I know that slamming you with photos is not the proper way to blog but I have simply lost my way and am trying to find something garden related to talk about but it's been too darn cold and wet to get anything done, so here comes the photos of everyday drudgery.
The annual murdering of the seedlings - this never gets easier, does it?
I have been very, very lax in my dinner-making responsibilities lately, and this week I am trying to accept the fact that I don't have as much time to cook as I used to and am trying to get my freezer stocked up again with ready to go meals. These enchiladas are some of our favorite, they are perfect freezer meals. I prefer the green enchilada sauce, but it's hard to find here except W@lmart, and we all know how much I enjoy shopping there...
Actually, I did get to Wally World the other day to pick up my new glasses and I saw something that just warmed my heart... the safest little girl in the world!
I'm so glad neither of them were looking at my camera because I really respected the whole protective daddy/little girl/gun combo and would hate for them to be identified by me. This guy already has prom night mapped out for sure.
Although I prefer to be more covert, we can open carry here in Virginia and many do. It's Virginia, after all...we love our rights, forefathers, and all that jazz and are often found with pocket constitutions on our person! :) Yes, it's all true.
Although I prefer to be more covert, we can open carry here in Virginia and many do. It's Virginia, after all...we love our rights, forefathers, and all that jazz and are often found with pocket constitutions on our person! :) Yes, it's all true.
In other news, Finnegan wears a fedora everywhere now. Everywhere.
Who do you think brought this gem of a test home last week?
"They're/Their/There"... flawless!
He is my kid for sure. I am the grammar girl, and this was a proud day for me and I know you are proud ma, you are the original grammar girl! Yes, I can talk redneck and often do now, but you better believe I got me "my papers" saying I had a clear command of the English language first - that's right, I'm certifiable!
Loch aka "Smarty Pants"
Oh look, there's me... this was fun times.
(pause for effect)
It's really not as good a story as it could be, I was chasing Sprocket the Rocket to grab her so she wouldn't jump on guests that had come over and I ran into a doorknob. A big, lever style doorknob. I haven't been this bruised since hazing was legal in the Navy and I made rank many moons ago! Lesson learned here is to not attempt to chase Australian Shepherds. Especially ones named 'Sprocket the Rocket'.
Last night I fed my starter.
This morning I am greeted with this:
Sense a pattern here? I'm afraid to get on the road at this point!
Today was another rainy and miserable day so I went ahead with more freezer meals, and since I obviously don't know how to measure how many beans to soak for one batch, I ended up making a doomsday batch along with some sourdough rolls to have for tonight.
Considering the mess on the counter, I knew my starter was ready to go!
Chili made with 5,357,399 mixed beans :)
Tomatoes were definitely the stars of this batch - 4 quarts of stewed Brandywines and 4 pints of Brandywine tomato sauce went in. I have been trying to go through my stash of remaining canning jars so I can get them cleaned and organized and ready for the season, which usually takes me by surprise every year how quickly it comes.
I have dried red chills and dried chipotle poblanos stored and sealed in canning jars with a FoodSaver so I just floated one of each on top of each batch and fished them out when the chili tasted just right for us.
I had already eaten mine when I remembered I needed a photo... luckily Finicky Finnegan wasn't eating anything except bread so I did get a photo!
I really need to get a grip on this bean soaking thing... at least there is plenty in the freezer now!
These will probably disappear quickly though since the hubs works odd hours now and needs to take a couple of meals with him to work. Hence the beans, I could never afford to make meat chili for this guy to eat at work! The best chili I ever made was with elk and one other batch made with deer venison. I am embarrassed to tell this story but what the heck...
One time we got a bunch of beautiful West Virginia whitetail venison from a friend. Frozen, wrapped beautifully, lots of it... but some was unlabeled. I had a big slab thawed out and was yapping on the phone with a friend, not paying attention... I had hacked a backstrap halfway through with little stew meat chunks for my batch of chili before I realized what I had done. In horror, I hung up the phone, managed to save 3 nice filets but ended up making chili with venison filet mignon! Hubs is like, this is really good! It took awhile to tell him what I had done. I still cringe thinking about the carnage, the pure idiotic lack of respect for a cut of meat that day. You better believe when we grilled those remaining filets with a nice butter and scallion sauce... we ate very, very slowly - and to this day they were the best steaks ever.
Great, now I'm all upset again thinking about it...
Cracks me up how similar and dissimilar we are. Suffice to say, I have made that starter before. . . and I care a great deal about grammar, and I'm sporting a brand new horrifying bruise from tripping through my fallen-over bike today. Good to see that you're busy but hanging in.
ReplyDeleteStefaneener, ha! Lets hope the coming week is easier on us both!
DeleteGardening, kids and their tests (wink), and lots and lots of cooking! You must keep your camera close by cause I never remember to take photos of anything. And yikes that bruise looks painful. Isn't it always the silly things we do and get the worst looking injury from?
ReplyDeleteSparkless, my kids have ruined my regular little camera, so I use my cell now. The quality isn't as good but it's always nearby!
DeleteYowsa, what a bruise. Glad you're ok.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've NEVER learned the art of measuring the right amount of beans....
Beans beans the musical fruit......
Hahahhaha.
Have a great weekend!
Sue, it just never looks like "enough" beans when I'm pouring them in to soak!
DeleteMust be nice to be able to walk around a store open carry without people freaking out. We have concealed carry here, but with so many transplants from the larger city/states that didn't have pro-gun laws, people would probably freak out if they were seen. It would be wonderful if carrying a sidearm was as normal a sight as carrying a cell phone.
ReplyDeletePaul is notorious for exploding starter. And who do you think has to clean up the mess? I'm responsible for soaking too many beans/lentils though and like you, usually end up with WAY too much chili. Although I use the stew meat for it, not the filet :)
I saw the picture of your culled seedlings and I almost cried. I HATE thinning. I usually end up RE-planting them into other container and they usually take, but then I end up with a crapload of something, never get around to planting them all, they sit in the containers well past summer, get root bound, then die anyway.
Carolyn, I think what makes open carry such a common thing here also has to do with the fact that about 80% of our population here is either in the military or is retired military or veteran. Darn near everyone hear has served at least one tour in IRQ/AFG so after all that training and throw in the idea of protecting your own family and it's just 2nd (get it LOL) nature. I have never seen a pants-on-the-ground type gangster open carry here in all my years so most that do are responsible, law abiding citizens.
DeleteI did try to replant a few of the tomato thinnings and you are right - I'm going to have too many and then have to deal with repotting and giving them away, again!
Don't feel bad Erin, the weather down here was pretty awful, too. We're normally in the upper 70's by now and we've had days in the 40's this week. I'm telling you, the first one to complain about the heat this year gets it! ;-)
ReplyDeleteYour food looks delicious as always, those enchiladas made me drool!
Anke, I'm hearing this next week.... it's supposed to be 70 tomorrow, so I just need to hope the wind will slack off! Today though, still 39 when I woke up :(
DeleteLoved this catch-up post, Erin. And all the pictures. They really are worth 1,000 words. All of them! Our temps still are only in the 30s (we're in a rut) but we've had a LOT of melting in the past couple of weeks. This morning . . . guess what? . . . we have two inches of snow and it's still falling. Ya just have to go with the flow. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI just saw the weather for you... 3-6 inches? This is getting ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteI have that same bean problem. I never know how much dry beans equals the canned beans called for in a recipe. I always end up with too many!
ReplyDeleteAnd I feel your pain with the garden. I still have snow over half my beds!
Still snow? That's crazy! What a winter, I'm thinking spring planting will be after summer is officially here at this rate!
Delete