It rained most all day here on the farm while my daughter and I drove back from the beach. This rain is making it tough to stay on target for planting dates!
Monday
Today I mixed up a batch of rosemary-oat infused body wash (I have updated the original recipe). For dinner I made cinnamon-oatmeal sourdough bread, omelets, and oatmeal served with homemade apple sauce. I taste-tested my original batch of apple cider vinegar (still needs more time to build acidity). I tossed out the second batch of vinegar I started last week, a small portion of apple core was not under water and got moldy and stinky. I also made a small jar of sour cream by combining whole milk with white vinegar - it should be a thin sour cream consistency after 24 hours.
Tuesday
Now that the herbs are growing again I've been enjoying them in everything, lemon thyme and mint are wonderful in my sweet iced tea! :) I tried my homemade sour cream on baked potatoes and it was really delicious! More watery than store bought, but amazingly tasty! I'm interested to see if it thickens as it ages. The forecast overnight was for 25 so I took precaution and covered everything in sheets.
Wednesday
Removed the bed linens from the garden plantings as the sun hit each area and when it finally rose above freezing! The cabbages are getting so big - I can't wait to eat them! It will soon be time to take up the cabbage, kale, and garlic for the spring plantings...if it ever stops raining long enough to dry the soil. Recovered the cold frame in its bed sheet for added insulation and left everything else to fend for themselves for the 29 degree forecasted overnight low.Spent a fantastic 36-minutes on the phone with a farm, land, and "country home" (larger parcels of land with houses) lending professional this morning. He knew because of my geographical location that I won't be his customer but he educated me on this land buying process so much more. I feel empowered and more excited than ever to forge ahead in the next step in our journey to The Big Farm! (Excitement screech!)
Thursday
All the plants made it through the cold night and with the high in the 60s, the lid on the cold frame stayed open. I made peasant bread, tortillas, and croutons today. To make croutons, slice day-old bread. Butter each slice (I actually used coconut oil), then cut into cubes. Spread them out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with your favorite dried/powered seasonings. I used black pepper, salt, cumin, rosemary, oregano, thyme, pineapple sage, & parsley. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Watch closely! (This time I did not burn them.)
The tortillas turned out wonderfully for my chicken tacos. We used leftover shredded chicken, my homemade salsa and sour cream (still runny), rice and beans, and lots of cheese. Very filling and delicious and even my picky eater ate it and liked it! :)
I'm so happy it's herb season again as I used up the last of my dried German thyme and hot & spicy oregano today! The basil is nearly empty so c'mon! grow herbs! I did get the potatoes planted today (finally) and both Chief Farmhand, Chris and I worked the soil in the Back Forty for planting carrots and beets. Too bad it's going to rain all day Friday and Saturday. :( We did re-cover that back row with the heavy plastic sheeting to hopefully keep it dry so that planting can be done next week.
Friday
I roasted a whole chicken in my crockpot - stuffed with scallions, tons of flavorful herbs, carrots, and even an orange! YUM. Stuffed fresh herbs under the skin and seasoned the entire skin with kosher salt, black pepper, and more fresh herbs. Served with baked potatoes along a salad straight from the garden and homemade ranch dressing.
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| chocolate mint popping up in the herb garden |
I finally got the carrots and beets planted on the "back forty" row Friday afternoon! Whew...we were "behind schedule" thanks to tons of rain and heavy, wet red clay dirt. All our efforts of turning and sunning and covering with plastic in case of rain paid off after spending a couple hours working the soil by shovel and hand after Chief Farmhand Chris had tilled it several times. We are still "behind" on getting the head lettuce seeds in the ground.
Check out my recipe for my gourmet ketchup - this stuff is super delicious, easy to make, and you'll want to put it on more than just burgers and fries!
Saturday
The stomach bug attacked me and I was down and out all day being sick. :( A big thank you to the kids, Chris, and my friend Katie for being such a big help and bringing me the comforts I needed to get well fast!! It rained all day Saturday, so at least I didn't waste a farm work day being sick. Luckily, there is always another day (at least hopefully).
You can have all the money in the world and a big fancy house and a big fancy car, but that won't take care of you when you're sick or hug you when you feel sad. Remember that and keep those people who love you close. Hope you have a wonderful week - I'm looking forward to sunny weather with temps in the 70s and even touching the 80s this week!! April begins in just two days!!! ~Ramsey
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