Hump Day!! 30 May 07

Posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 03:32

Good morning all! Had to chuckle at the coments left yesterday.  I know some of you have done the 100 things but I had to put enough effort into a couple listings of four LOL. Anyway, yes Chas, I was tired! I didn't get my nap in before coming in to work so by that time I had been up for  oh, about 26 hours. Uff da! Randy, I think La La Land is somewhere between Dreamland and Fantasy Land LOL. You always bring a smile and/or chuckle or two. Thank you!

Yesterday was a rough day and I won't bore you with details. Didn't get a whole lot accomplished tho. My garden is looking good - the deer tracks are perfectly set and munching has begun LOL. Those rascals. The rabbit are having fun too. I have some hair to put out and a couple tin pans to hang. Hopefully that will help. The marigolds are just about ready to put out there. Not big enough to do any good yet but once they start budding, they usually do the trick. I've enough to put one every 6-12 inches or so in each row. If need be, I'll throw in a couple here and there a little closer.

Our farmer's market won't open until June 23 so until then it's off to the grocery  Those who come to the Farmer's Market usually have a bigger start than I so I can get fresh organic produce sooner. Mmmmm, can taste those fresh carrots and greens already. I'm at the point with my pantry that I'm sorting empty jars and dividing the emptys into each group. It'll make it easier for me to estamate how much I should can this year. Each year is different - always a guessing game but I come really close. I need to make a batch or two of soup and can the extras. I don't go thru much in the summer but veggie and chicken soup are nice on a cool summer day. I use more soup and stew in the winter. While I'm looking forward to canning, I'm not looking forward to canning in the heat. That's never fun as I'm sure a lot of you can attest to . The strawberry farm is predicting a good crop,. I usually go 2-3 times and pick 3 flats of 15 pounds each (or close to). I make jam, freeze some, juice some and can it for jelly later in the winter, and dehydrate enough to fill 2 gallon jars. I love to add them to my oatmeal and other cerials. They are also good "stewed" over biscuits in the winter.

We've been getting moisture as of late so the blueberry and blackberry bushes are still looking good. The strawberry plants along side the road are coming nicely too. I so wish I had access to plum trees, apple trees and grape vines. I so miss being able to pick on my Grandparents land. My mother's rhubarb is ready so have been picking and freezing that to make strawberry/rhubarb jam later next month. I'll also try to get enough to make some sauce for biscuits and icecream.  It's also good over pancakes, waffles and french toast. Instead of a syrup, I make either a lightly sweetened sauce or dehydrate and "stew" the fruit and lightly sweeten for toppings.  My favorite is strawberry but blueberry comes in a close second. Peaches and apples do well for this too. I simply add some water, soak for a couple hours then slowly simmer until soft. Add a little sweetener if needed then spoon over whatever. Simple yet very tasty.

I need to clean out my outside freezer too. There are some packages of meat to be canned and used up. When I take care of that, I can clean it up and unplug it for the summer unless I am blessed with an abundance of food from a suprise source. Money is going to be VERY tight this summer so will have to be extreemly careful on expenses. Only what is NEEDED will be on the list for a while. Such is life I guess. Not that it matters much as I generally only  buy what I need vs wants.

Dinner tonite will be stirfry with canned pork added. Served over either rice or noodles - haven't decided that yet. I may cook up some rice in the slow cooker while I nap today. Hmmmmm.

It's suppose to rain today so will tackle inside chores. The bathroom needs cleaning, my room needs dusting and will prep the hall way for painting. I'll pull off the trim adn doors, prime and paint them, then I'll paint the hall. I'm going with a very light yellow/beige. and a muted white for the trim and doors. Whew. I think that project will be more than enough for a fairly sleepless day LOL.

Tomorrow I work 3-11 (uggg ) so will need to get things done in the morning. Will bring leftovers in for dinner but will still need to whip something up for my daughter to warm up. Maybe a turkey loin with some brocolli and spuds. I  could bake the loin, lightly steam the brocolli and boil some spuds. I've got a couple divided plates with covers that work well for that sort of thing. Then all she'd have to do is heat it in the microwave. If it's raining tomorrow I'll clean the dining room and start working on the walls and such for painting in there too. If that doesn't spark my fancy, there's always the bacement. Always something isn't there??

Well, ya all have a wonderful day. Sending out those warm fuzzies!!!