Woke up to the smell of tomatoes, peppers and onion wafting upstairs. Put my salsa ingredients in the crock pot last night and it's cooked down nicely. DH said last night he would like salsa on scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. Put 2 fresh but deseeded cayenne peppers from Teri in it, so not sure of the hotness. Let him taste some last night - verdict : tastes like tomato soup ! The tomatoes are so juicy, I drained them and have 1/2 bowl of juices I'm not quite sure what to do with, and there was still tons in the pot. Much thicker this morning. Wonder if there'll be any left to can after breakfast !
It's cold outside, but sunny. 38 degrees F. Wonder if it's hit my vege garden. I'm back in our warm bed, DH still sleeping. Suppose I could rise and shine :)
Dehydrated more Swiss chard, bok choy and basil yesterday. Popped them into zip-lock baggies but still undecided on how to store them for the coming Winter. Vacuum packing will scrunch them up, but will take minimal space. Probably need to look at it from the other end - how am I going to use it ? Added to stews ? Would it rehydrate into a vegetable dish ? What sizing should I pack ?
Wonder when Bill will bring my meat over. He was so keen to get me a deer. In the 4 years he's been hunting our property, it's the 1st time I've asked for one. Think it's a bit of relief and maybe he doesn't feel obligated to invite us out for dinner this year LOL.
Can hear the roosters crowing. We still have 9 of them, including 2 with a sore leg each (possibly from the fox ?!?) and they are huge. Need to plan another butchering. Also some of the girls as we have too many chickens for the quantity of eggs I'm finding. Thinking of tagging the ones that I catch nesting, and butchering about 20 others. The girls are much smaller than the boys, lots of work for a little meat ?
Well, let me leap up, put the kettle on for my morning mug of Earl Grey tea, maybe brew some coffee for DH when he surfaces, go feed all the hungry beasties. Cooper came for breakfast yesterday :) so 4 kitties accounted for !
Been mulling in my head how to do the pasture water for the cows this coming Winter. Would be difficult to re-fill daily in the channel, so maybe move it back to their positions of last Winter where I can deliver it by those 2 x 18 gallon buckets on the back of the buggy. Hate schlepping water in Winter, but haven't dug trenches and laid pipe out there yet. Not sure how to attach it directly to the well so it doesn't all go through the water softening system in the house either. Wish I had a windmill pumping water for them directly, as the creek is too far down the one side of the farm. Seeing how the cows befoul the pond, even the geese don't go out there anymore, they'll contaminate the creek in a day.
Someone arrived while I was still cleaning up in the milk parlour after milking. DH called me to come upstairs as Amy Reedy brought us some soup ! She'd posted last night that she was going to make it and DH asked me to tell her he'd be right over ! We ate it for dinner, chickpeas, spinach, tomatoes, absolutely delicious. Thank you, Amy.
DH didn't have to work today, so I lost the bet that they'd call him in early.
Teri came over and was planting plants she'd brought over when we got home from some errands. We planted the roses, weeded the garden and cleared the front walk, when I disturbed the wild bees or yellow jackets or whatever they are that live in the railway sleeper by the front door and I was stung on both hands and 4 times up my right arm. It's all swollen and itchy/sore.
We then went and weeded some of the horse nettle from the vegetable garden. DH was cutting hay from around the pastures.
Was expecting Vickie to come pick apples when she picked up her milk, but she didn't make it.