Author: Cabincrafted1

   
 We have all seen the commercial of the camel, yeah, that one.  Yesterday, one of my hubby’s acquaintances posted an obscene version of it on Facebook.  No, I won’t share it here. I dislike the commercial on television, in fact, I dislike most commercials on television and the insurance ones are the worst offenders.
Today is hump day by definition and we had a very full schedule. Because I was away last week and did not get home until afternoon on Saturday, we missed the farmer’s market. There is one on Wednesday afternoon too, not quite as many vendors, but enough to take care of most of what we needed. We are having guests this weekend and needed meat in quantity for 4 instead of 1 or 2 and veggies as we are currently in a doldrum with only a few tomatoes and peppers ripening, the peas, beans, cabbages and broccoli are still growing and maturing. Wednesday is the day I get my bouquet from the flower share and that also involves a drive to town to pick it up from one of the two Natural Food stores. Wednesday evening is knit night and since I was away all last week, I had 5 extra dozen eggs to share and those ladies are generally ready for some fresh country eggs, so even though I had flowers and farmer’s market goodies that needed to get home, I stopped by for a short visit and sold some eggs.
As we have seven weeks at home before any more travel, babysitting, or other reasons to tie up our schedule, we requested some riding time this week and our instructor suggested today at 2 p.m. We accepted the schedule and that meant that the rest of the afternoon’s errands that couldn’t be done until after 2 would have to be done sore and dirty. We are currently looking for our first horse, and our first appointment to look at one was also supposed to be this afternoon, but we postponed it so that our instructor could go with us to look at the horse.
Every Thursday, we have training for the big dog beast, and that is mid day, messing scheduling much else, as we have nearly an hour drive each way from training. Tomorrow will include a grocery store run for coffee, cream and a few non farmer’s market items and then the house needs cleaning after a two week without one.
I did get some more tomatoes in the freezer for winter, enjoyed some stuffed peppers, the hens are consistently producing 6 or 7 eggs each day with two still not laying. We did get the yard and orchard mowed yesterday and this morning, most of the front bed weeded, but after we bring the dog home tomorrow, we will have to venture back out for fresh mulch for that bed. The wet summer has encouraged, clover, oxalis, smartweed, horse nettle, purslane, dandelions, and anything else that could gain a foothold in the garden beds.
Now, I’m tired, a good tired, but tired just the same. Time to lock up the chickens for the night and get a hot bath and some rest.

This is an interesting word that has erupted into our language in the past decade. One of the bumper stickers seen in town says “Buy Local, Eat Local, Live Local.” In the interest of reducing our carbon footprint, it is a mantra that we strive to live. There are snack food items that we desire and indulge in on occasion, hubby likes cola, crackers and chips and I enjoy pistachios and coffee. I know that these are not local and in no way can be local. For the bulk of our food, we grow it, buy it at the local Farmer’s Market, or do without. We grow organically and patronize those farmer’s who do likewise. We astutely avoid GMO products and seek non GMO snacks, oils, and grains that we do not grow.
The garden each year is planted with those vegetables that both of us welcome on the table. There are some that I would gladly enjoy, but hubby doesn’t care for, and it isn’t worth my time and effort for them. I will indulge in the purchase of butter beans, squash, and Brussels sprouts at the Farmer’s Market when they are in season. So far, I haven’t started an asparagus bed, so they too are a seasonal treat from the market. That said, the variations in the summers here have altered the success of various crops from year to year. There have been years when the pumpkins, gourds, and cukes have nearly overrun the garden. This year only the cukes survived and only for a couple of short weeks produced. Most years, the tomatoes have been abundant, but the cool wet summer has not been kind to them and though, there will probably be enough for our winter fare, there won’t be much to share with our son’s family. Some years, I get almost no peas and beans, this year they are plentiful and with the cool wetness, the broccoli and cabbage are thriving.
With the peppers generously producing and not finding frozen pepper much to my liking, I have been looking for ways to enjoy them. Yesterday afternoon, with the temperatures cool enough to allow the oven to be on, I baked bread. Herb and onion bread, a recipe I have had for decades, one that was always enjoyed by my family and relatively quick to make. It is not a batter bread, but a quick yeast bread that is ready for the oven in about an hour and a half. It smells delightful baking, is delicious hot from the oven and toasted the next day. Since the oven was going to be on, while the bread rose, I minced and chopped veggies, thawed a cup of Farro, and browned a pound of local ground beef, mixed it together and stuffed peppers from the garden. There will be several more meals from the stuffing that was prepared. That and a homegrown cabbaged sautéed, made a meal fit for any guest, had there been one.
With a half a loaf of bread left, this morning’s feast was toasted herb and onion bread with homegrown fresh scrambled eggs with local hard cheese.
Life is good on the farm. By the way, does anyone want a beautiful large Buff Orpington rooster;-)