T. linked me to an interesting infographic here: How big a backyard do you need to live off the land?
Be forewarned – the original source is a solar panel company (I think), so the infographic is slightly tilted towards “cover your roof in solar panels,” but it’s otherwise a pretty reasonable source.
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Homer: Can you let me out of the boat?
Brazilian Kidnapper: What for?
Homer: [Whining]I have to go do a piss.
Brazilian Kidnapper: [Annoyed] Again?
Homer: I’m sorry, I have a bladder the size of a Brazil nut.
Brazilian Kidnapper: We just call them nuts here.
Simpsons, Season 13: Blame it on Lisa
We made Spanish Rice Monday for dinner – we are on the great Clean Out The Freezer quest, and the first thing to come to T’s hand was ground beef. We have peppers, bell & hot, ripening in the garden, and I’ve been in a rice mood.
Thus: Spanish rice. It’s one of those dishes, like stir-fry, that you don’t need a recipe for, but I looked it up just for fun (our version involves white long-grain rice, tomatoes, the last of a jar of salsa, the aforementioned ground beef, onions, the white ends of some bok choy, and a strange variety of spices that included Tabasco and Garam Masala)
I got a kick out of the Wikipedia article:
Etymology
Although called “Spanish rice”, this dish is unknown in Spain. The term “Spanish rice” is not used by Mexicans or Mexican food enthusiasts, and its use probably stems from the fact that the Spanish language is spoken in Mexico; the dish is usually simply referred to as arroz (“rice”) in Mexico.
“…here in Mexico we just call that rice.”
~
I got all the way through this & then realized that my quote might make it sound like I don’t know the difference between Spain, Mexico, and (Portuguese-speaking) Brazil. Not the case! We’re a Simpsons-joke household, and that one comes up even in totally inaccurate situations (“…here in France we just call that toast.”)
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…is that sometimes you have to make your own comfort food.
Usually, T. makes me things like broth or risotto, and that’s wonderful, but this time, I had (have) a sore throat/swollen glands, and I was seriously missing my mom’s vanilla pudding, that she used to make me when I was sick sometimes.
I haven’t lived at home in 20 years or so, and, besides, my mom’s at a yoga seminar on the other side of the country (details are fuzzy) right now.
So I had to make my own.
I used a pretty basic Betty Crocker recipe, and it turned out – not quite like my childhood (not as grainy, and a little too sweet, which could be refined tastes) – but very yummy.
And, ya know? It made me feel better for a bit, too.
(I am still taking commissions at 150 words/$1 for someone to re-up my paid DW account… I miss my icons.)
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So, earlier yesterday we had our twice-yearly birdy-stuck-in-the-chimney (it’s a vestigial chimney that terminates in the laundry room, left over from when the house reasonably had two wood-burning stoves). T. got the bird out, but Merit caught it mid-air.
And then the boys surprised her, and she lost it, and eventually T. got the bird outside.
I have to think this was on her mind when she very uncharacteristically darted outside while Ri & I were getting ready for our walk.
The problem is, Merit’s a skittish kitty, and once she darted… well, usually, I can get around her and spook her back /into/ the house.
Not this time. She ended up in the hedgerow, I lost sight of her…
T. spent hours out there, calling her, talking to her, but she was too far freaked. When he came in, after dark, Rion went out and did the same.
(I am very lucky I live with people who can sit calmly for periods of time. I… can’t. <.<)
It was nearly 11 when Ri coaxed a none-the-worse-for-wear Merit back inside, and hugs were had all around.
But I shall be a bit more careful with the door for a while now.
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We have 8 4×6 raised beds against the garage in two 4-bed rows, made of 1×8″ locust boards.
We bought – late in the season because of shenanigans – locust enough to raise 4 of the beds up to 16″ (The posts were left tall last year for that purpose) and – even later in the season – compost/topsoil mix to fill them.
Saturday, I hauled approx. 100 gallons of dirt (mostly in 5 gallon buckets) to get one bed filled up to the top & transplanted a couple of plants that had been waiting (one poor little tomato plant is like 8″ tall and already giving me one solitary tomato).
Yesterday, I was working on leveling the back beds up to their first boards before adding in the second row. I stood on the front board to smooth out some dirt…
…and the board tipped backwards out of its screwholes, neat as you please.
Whoops.
Longer screws, more screws, board replaced. But seeing all the roots there was kinda neat. Maybe my next project, I’ll make clear plexi raised beds.
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Yesterday, for our 12-year anniversary, T. and I went out to the Keuka Wine Trail for a “Wine and BBQ” tour – each of the seven wineries gave us wine tastings (about 5/winery) and a small plate of food pairings – things like grilled chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket, with a little side corn salad or mac salad, something like cornbread, and usually a little dessert.
It was pretty awesome.
For one, Keuka Lake is lovely. It’s a Y-shaped lake, with a lot of really nice vistas. Google Image Search doesn’t quite do it justice.
For another, the food was almost universally tasty (There was one protein where I had to ask T. what I was eating – turns out it was pork – it was slow-cooked and very bland, very sweet).
And for a third, the wines were just good. Sometimes, on a tour, you get a winery where you’re just… “mm. thanks. Bye.” There was none of that – a couple thinnish red wines, but the Finger Lakes is not really known for its red wines.
In the middle of the tour, we spent an hour in Hammondsport, which is an adorable little village full of tasty food & neat antique stores.
All in all, it was a lovely way to spend a morning & afternoon.
And then, in the evening, we stacked wood ;-D
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Sigh, lumber.
Last week, I took Thursday off, was going to pick up the boards raising 4 of our 8 raised beds up another 8″ (for root things). They’d said the boards were in… weren’t.
(This is a small family-owned-style lumber mill that only does locust wood, not very organized.)
Today, I took the day off – going to pick up boards, a bridesmaid’s dress, and stack some wood – can’t get ahold of anyone at the lumber place.
Maybe carrots will wait till next year. <.<
In the meantime! We have 4+ cord of wood in our driveway. 😀 Love it. Solid assets. It makes me feel warm just looking at it.
Made cheesecake Wednesday (a small-batch, chocolate/white chocolate swirl), ate it Thursday So very tasty. Dinner was shrimp noodles and shrimp with spinach, spear grass, and curry sauce. Om nom.
And tomorrow is our wedding anniversary!!
Hard to believe it’s been 10 years.
Edited to add… Um. I can’t add. And it’s hard to believe it’s been 10 – because it’s been 12 years.
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I’ll try to get pictures soon (keeps raining, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it) but I finally got winter squash in the garden yesterday:
2 spaghetti squash
1 “carnival” squash
1 “table ace” squash
1 Buttercup
and, sadly, only one
1 Butternut squash (everyone was out!)
We already have one yellow crookneck summer squash and several cucumbers in, and I may replant the volunteer squash plants that came up in a yet-unfinished bed from my compost.
Now I just need to eat the last butternut from last year’s crop!
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So, we made – http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/dark-chocolate-pudding/ – this recipe, although i pulled generously from other recipes and my own experience
Their recipe first, my notes second:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk – 1/2 c whole milk
2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted – 2-1/3 avocados
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder – 1/3 dutched chocolate, 2 T dark Hershey
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup – 1/2 scant maple syrup, ~1T Brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract – 3-4 teas vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I didn’t add this) – (me neither)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon – 1 teas
Pinch of sea salt – large pinch
Raspberries, for garnish – (nope)
– 1/2 teas espresso powder
It was delicious. It didn’t taste like avocado, and it had a texture similar to almost-set pudding, but it had a very nice rich chocolate flavor and a lot of good cinnamon nose to it.
Will do again.
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I made this: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/10/corn-dog-muffins/ as a test recipe:
* I subbed out hot dogs for small sausages (the size of breakfast sausages).
* I subbed out shorting, put in butter.
* I DID put in sugar (1-1/2 T for the half recipe)
* I did a half recipe but used a whole egg.
Tasty!
Notes –
* might add creamed corn next time, as per our normal Jiffy doctored recipe.
* cool sausage before adding.
* Better second day
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