Try to Avoid the Cooties

I know this isn’t the first time you’ve heard this, but WHAT A CRAZY WORLD!!

We’ve been in quarantine since mid March, along with the rest of the sane population of the US and many other countries. I’ve only been going to the grocery store twice a month, and the shortages are just so bizarre. Why would there be a shortage of eggs, or milk, or produce when producers are dumping their milk and plowing their vegetable crops under. Just today I saw a photo of potatoes, piles and mounds of potatoes, being left to rot. Now the slaughter houses are closing because the workers are getting sick and spreading the virus. Which brings me to my tip for you. Find your closest local meat market and buy from them. Quality is superior to chain grocery stores meat departments and local butchers have plenty of availability. Yesterday I called in an order to our favorite meat market, and picked it up this morning.  I had ordered 2 whole chickens, which I’ve already poached. Here’s my post about poaching chicken . I don’t like to buy ground beef in the grocery store because of the way it’s handled in the packing plants. We don’t need e coli on top of cooties, so I also got 10# of ground chuck from the butcher. We still have beef and pork in the freezer, but I was running low on ground beef.

It won’t be long and the farmer’s markets will be bursting with beautiful fresh produce. I know lots of folks are planning their own gardens.

I miss my family and can’t wait to see them again, hopefully soon. We did a family brunch via Zoom the other day and that was fun. We have another one planned for Mother’s day. The kids have been doing game nights and trivia nights on Zoom.

I hope we all stay healthy and happy, and stress free would be great too.

 

 

The End of This Summer

It’s been a long and difficult summer. We did have some high spots, but also several lows.
One of the highs was the unexpected birth of our little kitten Henry. He’s been so much fun to watch and play with. The kids love going to the barn to play with him. He’s a barn kitty, but tame and not afraid of anyone. I plan to get him neutered when he’s old enough.
My daughter Kay, and granddaughter Regan were here for a week. They hadn’t been back to Wisconsin (they live in CT) for 4 years so it was great to have them. Our visit was a good one. Their trip was not so good as Kay’s suitcase was lost and never found. Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures! I have no idea why I didn’t.
The summer has been long and hot, and humid. We’re now into mid September, and still dealing with temps in the 80’s. That’s not normal for Wisconsin. On August 28 Our area of the state was hit by a crazy storm system. When all was said and done, the weather folks counted 19 tornados in this area. One of them hit our farm and we lost lots of trees. An ancient black walnut, and an equally ancient giant maple tree. Several pine trees that we planted 30 years ago. Too many trees to count. The property looks so changed and because it’s been so hot, we sure miss the shade.

Oh my gosh, the mosquitoes! I’ve never seen them so thick. They rise up in heavy clouds with each step across the yard. The bites are numerous and itchy. We’ve found that the only relief is a 40% DEET spray. The regular 25% spray does nothing. We’re waiting for some cold weather to kill off all the nasty bugs.

Our old mini horse stallion died in July. He was nearly 31 years old and had lived here for 25 of those years. He choked and although we (with the vet) worked on him for over 2 hours we just couldn’t resolve it. He was also suffering congestive heart failure and our efforts to break up the choke just became to hard for him. We made the decision to euthanize him. It was a very hard day. Our vet was amazing. Artie was loved by all who knew him

 

Bacon Egg and Asparagus Salad

I made this for dinner tonight. It’s from skinnytaste.com, and oddly, it’s made with bacon, hard boiled eggs, and asparagus. It is dressed with a light vinaigrette. We enjoyed it, and it was very filling. I’ve been using skinnytaste recipes often, and they never disappoint.

Sunday Dinner

A new recipe from Taste of Home. Lots of flavor,light, and easy.

1 can quartered and drained artichoke hearts

1/2 cup julienned soft sun dried tomatoes

2 green onions, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

Combine in a small bowl.

Salt and pepper 6 cod fillets on both sides. Place in sprayed baking dish. Spoon artichoke mixture over fish. Bake  uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

2017 Village Photos

I decided that I’m done expanding my Christmas village. I have filled my available space. Merry Christmas !