have to grow out of this, so it will be a long haul with this little girl, but she is doing better, and growing.
When I had all of this going on at the house, I sure got behind with everything else.  My mom really cannot go anywhere any more with the hips falling out of their sockets, and we cannot go clear to Omaha to replace anything.  This is one of the problems living in a retarded rural area like this, little health care or medical care needs. It amazes me, the community brags that it has wonderful medical care and a modern hospital, but yet tells  you that you have to go 5 hours to a city to get care.  Go figure.

Well everyone, thank you for stopping buy.  I hope to have some photos of the clean-up going on here.  I still don't have a camera, but I will try to see if I can work my camera on my cell phone.  That is something I don't have much use for is a cell phone, but I do keep it because of my parents if they need me and I'm out running errands or outside.
Take care all, and enjoy your weekend plans.

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......

wore out

Dear Friends,
I am wore out.  I did farmer's market and was up at 3:45 am Sat morning, so I had to be up early as we had a street fair, and with this being the first time I have had a booth at the farmer's market and a street fair to boot, I had to see how and where I was going to set up downtown.  It was not as bad as I thought and was able to set up and then break-down and get out and home with ease.
I will try to post some photos of farmer's market we have here, it is not like the big ones in the cities, but it is fair.
I will try to post on Monday,  I have much to do Sunday,  I really should clean house, and other domestic duties, but I have tomatoes to can and some leeks to dehydrate, which I will dry outside on the porch, as they are a little strong and the house does smell of leeks, so I will do this, and I think that it should be cooler as far a temps, better than the hot 90's we have had with oppressive himidity on top.
I wish all a great and peaceful weekend, and I will do some catching up on Monday, sometime.