another sleepless night

thank goodness it's wen- i can't wait until the weekend... maybe i'll actually get some sleep?
yesterday, i grazed the big girls, and i wore my wool hat out instead of my straw floppy sun hat.
everyone stared at me
even lilli was confused!
bernie didn't get in until after 9, so we had oatmeal for supper, he got a shower and it was off to bed.....i didn't sleep
he did thank goodness

i am still obsessing about the doctor on monday, she was better then the one that insisted i had high blood pressure after meeting me for one second and reading the inaccurate blood pressure that her incompetent assistant took- but this one's take was 'when i was ready to take charge of my health, and lose 100# come back'
i truly am so sick of doctors who don't know how to treat what is wrong with you so they latch on to anything... and then get angry at YOU... when you don't fit the stereotypes.
and the level of hostility is amazing......
i have had doctors tell me (without blood work taken mind you) that i am diabetic **i'm not***
that i have high blood pressure ***i don't think so....117/72 isn't high***
that i have high cholesterol.... ** at 143?***
that i will die before i am 50, 60, 70, 80..... or 90....... ahem... i am over 50, and let's face it, living with the adrenal hyperplasia and the pcos isn't a picnic in the park.... i would rather have less years of higher quality then longer and no quality
so how many 90+ year olds are truly enjoying their lives? or are they stuck in nursing homes?
frail? ignored.....?
a doctor's fear of death shouldn't be pushed on a patient, i am not all that afraid of the after life.... just the pain and indignity of dying
but like everyone is telling me......i got my thyroid meds renewed.... without having to get a blood test that i can't afford right now
so she is a bad doctor and it worked for me
but i spent the day in tears as the aftermath..... ***and this little tropical depression is brought to you by adrenal hyperplasia...and stupidity in the medical profession*** i was so miserable even bernie felt sorry for me...
my old doctor that closed her practice used to make me feel so good when i walked out of her office... and i always made progress.... these doctors locally make me feel like i should just die as i have no obvious redeeming qualities as i am so (insert the adjective here - at least i think you insert the adjective here......... ) fat, combative, non compliant ( that one was from the one that told me i have high blood pressure as she wrote a rx for meds) an obvious liar.... (i couldn't possibly be not eating crap, or watching portion size or exercising enough or i would not be fat damn it... two diseases that cause obesity but it's me doing something way wrong

and i am so sorry to rant but stuff like this gets me so angry.. if i had listened to these doctors i would be dead.. they wouldn't give a shit either

ok i am about done with the scarf for spirit trail...... lately my knitting is extremely slow
i have to finish the one sock then do the other and i can send them to her
i have to block the scarf
i hope i can find my blocking wires

when i am finished i plan on sitting down and drawing...... and sculpting
i have a photo of amelia (aka bigfoot) 'instructing' the other ducklings.... i want to start with
then some drawings of the big girls in the garden hunting worms
and then..... baby drawings
i hope to draw a lot of ducklings this winter
i hope i took enough pictures
with the way the summer played out i don't think i did take enough stills, i took mostly videos

and i want to sculpt... (bernie may come home one day soon to find porcelain molds on the stove again...just like 30 years ago when i was starting out) which also means plaster dust all over.... when i do the molds around the sculptures to pour porcelain
i really want to do some doll making in porcelain again... although i may just finish some cloth stuff.
i never know what i am going to do.......until i do it

i also want to put some halloween stuff up in my drawing corner, as well as the rest of the house
tis the season

we are also having a problem with the cats, they have clean litter boxes, but they poop and pee just outside of them
clean boxes........THREE cats THREE BOXES
they are driving me nuts
anyone have any ideas?
it started when jackass' cats sprayed our front door
then we had pee wars...... the ferals on the outside
our's on the inside
they may have ruined the floors!
anyway, if anyone has any ideas on how to fix this or solve this please let me know
and no getting rid of them is not an option..... oh and they are healthy

ok i am off and dragging
i came down with bernie this morning again
so i am not really with it yet

it's cold here this morning

so cold that if i had brought wood in, we'd have a fire right now.
so i bring in wood later maybe.
i wish we had a back door downstairs or at least deck stairs down stairs. it would make things a bit simpler

now today i plan on cleaning night crates....harvesting some stuff in the garden
doing dishes, canning some tomatoes and then more knitting ( and renew my rx)

i also have to fax some stuff out. someone remind me

and i am a bit unsettled between the doctor yesterday and this whole mother in law thing
i think an afternoon of knitting maybe just what i need....... possibly on the deck?

october is almost here, which brings rhinebeck, halloween, and the last of the winter preps. last year we had snow if i remember on halloween.
i need to do the hoop house soon
oh and my friend tina is getting married on halloween!

i am still not settled enough to finish up the ham and pork post but i will get to it
and some time this week i'd like to make up a big batch of meatballs
but my top priority is getting the knitting done this week, blocked and posted out
and getting bernie's thing faxed out
gee it's almost 9 i had better go
ttyl

the new doctor..isn't

you know you are in trouble with a doctor when they write something down before you answer them
and it's wrong
and they don't correct it cause you see....... they know your body better then you ( although they've met you five minutes before)

oye
so the search continues

meanwhile, may and poindexter seem to be making friends at the new farm...... poindexter is friends with a staffshire terrior now
and may.....well she's friends with worms..... and NOT friends with poindexter at the moment but that will change in a few months

meanwhile i have to finish the knitting for spirit trail.....she's going to hate me i think, i've had it so long
and then once that's finished it's the drawing board and the sculpting table......
fall is just about here!!!!!

today i mucked out the top pen
i have to do the duck room and the girls night crate tomorrow

ok i forgot about this post and went out to bring in the girls and the babies (and falstaff)
bernie just called, he's on his way......... it's almost 7
leftovers tonight

this and that on sunday morning

well first up, the two sets of budgies are talking to each other. this is a very good thing
i am hoping that they will end up together by the end of the month or mid october at the least.
then i can sterilize the small cage and look for the two boys i still need for these guys.
also it will be easier on me to feed them all the chopped veggies and sprouted seeds etc in one cage
they are funny all taking turns hanging on the sides of the cage closest and then ignoring each other 
i love birds, even though they can be difficult at times, right now i am watching captain cuttle feed mrs fezziwig......and the easter budgies are also watching.
(the little lavender/gray budgie is emma and we haven't named the yellow one yet....she's not told us her name)
DAMN and i just spilled coffee all over my keyboard....damn.... all over my patternworks catalog

the girl that has poindexter and may now sent me a video on facebook of them so i feel better. she said may isn't limping anymore which is what i suspected. (they were too crowded in the night crate)
she also said that her father brought the crate out for them the other night and they gratefully ran into it.
i think that amazed everyone that they were trained.
vicky (their new mom) said that she was surprised at how much personality they had. and how they did know their names and would wag their tails when you call them.
yup
them's my babies...

meanwhile the rest of the flock is lost....... thumbprint/kevin nibbled my shoes and both of my legs all around ....he knows, and he knows i feel bad too. so they may be lost but they are also a lot calmer without poindexter leading them astray.
i think poindexter and may will be ok away from home, as it was tramatic enough for poindexter to realize there could be danger around. they are a bit young to be gone though but i told vicky to call me if there was a problem

my nephew and sister in law have acquired a cat... kevin wants to call him larry, and his mom wants to call the kitten fred. i think it's very funny either way. they tell me he is orange and white and about 10 months old.....ahhhh and that he slept with kevin the first night. 
i hope they send me pictures

now it looks like we aren't going to be finishing the raised beds in the garden nor the cold frame this fall....nor the big duck pens
oye
i still need a load of wood and a tank of oil, plus insurance is in october so that will have to come first.
i am going to try for a hoop though so that i have spinach, chard, mache, for winter.

i know i still owe you ham/pork and i am getting to it...
ok tomorrow i have a doctors appointment...... i hope this will be my new personal care doctor... i still need a close and steady endo that is familiar with pcos and ncah and isn't a moron
i never realized what losing a good doctor could do to you. and i am hopeful that tomorrow night i will have a renew on my thyroid meds.......since obviously they are helping me

ok i will talk to you all tomorrow but the ham thing is probably not going to happen until tuesday

empty pens

in this case are not a good thing
i had a rough time with may and poindexter leaving...jen dragged me out
and i did make a new friend (hi susan) who is a very interesting person... we are going to have a blast together i predict
but it was still a rough day

today it seemed so odd to see only 4 babies
and the babies were looking for may and poindexter also

i feel so guilty

i divided their little family

now today, i am cleaning the kitchen, while bernie is cleaning the woodstove
he's not happy about that but then again it's not a pleasant job so i can understand
getting the chimney back togethe is a nightmare

we had a late start on chores as we had to go to the petstore for cat food, kibble/cans and a calcium perch for the budgies.....we got a huge one last week and they ate it already!
we moved the easter budgies over next to the older ones and right now, everyone is ignoring everyone

someone tell me please......why do i love birds so very much? they are really difficult at times

my nephew told me that there are 75 in his unit, and that they are looking to get shipped out
i cried all night
between that and my babies going
well i don't know if i can stand that
and my nephew said to me... 'but i knew that, i joined the army during wartime, i knew i would be shipped out'
oh man thru my heart....yet i am so proud of how mature he is
i love this kid with my whole heart.....i would give him my kidney....
i wish you all could meet him, you would see what i mean.
he loves his mother and sister and his nan...... he's a wonderful boy/man

ok enough
or i will be crying again and i have a whole kitchen yet to clean

take good care everyone

my babies fly the coop today

may and poindexter are leaving for their new home.....and i am wishing they weren't going.
they have to go but i wish they weren't

i owe you folks an outline of batch cooking for pork/ham i know
i don't think i'm up to it today however....and i have one or two things for ham i really want to do justice to, so i am going to wait on that
has anyone done any batch cooking with my outlines?
if so let me know ok?
i been doing this for 30 years now ( gees i am so freeken old) i remember when we moved into our first nice apartment, the very first thing i saved for was a freezer, we still have it!
and i started doing BIG batch cooking/stocking.... i did a lot of make ahead stuff with the little apartment fridge freezer but nothing like when i got my big freezer
now we have two freezers. and i would like a third one! (the third one is for wool)

also has any of the informal cookware reviews helped anyone?
i would also like to know

ok folks i have to run ( 5:46am but i got a day ahead of me)
please let me know about what has worked or helped you and what hasn't ok?

ttyl vi

up early- beans and odds /ends....

i dreamt about my deceased brother in law...... it was 'interesting' but i didn't say it was exactly pleasant.
however it did get me up
so here i am
bernie forgot the living room window open all night, which concerns me due to bear and raccoons etc.
plus it is now pretty cold in the house
anyway that is some of the morning odds and ends out of the way no?
i got a doctor appointment monday, a new one, as i need a pcp, and this one is an internist.
we'll see
i need a renewal on my thyroid meds
as i feel pretty good right now, i would like to continue that
i have a periodontist on the 30th
heaven help me

friday poindexter and may are leaving for their new home. i am so going to miss them. and we named big foot...... her name is actually AMELIA!!!! who knew?

now i want to talk about beans a bit...... dry beans
i really should save the bean talk until another day right, but i'll put some in here
dried beans are a great staple to have on hand.
try to get them in bulk and try to get them for less then 1.00 a pound
my favorites are kidney, cannelloni, navy, yellow eyes, roman, lima and i also like turtle
there are a ton of different beans

they are simple to cook, soak overnight, drain, rinse, cover with water with an inch over them... add an onion and some garlic and simmer until tender
THEN ADD THE SALT
now you can add stuff like meat or tomato sauce
or the stuff to make boston baked
or ham
or you can grind them to make 'meat' (i add oatmeal, cooked barley, garlic, onions, and oregano plus an egg or two...enough garlic and people don't know it's not really 'meat')

and a few home canned jars of beans ( keep them soupy, soak over night, 1/4 of a jar full of beans, fill with water and pressure can for 60 minutes pints, and 75 for quarts at whatever weight for your elevation)

you can even make PIE with ground up beans, it's quite good actually, tastes like pecan pie without the overload cloying sweetness......
use a commercial pie shell and google 'bean pie' (actually click that link..... it's already googled for you)

a home canned jar of ham, and a jar or two of home canned beans..... heavenly on a cold snowy day- super score if you reheat on the woodstove! or in a solar oven
how cool is that?
the convenience alone is worth the work of home canning dried beans.......and we've found that the more things we pressure can (with a full canner load) the more electricity we save overall for the year!
after a while a jar of this and a jar of that off the shelves really do add up to huge savings....even for someone who is living alone, as this way at least they eat a varied diet of homemade foods, with less crap in them.
ok it's about 5:30 am now..
i am going to finish my coffee.......... (anyone out there with me on the coffee thing?) and try to get some of the other stuff i need done today started...
i realized that i also need to clean the chickens yet again
i don't know why!
the bedding looks fine but there is a slight smell that's bothering me
have a good day everyone

after use cookware update

remember when i started research on cookware and started replacing all our non stick
well here is a sort of follow up after a while of use

i love Cuisinart
 love it i have the 5 quart saute, and a 2 quart pour lid sauce pan...... and the 12 quart stock pot with the pasta insert and steamer insert.
in the chef's classic......it works well (remember to heat it slowly) cleans up like a dream, the handles are good, and i like that i can slide the lid over the handle and hang it. the lids fit tightly- the stock pot takes forever to come to a boil but it IS 12 quarts.... and i also double use it as a boiling water bath canner for small batches of pints and jellies!!! too bad this cookware isn't induction ready or i would get even more of it- i adore the 'helpers' handle on the saute....... believe me it needs it.


emerileware, i have a 3 quart saute..... harder to clean.......a LOT harder to clean, i've seen the really bad reviews so i am super careful with it, the lid does slide over the handle so that is a plus. but the copper line on the bottom is a pain to keep clean, that is a minus- and i don't trust it so that is a huge minus

berndes- i have two saucepan/casseroles...... this brand needs to be wider known here. i like that it doesn't have rivets.. it's inductions ready. not as easy as cuisinart to clean though. but a nice solid sauce pan for rice, potatoes, small amounts of pasta etc.. i have a 1.5 quart and a 4 quart.......the 4 quart gets a HUGE amount of use

wolfegang puck- i have a 3 or 4 quart low sauce pan. i like it very much except for the handle design, which is difficult to clean, and the rivets...i really hate rivets. but the pan itself is good, and easy to clean. i also don't like the seam in the metal edge of the lid.... so this one is iffy for that and the handle. so if you get this at a huge savings.....then ok.

tjmaxx store brand, i have a 4 quarts that i paid 19.99 for...... save your money, it isn't bad but isn't great either... i have to clean it up with vinegar. and the vent hole in the glass lid needs to be cleaned often. it's not worth the money though to me.

le creuset.... i have a 4.5 quart soup pot at the moment..... give up lunch for a month and buy this stuff.....yes it really is that good
this or staub ( i have one small staub- love the spoon rest handle on the lid, they don't do that anymore)...... cast iron is wonderful...i am still experimenting with it but i tell you..... i'm hooked
now when i got all the cast iron i slowly heated it in the oven on like 175 and then oiled any exposed iron with mineral oil. let it cool and wiped off the excess. i also hand wash them always.....then dry in a warm oven. i boil water in them for baked on stuff.
i am planning on some ovals to do chicken and roasts in
and yes this stuff is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY
i also just bought a pre seasoned cast iron, lodge 5 quart but haven't used it yet, i got it for no-knead bread. i imagine it will be awesome.


now what i want to try and haven't yet
Sitram professional......i plan on a chef's pan, it can go on induction and while not totally inexpensive isn't allclad-ragous either, if it's good i am thinking maybe also a 3 quart saute
i am also thinking of trying cuisinart's mult clad..... i would like a 4 quart saute in that if they make it
but i am going to look into more chef's pans as the smaller base will fit the current electric coil stove i have.

and i need a few smaller stock pots..... like a 6 quart and an 8 quart ( i never thought i would say SMALLER and STOCKPOT in the same sentence!)

i am going to start with serious knives soon...and a sharpening system
as well as some GOOD cutting boards
end grain maple i hope

ok so there you have it
a cookware update
the two that i don't use are the 1.5 quart berndes ( maybe it's just too small?) and the tjmaxx store brand cause it's a pain in the ass to clean
everything else gets regular rotation in the kitchen

i am also still without a decent small replacement skillet for frying up one egg... it's a toss up between enameled cast iron, seasoned cast iron, or cheapo non stick..... it's for bernie so he'll have to have a say in it
i am leaning to enameded cast iron or seasoned cast iron due to the birds in the house..

oye
now all i need it the kitchen to go around this stuff!

yesterday i baked bread

it's been a while...... and i remembered, my oven isn't calibrated properly
damn
but it wasn't bad bread, not fantastic but not bad either
i didn't knead it long enough though
(it HAS been a while)

ok let's see, batch cooking and chicken

we usually get boneless skinless chicken breasts (chicken cutlets) at a local provisioner in allentown
B&M by the 40 pound box. when i do tend to bread half and can half

i dip the chicken in flour, then in a thick batter then in the following crumbs- then i freeze on waxed paper covered cookie sheets. i bag them in 2 gallon zip locks after and they seem to store forever in the freezer (however we do eat a LOT of them )

batter
2 or 3 eggs, flour, dash of salt, milk.....make it thick like pancake batter

 'bread crumb'

1 part corn bread
1part shredded wheat or all bran (without the raisins)
1 part rolled oats (oatmeal)
garlic powder
onion powder
parsley flakes
paprika
kosher salt

now to cook the cutlets, bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes one side and about 10-15 on the other
do NOT over back them
we drizzle the pan and the cutlets with olive oil and they oven fry

we use them plain like that
or with tomato sauce and mozzarella melted on them the last 5 minutes or so
or with mushroom gravy
or chicken gravy
or cheese sauce

sometimes i make chicken cordon blue, which also freezes well.

once the crumbed breasts are in the freezer, i can think about putting breasts in marinades in the freezer for fast skillet dinners
marinades such as red wine with garlic/onions
(anything with garlic and onion though i tend to want to use within 3 months)
lemon/lime/onion/ spearmint/garlic and honey
what's your favorite?

out of the marinated stuff
the one with the red wine i use as is.........or add dill and sour cream (after cooked) for a chicken stroganoff  over noodle

most of the marinades are over rice
add chopped fresh veggies to the last couple minutes......we like sweet peppers, onions and mushrooms
but you can also add stuff like zucchini or carrot shavings, chard, spinaches


*** remember after you roast a turkey to cube up and package 2 cup amounts of meat for casseroles, as that is about the right amount in a casserole for 4 people or so***
i roast a turkey occasionally just to can some and freeze some

now i also canned a lot of grilling sauces and sweet sour fruit things that we use over oven baked chicken as a sort of 'grill'
pineapple is great with peppers and onions and a bit of honey

however i have to tell you all, my very favorite is just plain roasted chicken breasts with the skin on and crispy... i love it!!!!

during the winter i do a stewing hen, at least once or so a month. it makes 5 gallons of broth that i usually can, and a bunch of chicken that i cut up for soups or sandwitches..
i highly recommend doing something along these lines
you always have a great base for suppers that way
i use the broth for gravy base or soup bases, in meat loaf and in casseroles. and i would be lost without this in the house.

so this is mostly the chicken post, i do chicken parts just like the cutlets, including the ones with the skin on... and i do a lot of the chicken on stove top.... or baked in the oven.
my standard oven baking starting point is usually 350 degrees for 30 minutes, check to see if it's done
let me know what you all think ok?

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 *** i lifted it and reposted it here
stock making for catherine

ok normally i start with a stewing hen, if you buy one it may be called a hen or a stewing fowl
or a 'fowl for stewing' or fowl for fricassee
i try to get a big one 6-7 pounds at least
if you are using carcuss, it's a bit different so i'll start with fowl and end with carcuss

i use a 20 or 25 quart stock pot
fill it about 3/4 of the way up with cold water
i add a carrot or two, an onion ( a BIG ONE) two stalks of celery
and about 4 garlic cloves....try to make sure they are BIG ones as well
it they are tiny, i may use the whole head
a bit of freshly ground pepper corns
some fresh italian parsley (dried if you don't have fresh)
sometimes dill..not much though
add your chicken and a bit of kosher salt and set it to simmer
i skim off the foamy protein and feed that to the cats
i simmer for at least 3 hours.....but i prefer 5 or 6
and i add water as needed
when it's done i set it in the cold......either on the deck (during the winter-during the day)
or in the fridge
i do sometimes defat it
but my dad said always keep some of the fat and he was right as there are soluble vitamins in it
i either can or freeze it
you can puree the veggies with some of the broth for a 'cream' soup
i pick over the chicken well as the meat makes the BEST salad and sandwitches
now for some stocks i will roast the veggies ahead and then put them in and do the stock that way
as to a carcuss
you can brown them first, sometimes i do put the carcuss back in the roasting pan and brown them then deglaze them with water
sometimes i just toss it in the water as if it was a fresh whole fowl
it all depends on what i have on hand and what i have time for
some times i will simmer off the stock when it's done until it condenses and i will can that
or use that condensed stock with saute'd mushrooms as a concentrate.......canning it in 4oz jars for soups and sauces and gravies
does this help?
some folks add a teaspoon of vinegar to the stock as it's simmering to get some of the calcium out of the bones
you can do that.....it wont' taste any different
usually 3 quarts make a supper soup for us
the basic stock can be used for almost anything after..... all sorts of soups and such

the weekend was good

my nephew, neice and sister in law were here.
we had a tiny birthday party for my neice who turns 23 on the 23rd of september
it was wonderful
the day was nice
we did have a small problem with yellowjackets but we got them gone pretty quick
i think the kids had a good time too

i made a ton of food
i sent home a ton of food with them

sunday we lost goldie the chicken, it looks like she out grew her heart. she was a huge chicken.
it's not going to be the same down there

may the duckling is doing better, so it looks like her and poindexter will be leaving for their new home in cherry valley on friday.
i want a drake out of poindexter though, he's gourgous......and i am so upset that i don't have pen space to keep him

yesterday it finally rained......so fall is arriving- rain appears to be in the forecast on and off all week

we are still waiting to hear how bernie's mother is going to take the news that we found her....
this should be interesting

meanwhile i am still looking for the family albums
still trying to figure workflow (now more then ever) in the kitchen.....
still cleaning and moving crap around in the house...(tiny tiny house)

i got a new ghost story book (ghosts in the mirror) with another two on their way... bernie got me a halloween magazine
and i am hoping to do a batch cooking post this week on chicken and/or pork
also i need to update you all on the cookware that i bought because some is not worth the money, some is worth every cent

that's about it for now...
bernie and i took a drive in the rain, up to lake in the clouds, it gave us a new perspective and a change of scenery...... we saw a few houses that we liked, as well as property for sale (too far away IMO from his job to be feasible but we'll see)

that's all she wrote folks

ttyl

9/11

i don't think anyone living through at date could forget
even if they don't say much
how could you not thing of the families that lost love ones?
we almost did, my cousin rockie was in there and made it out.
we were so very lucky
there were all those people who didn't
there are all those people now, the first responders who are still sick (if not dead) from that day
so many children growing up without a parent

today my nephew is coming with my neice and sister in law
family we didn't know we had
today brings us personally new hope
i wish that for everyone
hope
strength to go on
happiness, sunshine, laughter, love
and a feeling of security that we've all lost

i don't know what all the answers are, i know that everyone, EVERYONE not just americans or christians or whatever are all in this together......... and i also know that by just trying a little harder maybe........ we all can over come the fears that seperate us?

what mom taught me about cooking

i can remember watching my mom start the sauce, chopping onions, browning meat.
i still start the sauce that way.
i don't measure
mom never did either
you don't have to

starting the sauce is a good way to introduce folks to cooking without recipes.
even if you are more comfortable with recipes, it's always good to have ideas and methods to use without, you know....just in case

in our house a lot of cooking starts with chopping the onions, and smashing the garlic
heating the sauté pan over medium heat adding cold oil and adding onions.......stirring until they are translucent and lightly caramelized
how many onions
start with half a medium
how much garlic? start with three cloves smashed
you gently add garlic......never brown or burn it
then add the meat and brown that (add some salt or it tastes flat) how much meat?
how big is your pot? how many folks are you going to serve or around here........how much meat do you have?
we'll say about a pound ok?
more or less
usually less  (maybe about the size of a large grapefruit)
but that's a round figure
brown it up nicely and pour off a bit of the fat
add some puree
homemade is great, a good canned is good too
add enough to cover the meat a few inches
stir it up well
now add some of the other seasonings.... here it's oregano, not too much
basil..... A LOT
parsley a bit, maybe more then the oregano
i like to make sauce in a 6 quart stock pot so it works out to about 4 quarts of puree or three of puree and one of crushed tomatoes
a couple grinds of fresh peppercorns
cover and cook on low stirring occasionally............ you want slightly bubbling.....not seething cauldron of molten red oil
i simmer for about 1/2 hour if that's all i got..... an hour is better
a dash of wine is a good thing for the sauce towards the end....

you got the sauce made
and didn't measure a thing did you!
congratulations

doing a pot roast?
how many folks? add one carrot, one potato, and a quarter of an onion per person at least
add a stalk of celery chopped for the pot
and a couple cloves of garlic smashed
how much meat? how much you got? if you have more then you need........ leftovers are great
brown the meat in a bit of oil or fat
then layer the veggies add the meat on top and add some stock or water and wine to just cover the veggies and a tiny bit of the bottom of the meat... add a cover and bake it in the oven
you can smell when it's done
but check it about 20 minutes into it
normally i start baking everything at about 350.....
now roasts need low and slow......so 200 to 250...... a nice beef roast roasted slow and low is a beautiful thing.... add some water under it and some garlic power to the water .......... you'll have dripping in there later and you can make the gravy if you'd like

learn to check smell for doneness....... if you use a thermometer to  check meat's internal temp remember what the SMELL is...... after all this time i don't use a thermometer ( ok i only used one once when i was a bride) i trust the smell. it will smell good and finished and you will be hungry

the french start stuff with onions and celery and i think garlic
we start with onions and garlic...... chop the onions smash the garlic
heat the olive oil
caramelize the onions... it doesn't' really matter what kind of onions...... or how much, if they are big....use a half, if they are small use two
then you brown the meats....... then add a liquid if using (and i almost always do use a liquid even if i am 'dry' roasting)
lots of liquid makes soup
a little bit makes gravy or sauce

now if instead of making sauce you want say pork chops
you still start with the onions and garlic....... do maybe a half an onion per chop
dredg the chops in flour and then brown them
pour off most of the fat
add some water and stock add back in the onions, sprinkle with the dredging flour cover and simmer on low.... it'll make onion gravy, and will cook the chops
serve over rice or noodles.......add a salad

what do you think so far?
go ahead and try making sauce..... TASTE it as you add stuff
tell me what you think? does it need more oregano..... more basil?
make pasta and eat, use a GOOD cheese that you grate at home fresh before you eat
that's the real secret to cooking..... tasting
you must taste it as you go
have a spoon and a tiny bowl ready and taste

now how about chicken breasts??

ps: i saw this video and i am going to try and embed it ......... i loved it

big batches!!!

i love to cook but just not every day
and if i like something i would like to have extra tucked away for a rainy day
or a day i am very tired
i used to do something like the oamc.......a billion years ago when we lived in jersey and i worked outside of the house..... we would go food shopping either friday or saturday and i would cook the next day
i was exhausted

now i see what's on sale
chicken is cheap???
here comes chicken

but the BEST is ground beef......what jersey folks call chopmeat
when you get a good sale on that you can have a LOT of fun and do a lot of things

spaghetti sauce
meatballs (use for: meatball stroganoff, in soup, in sauce for pasta or in sandwiches, as pizza topping)
stuffed peppers
stuffed cabbage
meat loaf
hamburgers
salsbury steak
pasties

now when i do the meat for the things like meatballs and meatloaf i do a huge batch
it's maybe 10 or 15 pounds
now that i am getting on i been using the kitchen aid or bernie to mix it
i make a 'bread crumb'
1 part corn bread
1part shredded wheat or all bran (without the raisins)
1 part rolled oats (oatmeal)
garlic powder
onion powder
parsley flakes
paprika
kosher salt

i also make this ahead so 1 part could equal 4 cups
i grind this all together in the food processor into crumbs
and i store it in either mason jars or zip locks in the fridge

i take the meat and to 1 part meat i add about 1/3 of a part of this crumb mix
plus a few eggs (like one per pound of chicken and one per two pound if i am using duck eggs)
mix it up lightly but thoroughly
then pull out what you are going to use for meatballs and stuffed peppers
to that you add oregano and a bit of basil
the stuffed pepper meat will also get some tomato sauce in it and i add locatelli grating cheese

pull out the part you are going to use for meatloaf
for my meatloaf i puree a thick slice of cabbage, half an onion, a stalk of celery, a half of a red and a half of a green sweet pepper and about three good sized cloves of garlic
(if you don't like peppers then maybe add broccoli)
i add that to the meat loaf mix plus some shredded cheddar and some homemade chicken stock

now for the meatballs i use a tiny scoop...about one inch as it makes it easy
and i brown them all over then freeze them on wax paper covered cookie trays followed by packaging them individually for things
really these are fantastic to have in the freezer, i use them so many different ways i like to have a lot on hand

i make meat loafs in a O shape, with an empty center as they cook FAST at 350 (like twenty minutes)
the stock in them keeps them juicy and you can make gravy if you take the meatloaf out (use a stovetop/oven proof pan when you make the meatloaf)
freeze the meatloaf in freezer to oven pans or partly cook and freeze that way

to the stuffed pepper meat you can add some rice if you'd like but i usually leave the additives to tomato sauce and the cheese
blanch the peppers before you stuff them
i freeze these also, one per person and i like to use red and green peppers
freeze them on cookie sheets as well and when you bag them add a bit of sauce on the top before you seal the bag

a fast tip to getting cabbage leaves pliable, freeze the cabbage head! when it defrosts the leaves will be soft enough to roll

to the meat for stuffed cabbage, i take some sauce add some of this meat and a bit of brown sugar
i simmer it a bit let it cool and then stuff the leaves.....i don't make it too liquidy though
this i freeze in casseroles and add more of the sauce over it

i freeze hamburgers as patties and i do use waxed paper in between, i use the patties as burgers and as salsbury steak
take a bit of flour and add some garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and some paprika, a bit of fresh ground pepper and some kosher salt
heat your pan and add a bit (not too much) of oil
dreg your patties in the flour (and i will cook them frozen) and gently saute in the pan
pour off a lot of the oil but keep the browned bits (fond)
take the patties and hold them aside
add the remaining flour to the dripping, stir over medium heat to make a roux
add some water and some woustershire sauce (that seems to be the key)
until you get a gravy
add the patties back and serve immediately
( this whole operation takes about 20 minutes from start to finish)
ok that's basically my chopmeat batch cooking
you can (and i do) break it down
such as this week i plan on doing the meatball part
because i have none in the freezer and that is a good thing to have on hand
if i can get a nice batch of sweet peppers at a good price (my plants didn't do well) i have bulk chopmeat frozen for that.

we found over all that we save on utility costs, as well as time when i do this
plus for the most part i have dinner on the table without a hassle
meat loaf even cooked from the frozen state since it's got a hollow center is only going to take about 30 or 40 minutes so i can have dinner fast even if i am not well and bernie has to put it in

now to the canners
i can the meatballs in sauce and in a concentrated meat stock
pints 75 at your pressure
quarts 90 at your pressure
i have experimented with un stuffed peppers (meatballs and slices of sweet peppers in sauce)
same times
ditto on the meat loaf but remember to use widemouth jars for the meatloaf
i also canned unstuffed cabbage too
hahahaha
i love having this stuff around

one more thing i do that is fast
i have small packages of plain raw ground beef in the freezer
when we have leftover rice,
i brown the chopmeat
pour off most of the fat
add some frozen mixed veggies and some chicken or beef stock, add leftover rice
i do this in the oven or on the stove top
season it
salt, pepper, garlic, onion, parsley

stir it occationally if on the stove top, don't stir if in the oven (20 minutes in the oven)
add shredded cheddar before serving

any questions let me know
i love batch cooking

you can also break this down into a few days if you need to
prep your crumbs, etc the day before
brown off your meat and start your basic tomato sauce and while that is simmering do the basic meat/crumb mixes then do the stuff that needs sauce
freeze all that and the sauce
then do the meat loafs etc
you can bake the meatballs 350 turn them after like 15 minutes

take care and wish me luck at the dentist today

ps: tomorrow remind me, we'll talk about how to cook without recipes

on today's list

the bathroom, and the fridge, with a side of living room

i was up all night thinking of the house, what i need to do next, wondering if we are going to get permission to see bernie's mom, deciding workflow in the kitchen, pondering winter veggies without the cold frame, (we didn't get it finished), picturing where to put 3 more cords of wood...plus finding extra for a tank of oil...oh and the car insurance is due next month too.- going to rhinebeck with ducks.....
(need to plan safe indoor pens for them NOW, )
too much swirling through my mind

tylanol is my new best friend

as i am also very sore, which i can't figure out why?
i still have to clean the budgies too
now why isn't any of the house cleaning crap done more regularly, maybe i really AM lazy
oye
anyway, i am finishing my coffee, waiting on the dishwasher to go off
while captain cuttle sits on the perch closest to me and tells me all sorts of stuff about his day and the other budgies.....he's a riot that one
(oh and i need 2 more boy budgies.....i would like a sky blue one and a gray one)

now when i get through the biggest part of my to do list (if i am still alive after) i think i am going to run through a few weeks on big batch cooking for canning and the freezer
stuff that you can pull out or open at the last minute and throw in the oven or just reheat
would anyone be interested in reading about how i go about mine?
i don't actually follow recipes but the methods will no doubt get you through.

i'm italian, we don't actually follow recipes, we're taught methods or techniques .... you take what you have on hand, whatever is ready in the garden, or what is on sale, and figure out the amount of folks you have to feed, (do you also want some leftovers?) and that sort of decides what and how you cook

ie: lets say we got leftover pork and leftover rice....... i did in the spring along with fresh garlic scapes, and a few dried veggies..... i made a pork fried rice stir fry, it fed us wonderfully supper plus two lunches
OR
we have three tomatoes, and three people, two chicken breasts, cheese, pasta, and some odds and ends veggies
tomato and onion salad, chicken slivered with cheese over pasta and steamed veggies
there's dinner
see what i mean?
maybe i don't have eggplant.......... ok i got zuchinni and mushrooms.........

anyway let me know about the big batch stuff

you know i'm upset when i am cleaning

and i can't stop
we are waiting out getting permission to talk to bernie's mother
there is a bunch of burocratic shit you gotta go through
*this is a crock, it shouldn't be like this*
anyway in the meantime
i am cleaning the house
deep cleaning
like tear shit apart and scrub the grout cleaning
i only do this when i am unsettled
so far i am in the kitchen but i am eyeing the bathroom, dining room and living room
i am going to take a swipe at the studio as well
and of course saturday morning will do pens again, instead of friday
as my nephew, sister in law, and my adopted neice will be coming saturday so i want to make sure they are clean
i am still not sure what to cook
and what to bake or what
icecream?
soda?
fruit punch?
OYE
i hope they feel welcome and have an enjoyable visit
meanwhile i am cleaning

now my cousin nick and my sister in law alice were conversing on facebook, and nick told me to rest
alice told nick that i don't know the meaning of the word
meanwhile bernie says i'm lazy
now who do i believe?
sometimes i feel lazy when i am not busy going from one thing to another
and i also feel lazy when i see my to do list and it's not getting shorter
how does a person judge how lazy or busy they are?

i'm not sure!

i will tell you this much, i have discovered that i ran out of space for cookware.......before i ran out of want for cookware......(oh and i got a lodge preseasoned cast iron 5 quart covered dutch oven to do the no knead bread, which i plan on making with my tweeks to make my regular loaf.........)
yet did that stop me from lusting and bidding on other cocottes on ebay........??
what do you think?
oye
i won't rest until i get that oval one in matt black i think
ok so
that's all folks

ttyl

hmmmm

i woke up this morning dreaming of my deceased brother in law... well i suppose with all that's been going on...yeah
but towards the end my dad appeared.... and my brother in law faded away
it was almost like dad was protecting me
we still haven't heard about the visitation from the 'legal guardian' for bernie's mother
she told me one or two days
then apparently went out of town
the girls called her
so we'll see
it's been my experience that the 'public' guardians are corrupt.... so i am hoping that this is not the case here

it's got me a bit depressed

now as to hurricane earl...it seems that nothing is happening here
except humidity......so i got the ac on
i was going to bake some cookies for bernie for the weekend but i can't figure out where he put the flour!

(oh and a mouse chewed through the feed bags for the ducks..... stream of consciousness, cause i also have wheat down stairs..... the feed bags are on the other side of the basement)

i am trying to not think 'victim' type thoughts right now
meanwhile my little monster cat is in my garden basket pulling zip ties out
oye

i canned tomato salad yesterday, and should see about pickles today..... the salad tomatoes are coming on
and i do realize that this post is disjointed
i am disjointed today

and a bit upset that bernie is working AGAIN tomorrow, i am so worried about him

oye
happy labor day to you all

today is thursday

i got some sleep.
and i actually overslept getting up at 20 after 5!
i was in such a deep sleep that i thought bernie was still home.

today is the usual, ducks, chores, canning, harvest, dishes..... cooking and possibly doing some pizza dough ( but bernie had to knead it, i can't do that anymore, so i may wait to the weekend depending)

yesterday evening when doing chores i let the babies out to graze, the garden had to be watered but they are big enough now to graze outside the fence without too much worry
lilli was not happy nor was phoebe.
i picked up little bigfoot a few times, she isn't as nasty as she was, but she has to learn to come when she's called for me to pick her up, like the big girls do
malcom had to tell me all about it
he is my talker....... just like babette the chicken is my screamer....... malcom talks.
i am going to miss his peeping when his voice changes to the hiss sound
it may be my imagination but it seems even poindexter is down a peg since i clipped wings
i have to say poindexter is beautiful........ he is going to a farm here near town, him and may
they are beautiful birds
i so wish i could keep them but i don't have the pen space nor the time to do that much extra
if i could keep a drake pen without them fighting it would be fine but that won't happen so i have to cull
i believe that thumbprint/kevin is not going to last long, nor will he ever be a fertile drake in my opinion....... he'll always be a somewhat bumbling pet
malcom is going to be an ok drake i think....... not the quality of poindexter, but not the difficulty in handling either

i think that bigfoot is pretty and we may name her after my aunt fortuna.
that left a decision between prudence and may
we are keeping prudence as she seems more willing to bath
although at times she needs prudence as she likes to rile up the other ducks
 the stories are starting up again no?

i went yesterday with jen down to the lehigh valley, i think it was good for me
we passed bernie's new fleet
he'll be 40 mintues away when he locates there permanently......
i am still having lingering after problems from that adrenal crash thing. slightly shakey, still depressed.
i am going to sit later and knit i think but i have morning chores and a bunch of other things to do
i fully intend on keeping busy
besides as i went out for most of the day yesterday, i blew off some stuff that must be done today

and i am also trying to find the pictures for my nephew and sister in laws

today is september 2, i have to get another load of wood in and a tank of oil
plus 150 pounds of potatoes......then i think we are mostly set for winter

ok everyone ( and thank you so muck vicki for your sweet comment) i hope to have happier and funnier stories again soon, plus drawings over the winter

life with adrenal problems

today i found my mother in law..... bernie's long lost mother
ok so she sure wasn't mother of the year....
damn she would take first place in a 'how to abuse you kid and screw them up for life without really trying'
however i found her
i searched for 10 years for her
now between friday and today, and the dentist etc......
my adrenalin has been working even more over time then normal
but then there comes.........
(drum roll)

THE CRASH
and i'm there

the crash pretty much sucks
who needs to be a drug addict when you have an adrenal hyperplasia
oye

i am sick, seriously........ to my stomach
and shakey
and depressed as all hell
and weepy
and my mouth tastes funny
and i am craving salt and sweating

lovely isn't it
i think i smell too but it isn't the duck shit that 'bigfoot' so nicely deposited on me
i will take yet another shower today

i will also withdraw a bit
cause in my head it's better if i keep out of folks way, cause in my head i think i am annoying them

ah life with cronic illnesses

but at least the poultry pens are clean

chicken pens are done!!!

yeah!
yesterday was a busy day, feed store/post office
duckies out....
chicken pens (thanks to my sister in law alice for talking to me while i mucked pens)
harvested tomatoes
scanned pictures to the family on facebook
dishes
and collapse into the computer chair
i even did thaddeaus' messy ears and looked for the herron family photo albums


today i have to do ducks (that's a given) laundry
dishes
and start the table excavation and clean the budgies
isn't it amazing what taking your thryoid meds regularly will do for your energy levels?
oye
i have to make ribs tonight too
hopefully today will be as productive as yesterday
(one could hope no?)
i also would like to get a video of the ducklings today if possible... or the chickens or someone
ok it's late and i goofed off now for three hours

oh wow

well this was a most eventful weekend!

with our nephew kevin friday,

bernie working all day saturday

a very early roadcall sunday

oye

meanwhile i got duck pens done, night crates done and today....CHICKENS

of course all that will need to be REDONE friday but still...

and day pens for ducklings will be redone almost daily..... i am thinking of making the pen bigger again...... however with 6 in there it's going to be a sloppy mess daily anyway

very soon poindexter and may will leave for their new home.

and the drakes will be seperated out. so the work will be in smaller chunks ( and lighter chunks)

my nephew is supposed to be back sometime in september, with his mom and sister.

he mentioned this weekend but the house is a mess, and then he made plans with a friend of his.

i am going to try to unearth the house in the meantime..

we are behind on work because of bernie working both days over THIS weekend.

we don't have all the wood in either. nor the heating oil

oye

yesterday i clipped wings on ducklings. they weren't happy but that is what needed to be done.

one little one is seriously feisty.... that is the last one to be named too. the one we refer to as big foot who isn't really anymore. she tried to bite me! hahahaha, i held her up on her little duck back, no one bites mommy.  here are the pictures with their names in them.

all in all i think it was a good weekend. i didn't get to see bernie much, and i do miss him. i got a lot done, and i got a new relative. i have to find the photo albums for the boy too.

he is going to be coming back up, with his mom and sister so we can meet his family.  i am hoping to get the house excavated before they get here......

hahahahaha

yup all in all a good weekend

we went on a road call first thing this morning

a critical care unit ran out of fuel.
got back
i dragged out the night crates and cleaned them, pitched hay for day pen bedding, filled ponds, fed and put the ducks out
oye
bernie meanwhile ran to town for me, feed store, got milk at the grocery ( we really need GOOD neighbors cause i really need a milker)
i am doing dishes
i still can't believe my nephew came up....he is so beautiful
so wonderful
and such a miracle to us
i really didn't want him to leave
even though i knew he had to go
i was so upset yesterday that i actually swept floors and cleaned the house (bernie had to go into the new shop and start setting it up so he was gone all day)
WHY do i get family and then boom they are gone again
i was hoping this boy would stay overnight at least
i was loving how bernie and he talked
and the things they had in common
bernie said it is a bit of a blur for him as he was so tired from work
so this handsome young man better get his skinny butt back up here soon


now in a minute i am going to finish up the pots and pans......
then most likely start lunch and get stuff together so that tomorrow i can muck chicken pens which are WAY OVER DUE

and sometime this week i need to can salsa, and vinegared tomatoes
i also have eggplant to deal with
but sadly the DEER ate one of my spaghettie squash.....
damn deer

and the answer is

miracles happen.

i find the timeing rather miraculous......i am thinking folks will too

i was asking why yesterday
and yesterday afternoon, ( while mucking a ton of duck pens)
we got a phone call
now let me fill you in
bernie has a convoluted family tree, he has 4 full siblings and who knows how many halves
(his parents got around)
his youngest brother tommy crossed in 1992, no one knew until 1997 or 1999
we tried to find out if there were children but never heard
so figured no

well yesterday we found out that tommy had a son! the boy is 20, he's in the army reserve
and he came up from philly to meet us
(i fed him spaghetti- and he's a doll)
we didn't have all the answers for him though but he knew a lot more when he left then before he came
i like him!
bernie likes him
no one here slept all night

why?

do you ever wonder why?
or ask why?

why do some folks try so hard and seem to always be kicked in the teeth?
why do people have to suffer?

why do 'acts' of god always describe terrible things (and involve non payment by insurance companies)?

why do governments exploit their citizens and get away with it?

why DOES the toast always fall butter side down? ( that one i think is a physics thing, the butter is most likely heavier)

yesterday i had another encounter with the relatives of the jackass neighbor.........who is gone but who's vandalism and dumping legacy live on........ the pig of a person told me 'you got too much time on your hands honey'
cause i caught him dumping..... bernie's got the path back there full so i can't get back there, but i know it's a mess, as i have seen them dump before
i also know that the whole 'too much time on your hands' crack was just a jab to cover up that he WAS doing something wrong
but it pissed me off big time
and kicked in the adrenal thing for the second time in what ? two days ( the fear at the dentist kicked it in very bad too.....i was shaking)
now i know that the over active adrenal gland thing makes me very sick with the slightest bit of stress.
normal folks would need to have been in a serious deadly car accident to get that amount of adrenaline pumping in their blood..... me i only need a tiny bit of stress
then i'm sick for a while
i shake and sweat, and my insides crawl
it's the worst feeling
oh and the TASTE i get in my mouth isn't too pleasant either
then of course there are the stomach pains......followed by 'gastric distress' acute

lovely huh?

i was up all night, i was shaking with frustration in again being victimized and not being able to do anything about it
i know that the back part of our property is a mess from these people
the knowing gets me physically ill
legal recourse didn't work either........ partly as the lawyer is not really happy with litigation and partly because the judge was paid off......that is the only explanation for letting a litigant off a suit after four years and a BINDING arbitration judgment against them
who had more money to take it to appeals?

now i don't believe that we are put here to suffer, nor do i believe we are created and exist just to worship a vengeful, and egotistical supreme deity
i am thinking that the definition of a supreme and ineffable deity would sort of make that an oxymoron
so that whole religion answer to why doesn't cut it with me, when you honestly think it through there are too many holes in it.
now that doesn't mean i don't believe in a creator- oh boy do i
i can on a small scale relate to the sheer joy of the creation process, and the inevitable moment of AH HA in a successful completion- believe me that hooks you... it's a total rush.
SUCH a total rush that you just want to create the next thing and the next..
how much more awesome is it to create worlds and universes?
no wonder the physicists tell us that the universe is ever expanding...
i am thinking that 'god' is out there...... creating and having a blast

so who's minding the store?

from what i have observed, we live in an open/closed system...
the ultimate recycling
so maybe the answers are here all along?
hidden clues? waiting for us to uncover them if we really want to?
nothing too obscure or hidden...... maybe just a maturation of species to allow us to focus?
i mean look, during the middle ages a bi-polar person was tortured and killed......as they thought that person possessed by the devil.
today we know it's a brain chemistry thing and meds can help
our focus changed
so the answer was there
and we opened it

i tend to think of our world mostly like that
but in a more national geographic 'star nursery' sort of way

how would that come down to translate into my tiny area........with this jerk dumping on my land, my kitchen being a nightmare.....and my poor little hormonally battered body giving me fits?

and how not to feel totally insignificant when you follow this line of thinking out there and back. like a speck of dust on the universe..... duh...... can you GET any tinier and unimportant?

(oh and btw, welcome to the inner workings of my brain....... this is the sort of dialog that i live with all the time)

i just don't know why, and i would really like a reasonable explanation that isn't full of holes, hot air or rhetoric-
boy when i die and get to heaven, i want a LONG appointment with customer service as i have a LOT of stuff i want discussed

shared from Luann

http://luannocracy.blogspot.com/ shared THIS on facebook-
now it makes total sense why i spend the time i do on the ducks.
why i can't stand tv or noise

i think in pictures and as an artist i was trained to observe...... EVERYTHING
sometimes it gets too much and i need time out
no tv is good
i HATE THE NOISE
yesterday at the dentist i was seated in front of a tv........with (get this) the FOOD CHANNEL!!!
while i can appreciate the irony
i didn't appreciate the tv
the noise
RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE

the dentist, who btw is VERY GOOD...i was shocked at how good actually....
would watch tv between stuff... if he waited for the assistant to light cure the filling, he was watching tv
she was doing the same
yet they didn't get all caught up in it either

but the noise drove me nuts

i couldn't WAIT to get home to duck shit
***i have pens to muck again***

also in other duckie news...... i am still not totally decided if malcom and thumbprint are boys...
poindexter is huge......masculine ......the schwarzenegger of duckies... the other two more like the skinny geeks that get sand kicked in their faces at the beach...
so i am about 90% sure they are boys, but there is that tiny nagging doubt in the back of my mind
otherwise poindexter and may would be at their new home already
poindexter led the babies on a merry and totally unsafe chase
i was not happy
and poindexter is not going to be either.......

he'll be separated out again, i can't have that

oh also, i have to go back to the dentist september 9
this is where they tell me 'you have bone loss'
hahaha REALLY? i did NOT know that...you mean THAT'S WHY that root canaled tooth wobbles around so much? ( weebles wobble but they don't fall down)
i suppose i do need to actually DO something about that though, as i do occasionally get abscesses and when they drain it tastes like skunks smell........ewwwwwwwwww
so i should no?

the fall rains have started, and with them the tomatoes are finally thinking of ripening
i pick them when they are just showing some red and let them ripen in the house- if i don't do it this way the birds peck them.
i also need to get to a farmers market soon
if our teeth will allow us to actually take funding away from the dental issues,  to be able to spend on food.......
don't think THAT irony hasn't escaped me.

quick update on my quest to replace all the non-stick with either stainless or cast iron...
i have decided........some used cast iron is the way to go
i need a good skillet
so i am on the hunt for one
i want older so that they have the polished surfaces
i don't want to pay a lot
*duh*
and i am thinking i need at 11'' one
and i need to convince bernie this is superior to his long awaited teflon electric grill......
ha
oye
ttyl

off to the dentist

if i do not return, someone bring in the ducks please

i love my ducks

last night as i was putting the ducks away, i took lilli and phoebe on a walk through the veggie garden.
hahahaha
oh man were they every happy....slugs EVERYWHERE

lilli and phoebe ran around scarfing up slugs like crazy.
i helped them, as every time i found one in the raised beds i called them over to eat the hapless slug
DEATH TO SLUGS is the motto around here
and we found a lot
i love my big girls
they are so sweet, so loveable....so muddy
and they listen pretty good for ducks

now the babies on the other hand....
malcom talks....... all the time
he looks you in the eye and tells you all about his day, your day, everyday
oye
thumbprint is still in his own little world.....you can pick him up and he won't realize for a while
little bigfoot we may name prudence because she doesn't have any... but she is so feminine and sweet
may and poindexter are going to live by vicki staples......
unless poindexter is the only boy, then malcom will be maryann, and may will go with one other girl to vicki's
oye

last night for supper was leftover braised beef put into a pie shell with it's gravy reduced to thicken and baked in the oven.....with a cheddar cheese top
i am a very good wife to bernie.... his supper was ready when he walked in the door

meanwhile the rain keeps coming down, the ducks aren't too happy about it
i need to rearrange day pens but have to wait for the weather to dry up a bit

oh and there are 'killer' dogs on the loose down the street sorta
poor things they've been on their own a while but they have a pack mentality now so i am thinking they will be put down when caught
meanwhile they are killing deer and cats
so i worry about the flock

this weekend is chicken pen cleaning.. i can't wait
(seriously i want these pens done, i did them during the summer but they are overdue... i like them cleaned monthly)

meanwhile i continue to try and figure out the kitchen, it's discouraging though. one minute i think 'we can do this' the next minute i think.....'am i out of my mind, we can't do this'
oye

anyone of you guys go through stuff like that?

rain rain.......don't you DARE go away

it's dark and humid and raining
the ducks are unhappy
the ducklings haven't ever actually SEEN rain
they aren't impressed
i think the only one that is happy is my little frog friend out by the woodpile
good thing bernie got the wood up too

meanwhile........ still with back issues
now bernie's got some from stacking the wood
his tooth surgery is healing though

i have been dreaming every night of kitchens
how the cabinets fit, what should go where......how does the traffic flow work
and for some odd reason.......PINK kitchens.......
oye i guess i am seeing this kitchen thing through rose colored something or others no?

i don't know exactly what we are doing today
maybe the bookstore?

oh and btw, i used the new lecreuset soup pot the other night...... made baked ziti.
i am offically in love!
now i want a 3.5 quart LC in round
and i want the staub stuff in oval
and i WANT MORE


that's all she wrote today

i have to make a rice sock

cause using the cat's snuggle safe isn't working real well
onto day what? 5007? of the bad back thing?
or so it feels
meanwhile that little shit of a cat thaddeaus is trying to get my attention by annoying the budgies
not the easter budgies, mind, the older ones that are CLOSER to MOMMY
i am considering relocation of the cat to the crate in the living room

bernie is a hair better.. but he's got a HUGE hole in his mouth were there used to be 4 teeth
me, i feel like the summer is totally wasted with this back thing

bernie plans on stacking the rest of the wood this weekend
which would be a good idea as i have to get the next three cords in october, and a tank of oil in september.
then i think, with the possible exception of emergency water (we don't have enough) .....we should be ok.
oh and paper/kindling to light the fire

winter preparations are almost done, however they are a bit late for my tastes this year, as i like the wood all in by july.
we also still need to make a cold frame, oye...... i forgot that one
it would so help the winter 'fresh food' for us to have that, however if worse comes to, i may have to hoop a raised bed- it won't be nearly as efficent though

ok i hope everyone elses summer is going much better then mine

bernie isn't getting any better

i told him he has to call the dentist, i can't do it for him as they need to talk to him.
meanwhile i am starting to suspect that possibly this back thing of mine, isn't
i am thinking, it may be something else entirely?

is nausea normal when your back hurts?
i had a terrible night, ending up down here for an hour with my friend tylanol
then went back up and slept until 8 am.
i still haven't gotten dressed or put the ducks out yet

the pain is bareable at the moment and i am afraid to trifle with that
but i have to get them out soon

meanwhile i am to go to jen's while she's on vacation to pick roma tomatoes
i don't know if i can drive!
i am currently on the heating pad and ice

thank you for the well wishes everyone
i still can't understand how i end up so sick all the time
(bernie i understand, he doesn't listen or take care of himself- me i try to take care of myself)

anyway
after i get the ducks out i am probably going to go to bed again
i feel useless and unproductive when i do that though

bernie is still not doing well since his surgery

monday, and me, well tylanol, heat and ice are my new best friends
(and ty cindy for your thoughts)

bernie is going to work but he came home early yesterday, and is trying to get home early today due to pain. meanwhile life and chores go on
so i added bedding to the babies day pen, and pickled some cuc's
also vinegared some salsa tomatoes.....they're in the canner now
i have to do dishes in a few minutes
then start supper

apparently everyone's good thoughts have helped a bit as i found a small stash of my thyroid meds so i have a few more days/weeks? reprieve
we still have to do something about getting a new rx for me however
i have to run now
everything is taking forever for me

yesterday four teeth

today my legs and back

bernie's dentist trip cost us 250.00 and he had four root tips extracted

today i got to go to the chiro where i get to tell him i can't afford to come back, while my back is sitting there spasming......and everything hurts
of course having run out of thyroid meds so not being on my meds doesn't help much either huh?

right now i am not fit for man nor beast so until i am in a better mood
(or i get a shit load of thyroid meds which will stop the pain and put me in a better mood--)
i am going to just have fast postings if at all

i dreamt of my best friend again

it was nice talking to her
i also saw an old boyfriend and was happy to see that he'd moved on
what a weird dream though
i dreamt my best friend had gone back to her Xhusband
meanwhile i threw my back out again
and today is the oral surgeon for bernie
tomorrow is the chiro for me
gees. when did i get this old?
i have the insurance to deal with today as well..... as the insurance just paid something on the lab bills i been paying off (but that didn't stop the lab from sending me to collections!- in spite of the insurance still paying things and ME paying huh?)

well one of the bright spots of the weekend besides the much needed rain, was roast chicken with leek sauce, fresh marvel of venice yellow beans and baked potatoes.......
oh wow
bernie was very impressed
which makes me very happy
and with all the rain i think that the turnips and the kohlrobi should do ok in the garden as well as some of the other things i got tucked in out there
i do have to pick beans and cucs today though and i hope also tomotoes
so meanwhile i am sitting with the heatting pad to be followed by the ice pack
and then i will pray for tylanol to ease the worst of it

i think part of this is from the road call and trying to climb out of the big rig
and part is from me twisting funny this morning trying to get out of bed without upsetting cats
oye

fully feathered babies....... it's almost fall

soon, oh soon the back........

soon my back will be back.......

ok i went for a second appointment with the chiro, and i am getting better.
it's all from that fall in april
i did a good job on me
i messed up my left shoulder, heel and hip and my right knee and ankle
that was a terrible fall
i also broke the roots on a tooth i am just finding out now
oye

anyway it's better but not great
HOWEVER i am better enough to have put up some cuc's into kosher dills. have i told you all i love canning
6 pints of kosher dills-heavy on the garlic......... salty too
i did half sandwitch stackers and half hamburger chips
i haven't opened one yet to see if i got the balance right but that will happen later
these are for burgers mainly
bernie loves burgers, i like cheeseburgers with pickles on them
sooooooo we got kosher dills
bernie USED to like bread and butter pickles.....but since i started to make them, he doesn't eat much of them once a year or so
he does prefer the homemade to the storebought but now he's really into my kosher dills

ok what all else?
i haven't pulled my spaghetti squash vines yet although they too look like squash vine borer got them good
the one lonely little squash is still growing so i'll wait and see
i plan on growing hasta lapasta next year with a maturity date of 73 days, so that i can put them in some time mid july
i would prefer the longer vegetable spaghetti variety but with the vine borers and no really GOOD organic way of fighting them, we'll have to resort to tricks and shorter days to maturity (and added heat i suspect)

it's time to put in spinach now, along with beets, kohlrobi, turnips, chard, lettuces... mmmm
i wish i had that cold frame built already. anyway i am going to put in more beets and start the chard , and other greens now

how does everyone's gardens grow this year?

ok i have to go
this is a fly by posting
but i will BE BACK

still out to lunch

remember that fall i took in april.....
well my back is finally out from it
i went to the chiro yesterday
the good news is, while i am still in pain.... and still can't do anything, it's a bit better
AND my legs are a bit better
i have to go again tomorrow to the chiro
hopefully this is it now
but maybe not
that was a pretty bad fall
and i do tend to work hard (even though bernie thinks i'm lazy)

my brain is out to lunch

hopefully it will be back soon

so how's summer going for you all?

it's hot here
and dry, really really dry
that didn't stop the vine borer from hitting my pattypans
and sadly, yesterday i started to yank my beautiful big bursting with squash buds plants out
the bottoms were all exploded due to squash bug
i thought i was so careful with them
i put one in a bucket to see if i can get it to root or something but i think it's a goner

i am going to try to put in a trap crop of hubbard squash next year early, then put in my beloved spaghetti and pattypan (and pumpkin) in july

july 1 seed directly

july 8 or later to transplant seedlings

i won't get squash until late but maybe i WILL actually get squash?

i am also a bit dry, seriously, even with all the fluids i been drinking..

div>
i am out sweating so much that i get so hot and dry, i don't rehydrate fast or easily lately.

well, today i am up early. wood is coming.

i didn't sleep however, as fawn caught a mouse bringing it squeaking into the bedroom

i could hear it

in much more pleasant news, the cucumbers have come on!!! so pickles are getting done

small batches right now 5 pints at a time
however that does add up over a growing season so pickles will be stocked up,
nice salty garlicy kosher dills
then later i will make half sour 'chips'

the heirloom beans are coming on as well. i have to get a ladder out there to pick them though, but the tomatoes in the main garden are NOT turning red, which i don't understand!

but tomatoes take a very long time out there to turn red. the ones on the deck turn red fast

the ones out there stay green it seems forever!

lilli and phoebe are good little ducks, i am realizing just how good they are after dealing with unruly teenage baby ducks.

i love my big girls so much

they are over two now and have a bit of a 'musky' smell to them, but i love them dearly.

today i have to clean the big crate that the babies are in, plus if i can do part of the chicken pen
oye

and the wood is coming,

i need to stack but bernie still hasn't told me where he wants it yet......i doubt he knows where he wants it yet
i am considering one stack on the side of the house......so it's close for me during the winter to bring in the wood
heating with wood can be hard work, but oil is running out, and i don't think solar is up to the point yet where we can be assured that the house will stay above freezing all the time.

now i have a question of you all- see that picture of the floor plan of our little house? (it is VERY TINY with NO closets)
we need to think of something to do to improve traffic flow and to gain some more space. we're also thinking of maybe seeing about an addition. does anyone have any ideas?
the biggest problems are that the living room and kitchen are actually giant hallways, the poor kitchen with 4 doorways! it is the hub of this house but it's a nightmare to cook in
and the house is solid stone, so just moving walls isn't going to work. the studio is an add on from the 60's, we mostly live in there. anyway, any one have any brilliant ideas for us?
cause right now..... i don't, not one.
but it looks like we have to stay here for a while. so we have to do something.
oh and the wall between the kitchen and dining room is 6'7'' long. that is the ONE non load bearing wall, but it's also the only wall in the house without either a door or two or a window in it!
THE ONLY wall.........
oh man
ok i am going to go and make the coffee now

ttyl
stay hydrated, stay cool and have a good day

today is the dentist for bernie

and in a nick of time as i am about to pound him with a frying pan
cause i can't sleep either with him up all night
(if this guy is any good-i'll be going to take care of my abscessed teeth as well)

now on to the good stuff
that le creuset i got a huge deal on (off ebay) came
it's got more then a 'minor' chip on the handle but considering i got something like 80% off
and it is brand new..... i'll use it and not worry too much
it's a soup pot, a 4.5 quart soup pot, and i don't think they make them anymore!!!
it's also red.
and is surprisingly lighter in weight then the no name stuff from china
i still want my staub cocotte (oval) actually i am thinking of a few staub rounds and ovals.
i want a matte black oval stab for no knead bread...

today i am having a rough time getting it all together and getting going
i have to move wood and i'm not getting to it
3 new cords are coming friday
with another 3 new cords coming in i think three weeks
that should hold us if the wood is good
i still need a tank of fuel oil as back up though-just in case

this morning thaddeaus puked up before breakfast, then i fed him
good thing he nailed a cardboard box, that will make clean up really easy
oye
CATS

i made a pork loin last night and rice, bernie couldn't eat.
he said he was hungry then started to eat and gets nausea so i hope that the dentist will have something for that
i am also hoping he feels well enough to take down the antique bed that we used to sleep on while my sister in law was here. it's now officially in my way. it's got one of those old iron springs (remember them things?) weighs a ton.
so maybe this i don't also have to do myself

last night as i was struggling to get into bed (it's WAY higher then my ass is)
bernie finally realized, and even commented 'you need a step up to get into bed'

ya think?

what finally made you realize? me flinging myself up on my belly like a whale beaching?
oye
i have to say i am getting so frustrated with almost everything in this house too heavy or too high up for me
i swear i know what a midget feels like in a giant world
(i thought i was over this crap when i grew up into an adult- kids deal with this a lot too)

i am also getting fed up (*like i haven't been for years) with the kitchen or lack of it
to the point where i am thinking.... can we move it out of the kitchen 'room' and put it in the studio...or even in an adjacent SHED......i'm getting to be a desperate woman now- i am going to start to take matters into my own hands..... bernie won't like the results i can guarantee you that. i am about to start ripping out shit in that kitchen and replacing it with just shelves of all kinds and half ass doors over them
with wood block counter or even plywood or anything

oye
i swear i am a desperate woman..........

watching the sun come up on monday

it was again a quiet weekend, bernie has a toothache that he won't go to the dentist for so he couldn't do much around here
he did jump start my van though
as the battery was dead as a doornail

we got hay for the pens saturday so sunday i got to finish that last few feet of the babies pen and also do falstaff's pen
it rained

we went to the bookstore on sunday

all in all a very quiet weekend

this week there is a sale on bacon, 1.88 a pound, plus i need to start calling wood guys
i am thinking 4 good cords should be ok
i would LIKE to get them for under 100 but i doubt it.....i will be ok with under 150 per cord too
as long as it's good wood
there are a few people i am going to call.
our regular wood guy had his prices go way up and his quality go way down so i need a new one
PLUS he did cheat me on price, quoting me one on the phone and then charging me a lot more in person
i really don't like that
no one does
so he'll be my last resort wood guy.

let's see what all else......
i think my spaghetti squash has been gotten by squash vine borer. i was looking at it and it looks like there are holes in the stems now. but way up high which doesn't make sense.
vine borer normally gets the stems near to the bottom.
so instead of yanking them i am going to watch them, if they wilt.....then i'll yank
which is going to break my heart

this week i hope to get down to the provisioner for the 40# box of .49 a pound chicken legs (with thighs) i would have liked to get 80# but i will be ok with the 40...
as the bacon is going to take up a lot of money but then that will be it for the year.
so that's the stock up goals for this week
chicken, bacon and start getting my wood in
i also need a tank of oil but that will cost over 400 (however that should last me then 5 years so i suppose it isn't all that much huh?)

after the oil and the wood then the last stock up for winter is the potatoes....... 50# bags, normally 150# for the winter.... usually 15$ per bag
that's not cheap i think but at least they are mostly yukon golds
i am going to try and find a 50# bag of the leigh potatos again, they were fantastic that one year
superb bakers but not much good for anything else. but wow amazing bakers

i didn't grow pumpkins again but i plan on getting pie pumpkins as usual
NEXT YEAR for growing pie and i think jam pumpkins
remind me to start them inside and plant them out after july 1 with aluminum foil around the bases and covered with reemay to keep out the vine borers.

the cucumbers are really starting to come on nicely now
i am please with there progress
and i saw my beloved heirloom pole beans starting with baby beans.......
i am still watching my one eggplant.....the other plants have flowers but no fruit yet
tons of flowers though
i got two peppers
NEXT year i plan on at least 30 plants if not more even if i have to grow them in hoop houses over 'hot' manure

the turnips and kolhrobi in the garden have sprouted so we'll see how that all goes
i need to transplant or thin or something some of the turnips

ok so that's all the news by me?
everyone have another cup of coffee and please catch me up on what all is going on by you folks?

with rain you get slugs

all over the damn garden .......BIG ones.(not the banana ones out in the pacific north west thank goodness but big slugs anyway)
i got one bugger on a bean plant.... didn't have salt but dumped a bunch of diatomaceous earth on it
then bernie spred some fresh hay in the babies and falstaff's pens...... lilli went back to the big pen behind the duck house to lay her egg
phoebe followed her


oye

ok today's breakfast was my almost french toast...WHY? (cause i am not supposed to eat the bread)
well......... we have a lot of eggies (remember when i had none?)
soooooooo my almond french toast it is

here is what passed for a recipe sorta

5 or 6 or 10 eggs depending on size
1/4 c or so of sugar
a bit of milk
a good glump of vanilla X
two good glumps of almond X

butter
potato bread
cinnamon sugar
syrup

ok you heat the pan, and melt the butter over low/med heat
whisk up the eggies with the sugar, milk Xtracts
put your bread in one slice at a time
turning to coat, ..........watch it now cause it soaks this stuff up like a sponge
add to the pan to fry up to golden brown, do NOT let this burn

to plate, overlap them slightly
sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and then add your syrup

they are very good
they are very addicting
don't say i didn't warn you


anyway since we got rain, rain, humidity, rain, and overcast darkness out there... i am thinking that it's a bookstore day.........no?
we'll see how bernie feels with his toothache (although that hasn't stopped his appetite)

BTW, speaking of bernie's appetite, yesterday at the feed and grain we were looking at cat food for thaddeaus in cans as he seems to be allergic to his nurta max
soooooooo
bernie says (what a freeken idiot) 'the cat eats better then me'
i hit the ceiling and informed him, he will now eat the cat food and sleep with the messy drake with the hash marks on his butt

every man in the feed store laughed at him, KNOWING HE was in the dog house...

way to go bernie

oye
the only reason i didn't kill him was cause he has a toothache and OBVIOUSLY it's affect his brain
oh man

MEN!