The Morning After a Long, Nourishing Rain

Rain from the roof

The world is happily soaking it in

Clear skies for the moment, looking out over the alfalfa fields

Emerald Country

Puddle view of the birds in the trees

Rush Hour

A neighbor's truck

The appreciative oaks

Chalk marking the drive

Putting things in scale

Sundial

This is from a sick Canary Island Pine. Over 50 rings....

Score

This was written last May, 2013.

Today for my birthday I'm all alone in the house, me and the dog. I saw two of the boys @ a family funeral last weekend, which doubles as a get together in the Book of Boy, that and the upcoming Mother's Day weekend get together with Grandma Joy as she turns 90.  My birthday runs so close to Mother's Day that we combine them, and often Tim's birthday too, on the 24th.

In the unexpected quiet, I am taking stock.

I am so grateful for this fine man whose love I count on and return. Three fine boys that I would like to see more often, but you get what you get in that regard.

Reasonably good health, save for the self induced aches and pains from not acting my age. A strong inner child that drives me - no matter what happens and what setbacks there are - with hope and faith to light the way. It is always a forward quest when you believe life is limitless.

A friend came to visit a few months back and we spent the day talking of her recent loss and life's difficulties that have somehow gathered into a storm. As we talked about our journey together, through my divorce, and raising the kids and everything in-between, she teared up at my evident happiness. It gave her hope for herself, she said.

I thought about that after, how rarely we get the chance to see our life through another's eyes. It is good to remember that everything is temporary -- the good and bad together will pass to something new -- and if we can just remember to take the time to savor it, we won't overlook the tiny pixel moments that make a life. 

I appreciate having a forgiving nature and a well developed crap-o-meter. It's a pain to be so introspective and yet I wouldn't want to skip the lesson. I push back when I am wronged and sometimes just let it go. All of that has brought me somewhere absolutely new: in balance.

Life
is
just
right.

If it sways this way or that, I don't lose the beam. Chores are stacking up with an impossible list of projects and weeds galore, but I'm not stressed. The job or finances or family squabbles don't freak me out like they used to. I know that things will unknot themselves if I leave it alone.

What I am keenly aware of is the impact of transformative love. I have no doubt the future holds magnificent and surprising and joyful secrets along with the tears. Right here, right now, let me stop to savor the feeling of having enough.

The Win

It was a big weekend @ the farm, with the Hubs turning 60.  Folks were invited up for a buffet and to see the Kings Vs the Celtics down at the Arena.

Friday they began trickling in and a birthday surround sound was installed in the perfect-for-a-media-room Room and tested with Monsters U and Lord of the Rings, and the Olympics. 

The Olympics was a disappointment, as usual. Everything seemed a little too extreme: the hype, fanfare, costuming, speed, interpretive skating, and risks.  I kept wondering what the ancient Greeks would think of the glitz and spectacle that it has become, and I concluded: not much.

The weekend was begging for something old school, and so we put on an old fashioned, put-out-the-welcome-mat kind of get together. It's been a long time since we've done an open house, and it was fun. Everyone came and were fun to be around.  The food was made ahead so even I visited and enjoyed everyone's company. It was the kind of get together we imagined the first time we saw the place, guest rooms full and laughter spilling out of the shop, the kitchen, the rooms upstairs.

We were knee deep in dogs ~ our two plus two ~ never quite sure how that will go, but it was fine. There was only one little mishap that involved 3 dogs and 1 ball and we got a handle on that situation pretty quick. And nobody even pee'd on the floor.

We chuckled watching a dozen or so guests in shorts and shirt sleeves wandering around with a small bottle of mosquito repellent sticking out of their pockets. Imagine having to do that in the 3rd week of February.  These 70 degree not-so wintery days are obviously confusing more than just the Bearded Iris, mosquitos and Daffodils.

The dogs charged up the stairs at 5 in the morning, and the Hubs expertly intercepted them just short of the open guest room door. So that was a win.

The Kings won.

Everyone trickled out slowly by Sunday afternoon with a good time smile. Win.

There were enough leftovers so yours truly didn't cook tonight. Win.

And there were lots of smooches for a great birthday weekend.  Pretty good way to spend our time, if you ask me.

Craving our Allergies

Reading up this morning about allergies disguised as food cravings. I've thought for a while we crave what we shouldn't be eating...

The Hubs and I started out 2013 with a desire for preservative free and home made meals. Growing a garden, harvesting our fruit, and doing right by our bodies. Shifting life in reverse, nutritionally speaking.

So this theory that our bodies create an intense desire for things that are bad for us, not just the normal eating desire but those things that are forbidden as a dietary staple was really intriguing. Do we really crave chocolate, processed, GMO salty foods, and soda for that reason?  It made me think of cigarettes and the chemically enhanced additives that create that type of intense need.

I stumbled over thinking allergies are more than just runny noses and labored breathing, and they can be recognized in more subtle ways: constipation, gas, bloating, headache and fatigue.  For instance, at a dinner party the meal doesn't sit well with one person but is fine for everyone else may mean they have eaten food(s) that has triggered a reaction. 

The body has to fight back, using energy that might leave a person feeling tired, lethargic and sick. I've definitely felt that way sometimes after eating.

So the next phase of good nutrition became trying to identify when it happens and what we consumed. We discovered a few months ago that the Hubs was lactose intolerant and I had a sensitivity to molds when fruits and veggies are not properly cleansed. We adjusted our diets, and readjusted, and again, but still that nagging truth was telling us our diet was too food heavy and exercise light.

So in addition to our nutritional balance being off, we had to tackle the volume control part. We are busy around the farm but not the healthy, sustained heart rate of exercise. So in January we started down that road. 

I increased my intake (and the timing) of water, honestly used portion control with the aide of a
smaller plate, kept the food in the kitchen rather than at the table, and watched it happen. People suspicioned I was eating differently, but other than making reasonable choices (taking 1/2 baked potato rather than a plate of tater tots, and 1 scone rather than 2) I wasn't.

In the first six weeks I've lost 12 lbs. 

But that's not all. I am sleeping better, feel more alert and have more energy.

For the first time in a long time, I am feeling my stomach's subtle sensor when it goes off. It makes a gentle ping when it's 3/4 full and if I stop then I have room for expansion as the meal digests. I leave the table not bloated or groggy. It isn't a full feeling, but it is a satisfied one. Different. Better. That is a new feeling for a foodie who lingers after dinner chatting with the Hubs and picking at whatever is left.

This diet isn't full of sacrifice and longing, although check back with me in a month after we add in the exercise!

I think there really is something to this allergen craving business. As we started putting our diet in check, I noticed a natural drop off of cravings for the stuff I'd usually be rooting through the pantry to find.

Bridges in the Rain (or Rescue Dog Land Mines)

Don't you hate knowing things are lurking just beneath the surface that will spring out at the most inopportune time?

We finally - Hallelujah - got a storm front moving through the area. On Thursday it was drizzly, but on Friday it positively poured. We all opened the blinds at work and just watched the miracle of the plants soaking it in.

Underneath the layers of leaves that haven't gone anywhere at the farm because there wasn't a good old fashioned storm to blow them away, there is mud. The dogs know this, of course, and Sam especially longs for it. Her nostrils flare as she sniffs out an available gooey patch, her snout roots around first, and then she rolls her cheek and neck in it, and if you aren't quick on the retract button on the leash, she is on her side and wiggling onto her back. The only hope from that point is being spared the joyful jump that wipes out your clothes.

Lily came to us at the end of June and the hot and dry summer turned into a very dry fall and winter, until yesterday.  We walk the girls out and back to the bathroom since there are no fences, and there's some local wildlife we'd prefer to avoid.

Anyway.

It was raining sideways on Friday night when the dogs gave us The Look and waited patiently by the door as the Hubs piled on the gear and fished out a halogen flashlight to take them one by one across the way to the Depository. They distract one another looking for the Chuck-It Ball or chasing the same stick if they go out together and it takes twice as long.

The Hubs clipped the retractable leash to Lily's collar who always goes first because she just HAS TO, and led her out onto the stoop. Typical. Routine.

He kind of dragged her along over to the Depository and Lily kind of freaked out. It was raining forcefully and there was a lot of wind. He coaxed her along and in seconds instead of minutes she had Power Pottied and was unexpectedly bolting for the house.

I didn't get to see all of this. What I saw was the crazy beams of light hitting the house as I imagined the Hubs taking long strides to keep up.

Ok, I'll admit that I chuckled a bit at the light show and couldn't really hear the shouting over the drone of the rain. I was just happy he offered to take her and not me. I was warm and dry on the sofa.

I glanced up as the door opened and saw a streak of white with black spots shoot down the hall, back out and into the kitchen and around through the dining room to the office, and in a half dive/half skid landed very unladylike in my lap. Whuaaamp! 

The Hubs was dripping all over the hall, exclaiming he had never seen an expression like that on a dog. He took Sammy the Autopilot dog - trotted out, she did her thing and they were back in a flash. Sammy is amazing.

So I softened my voice, dried her off, cuddled her up and ... and e v e n t u a l l y things calmed down.

Whoops: Landmine! No warning (again). Lily knows her history - but we can only guess what life must have been like before she found her way here.

We were anxious as the one last trip of the night came along.  God Bless the Hubs for suiting up and Sam did her thing and he dragged the Unwilling One over over to accomplish the goal. I watched Lily a little less scared coming back the 2nd time, and how she concentrated on his face for the praise and treat for a job well done. She obviously loves and trusts him.

Rain is expected for many days to come, thankfully. But tonight I am feeling pretty proud of this little dog who in one short day was able to work through her fear. She really wasn't going to be left out in the rain and forgotten. We had the rare privilege of watching Lily build a bridge.

The Rockin' B

I guess it would be natural for the Hubs and I to be having one of our heart-to-hearts about futures with him jumping the hurdle to 60 this month. Let's just say I can see his butt from where I'm standing, we are so close in age.

I'm not sure he's feeling it, the excitement of standing on the edge of a brand new era the way I am. 

I love the longing feeling of not being ready each morning to leave home behind. There's so many interesting things to do now, things to learn and try and explore.

I love feeling the transition deep inside from a sole-focused work world to it being just one facet of many interesting things to do.

I feel confident about what it means to be 60 and beyond. For me, it means in short order we will know if we have been careful and prudent enough with savings and investments to be able to decide how to spend our time. And by our age, now is the time to correct mistakes or live by them.

It's interesting how our friends respond to our lifestyle change. We hear comments about the awesome house, but the location is, well, pretty out there. I'd say so: with a town of 51 and 10 minutes from the nearest grocery store, we're a little remote. Randy's pop amusedly got out of the car on his first visit and exclaimed, What Were You Thinking?!!  Just once I'd like to be a fly in the car listening to our guests on the drive up.

Of course we don't see any of that anymore. The farm has transformed us inside and out. We have finally found the balanced path we have sought and never found. It has an unrefined and limitless charm about it. There is joy in the weeds and puddles and yes, even the overgrown trees that need attention.

One of our friends who totally gets it aptly dubbed our place The Rockin' B.  Great*Name*Lib!

So bring on the canning equipment and recipes taped 3 deep to the microwave. Bring on the mouse in the house, a workshop full of ideas, and dogs up to their bellies in mud. Bring on the shooting range and ample trees and gardens. For us, it's a dream come true.

A Dog @ the Door

The large crate we got for our dog just isn't cutting it.

Sam The Lab is very well trained and can roam free, because she has never messed with anything even as a puppy. But our newest addition Lily the Pit was not taught to distinguish between the outside and inside, and that has been a long hard climb. It's not her fault, it's just how it is. So we always keep Sam in the master during the day and Lil is in an ample sized crate in the livingroom.

There's a baby gate up at the hall since Lily is still working on indoor manners, and she goes happily into the crate and sometimes just hangs out there, so we thought things were good.   

About a month ago, the Hubs was alarmed to come home to a very excited and proud dog who had evidently had the run of the house for the day. His heart sank, I'm sure imagining all sorts of things - the leather furniture and all the things we value and leave sitting out.  His quick scan turned up things that were chewed up and presents left upstairs, and there was this one bottle of oozing liquid which trashed the office carpet, not that it didn't need replacing anyway, but still. Generally, though, we understood that the house got a pass.  We could tell, though, that every forbidden surface had been laid on and explored.

I assumed I hadn't latched the crate correctly.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and last week we met for dinner after work. He left from home, latched top and bottom firmly, and an hour or so later Lily met us at the door. What the heck! Bottom latch was securely fastened, top latch was unlocked and sort of banged up, meaning the door was a little tweaked. We surmised this big chested, too smart for her own good dog figured a way to angle through the small opening and get out. Again, we strolled through the house noticing a few things out of whack, a roll of unrolled TP all over the bathroom floor and the kitchen island shelves having been explored.

Last Thursday, I forgot my cell and had to go inside just as I was leaving for work ... and was met at the door.  Ok that does it.  The Hubs and I huddled by phone and I fished through the garage and came up with 2 locks- a lobster claw type and a hook type. It was a little disconcerting that her face was right down there in earnest concentration watching as they were put on.

Everything was locked securely, I went to work, and she remained in the crate. This extra locking idea was pretty good. Little did we know she was just working things out in her head.

Yesterday after being out for several hours, we returned home to a dog at the door.  We looked disappointingly at the official AKC crate. It was standing wide open, and the metal hook holding the plastic tray had been bent so the tray could be pushed all the way out, which it was. The bottom bars were also bent and twisted a little. Those extra locks were hanging from the door, latched and still in place.

But THIS TIME the house was perfect. She had chewed up just one small thing in the bathroom, and she found a stuffed bear upstairs that she brought down to snuggle with on the bedding sheets piled and ready for the washer. Its nose was wet from licking. We were so proud of her, she got 10,000 extra bonus points for the good dog she is trying to be.

Friends suggested a BabyCam - good idea. We're thinking of Houdini these days, and his daring escape from the straightjacket with heavy chains. If this keeps up, we're changing her name.

Comments Up

Ok! 

I finally went in and fumbled through the Settings for the blog and found the boxes to uncheck so comments can be left there. It was of course the last place I looked, right under my nose, but I did find all sorts of gadgets to change this and that and added a little something to the profile so it was kind of fun.

You should see two options now: a comments section (for gmail-ites) and a reaction section with options. Progress, at last. And there's always the FB page - on - the ever original title of  - CityFolk Farmers.

Thanks for hanging in there for those who have messaged your kind comments.

CFF

3:12 am

I was awakened at 3:12 by someone rattling their collar. Two someones, actually. That's the cue if things can't wait, and there's no point in arguing because they know what they know, so I hauled myself out of bed and slipped into slippers and we took a little stroll.

The teasing trickle of rain had wet the pebble drive and the dogs crunched happily across and in front of me on the way to the evacuation area ~ and together performed the ritual of sniff, pace and decide, crouch or squat, and repeat.



Not my photo, but gorgeous
flickrhivemind.net

On the way back, we paused. They turned into the breeze and breathed it in. The air smelled cool and moist and fragrant, with just a hint of light in the sky as night prepared to hand off to day. The dark tall limbs all around draped high and wide against the dark blue-black and dusky moonlit sky. 

I'm not typically on this shift. I generally sleep right through the Collar Jingle warning of an imminent Crisis of Pee, and putting me in charge would be all kinds of bad. But still, today was a delight: me and the girls, just us in the quiet, with damp sweet leaves soft from the rain.

Nice to meet you, 3:12 am.

Dream Sequence

We wandered around in town today to catalogue what other vintage houses use as fencing.

This came from a home in Town, Circa 1906.
Nothing like hitting the jackpot on the first day out.

We found the real deal - same design as
the stuff we ordered but without the top
filigree. How beautiful is that.

Check out the cool ratchet assembly to keep it taut

End posts are beautiful, too

It is loaded down with 100 years of paint
but look how well it has held up

Segue. Need a horse
to tie up to this hitching post.

5 burners, a broiler/baker center oven, and a full
sized oven below for Turkeys and such.

Another more modest house, same vintage,
with wood rails top and bottom, and posts

Easily assembled with brads to hold it in place.
Newer fence but same design as House #1.

Sweet little entry

I did say this was a dream sequence, right?


 

The Royals

Whenever we turn over the soil, it becomes an archaeological dig of old steel spikes and wheels to old carts, glass and bricks, square headed nails, a broken toilet tank lid, and old rusty children's toys. We are repurposing them as accents to planting beds to honor the journey.

The story is real, of what this house has endured, the love and neglect and rebirth. We haven't found evidence to corroborate the great local story of the local sheriff's department sneaking through the cornfields to spy on the pot growers who lived here in the '70s, but I'm sure it's here somewhere.

Front yard on the day
we got the keys
 

We are situated back from the road a bit, with a 2500 SF lawn (green for now) that flanks a gravel drive. The drive continues just past the house to a workshop and garage, and beyond that it is flat with a few piles of leaves and limbs to burn when the Volunteer Fire Department tells us to. 

Looking out from the back stoop, you will see tiny lights miles away as the freeway cuts north, and everything else is open space. We've got the garden and some fruit trees within the yard and the Royals (the glorious 65-70 ft trees) dot the perimeter. There is no question that the Valley Oaks with their majestic and broad canopy are the most impressive, but my favorite tree is the Halloween looking Black Locust with its gnarled branches and crusty rough bark.

All this is a reminder that changes here tend to last. And so when we approached the idea of a perimeter fence it was quickly decided that it would have to balance and

www.arusticgarden.com

blend with what was here. The only hiccup is the recent visit by two coyotes to our drive, and so now it must also be able to safeguard what (and who) is inside.

There are no lights or sidewalks, and to clearly mark the entrance we will install a split rail fence along the road that turns up the drive. We've been saving two big metal wheels for end accents there.

There'll be a sweet territorial fence separating the adjacent property. Saplings with bark at different heights to create a focal point out of the kitchen and dining room windows. A house is just on the other side, a companion family home that is in distress, and is someone's project home and unoccupied.

Morning sky from the front yard

We located a Midwest manufacturer still makes an antique twisted metal fence that resembles a turn of the century design. The sample is lovely. They also offer matching custom gates, so likely this will section off the back yard in addition to being the perimeter fence, and the entertaining area will visually separate from the food producing areas and free roaming space for the girls.

That's on the docket for spring. We are having some rebuilding done of the front stairs and possibly adding a wider deck entry front and back, but we'll see how it goes. Praying for rain. Still.

The Hopeful Garden

Sam had a joy ride this morning first thing when she spied a bunny on the lawn.  She almost caught it too, and it would have been fun to see the shock on her face if she actually intercepted it. 

The garden was let go in December, a water shortage decision as much as from the disastrous freeze, and it was turned from and ignored, no water at all, no tending or training the tender broccoli stalks onto bamboo supports as planned. Yesterday was a knock-around day and the trees out front were getting a nice long drink from the well by this emboldened water thief in broad daylight, and I went around back to clean the beds. And lo and behold what I found were many happy little green cabbages and broccoli and cauliflower plants working hard to make a go of it.

I was proud.

The artichoke even chimed in with a baby thistle. The Bearded Iris and Daffodils are sprouting up, so sure they are of spring. They may be right: there is no winter weather in the foreseeable forecast.

To see them doing so well was a cause for celebration, so I hauled out the hose and tended everything green and living with a nice long drink, and vowed to wash dishes by hand if need be to redistribute water more effectively. 

An Arborist walked the land today and we talked trees. Our 60 footers are youngsters and not even halfway to their eventual 125 ft height. I closed my eyes and imagined the glory of them owning the sky, how many more bird families will find solace in their branches and a suitable place for raising their young. That is why the Great Horned Owls will come again and again.

I can already see home from the freeway before I hit the exit ~ miles away, and the Valley Oaks and Black Locusts and Canary Island pines stand clustered protectively around the home with the little bright light on the garage that shines from dusk til dawn. 

A definite yes to mindfulness of everything green, in peace and plenty.

Ravioli Casserole and Savory Pull Aparts

A recipe caught my eye during the week: a garlic, Italian seasoning and parmesan savory pull apart. It seemed like a good compliment to the family favorite Ravioli casserole with organic greens for tonight, so I tried it.

I didn't have some of the ingredients so I improvised.

I had a frozen Bridgestone 3 pack - and slightly thawed 2 loaves, cut in 1" ovals, and then quartered them. They needed to rest on the sideboard for about 15 minutes as I melted 1 stick of butter, added 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt, a bit of parsley, some black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.

Put all of it in a big enough bowl to add the bread slowly and coat it thoroughly without letting it stick together.

Next sprinkle slowly 2/3 c parmesan - we had a fresh combo of Romano
and Parmesan on hand - and coat, and turn into a 9x13 lasagna pan coated with cooking spray.

Cover with saran wrap that is sprayed with cooking oil and let rise for 2 1/2 hours on the counter.

The recipe calls for 350 for 25 minutes, but it took longer for these - 30 minutes or just slightly more, and an additional several minutes under the broiler because the sides browned well but not the center. 

The Ravioli casserole is a snap. Make your favorite spaghetti sauce (with or without meat), buy fresh or frozen ravioli (2 standard packs) and cook following instructions on the bag. You want them cooked al dente, meaning cooked about 2/3rds of the way, and drain and rinse. Shred 8 ozs or more of your favorite cheese - we use Parmesan and Romano always, and layer:

A little meat sauce on the bottom, then half the raviolis, cheese and sauce, and repeat. Save back 4 noodles and some cheese for the top. Cook 350 for 45 minutes until heated through.  It is great to freeze as we did and just thaw in a 325 oven for 3 hrs, or make ahead and refrigerate for next day dinner parties.

An Outside Smile

Almond Choc Chip scones

I awoke thinking I'd better sneak out with buckets of water just before dawn and water the trees.  

To take my mind off the not gardening choice, I've been in the kitchen.

The word came down from the Gov yesterday that we are in a bonafide drought and there's been a call for a 20% cut back. We've already been doing our share, and I'll gladly give up an additional load of wash or not use the dishwasher if I can repurpose it. I gave up the winter garden, but I won't give back the trees.

Corned beef for morning hash

Being on a well will be different in a drought. Other than the sulfur smell as the water table drops and less pressure, we are hearing there may be times we don't have water to the house. So for a while now we've been active with shorter showers, wearing our jeans more than a couple of days, and making sure wash loads are extra full.


Repurposed the pot rack

I'm finding things to do, like organizing my closet and decorating the pot rack above the kitchen sink.  There's decorating work to do in the guest rooms.

We are watching to see what will happen with our farmer friends with it just about planting season. We hear there are state and federal programs to help divert water to the fields. Several have 200+ acres of first-year fruit and nut trees.



Crème Brulee

An arborist is coming Monday. We've lost an Italian Cypress and there's a very sick pine, both of which have been dying since long before we arrived. There's also some sort of weedy invasive plant behind the shop that is in the way of a storage area we need to put up. 

Sparrows took up in the corner of the porch roof and they need to be shoo-ed out before repairing and closing that area that has been long neglected. We've got a gutter goal for 2014, and it is time to rebuild the narrow entry stairs which are a bit treacherous.


Artisan Bread

We invited a couple of gutter guys out for quotes - one with an after-market leaf guard product and the real LeafGuard fellas. We'll be getting one more quote and then deciding on the get-the-job-done-reasonably, but I'll tell you right now it won't be the LG guys. They were double the price. Good thing we didn't have the LG guys first - we might have signed up with other guy on the spot.

It is another beautiful day in Northern California, one that promises to be upwards of 70 degrees. I have decided that feeling guilty about it isn't going to make it rain any sooner. So today I will hang with the dogs, a chuck it and ball, a book, and just soak in the sun. 

Water Rights

Praying for rain.

The tap water is smelling sulfur stinky again, so it was off to the well to change the filter. This was my first trip into guy world to learn how it's done, and our well resembles something along the lines of pool filtration equipment, so I was not intimidated.

The Hubs turned off the water and let it drain from the filter area, wrenched off the lid with a black gizmo and it opened right up. Out with the *old* nasty brown stained three week old filter, and in with a shiny white one. Reseat. Relock. Repressurize. I've got this!

So why is it recycling finer mesh cotton filters are priced so high, and certainly can't we shop online for the best value?  Those use-and-toss filters are for the birds.  Under the circumstances, though, I'm not sure any type of filter would help.

This is our second winter @ the farm. Last winter it rained enough for our neighbor's crops to get plenty. This year, though ... this year we are Texas-parched in the rain department. Our reservoirs are ponds - and we are on the brink of statewide water rationing. For well folks, that means sometimes a community-wide choice is made for the water we share. When the water table dips this low, the garden and yards are sacrificed so there's enough for the house. Farmers have a livelihood to protect. So it's speed showers, fewer wash loads, dishes by hand. With the damaging deep freeze of early December, just a few weeks after planting the garden, I am less depressed knowing it didn't have much of a chance anyway.


Last spring we toyed with buying a used greenhouse and a nice one came up for sale: metal framed, hard plastic sides and top, latching slide door, durable in the kinds of wind we have that whips down  into the valley and build as it races along.  At the time, we decided we weren't ready for a greenhouse.

Wrong! The other day, Farmers Pal posted something that looked interesting. With an unfulfilling garden experience and some beautiful spring-like days, I am itching to hop on the tractor and level out a spot for it. 

A 2014 homestead goal is to have installed gutters for the house / shop. Some fascia boards are whittled away by moisture and age and need replacing. We've had a couple of gutter quotes and like leaf guard gutters the best -- one piece units that wrap the top of the gutter and leave a small opening for water to run into the trough but not catch the leaves. Lots of trees here and a high pitched roof, so it will be a worthwhile investment if it works.

Tomorrow the Hubs will meet with the contractor and gutter guy. And today, I'll haul a bucket out to the cabbage and cauliflower, and apologize again for neglecting them.  Today is also rotation day for the brining water for the olives. They are so plump and good tasting already, they might be ready by spring.

**The problem with the Internet ** for an overly enthusiastic idea- brained person is what germinates from so many good ideas. Take for instance this greenhouse idea.

We could find an old crusty enclosed gazebo castoff @ a yard sale and ...

God help the Hubs if I ever get seriously into Pinterest.

The Morning Sunrise

 

 

 

Artisan Bread and Garlic Lemon Chicken

One of my favorite online things to do is discover new recipes. There are oodles of cookbooks in the pantry and bookcase and I use them, but there's something fun about connecting with talented cooks from all over the web and learning from them.  What an awesome resource.

I had never made bread before, but always wanted to try. I've been intimidated by all that kneading and all the skills of knowing the right feel of a loaf before it goes into the oven. I've made Breadmaker bread, but really wanted to try something simple and Susan's recipe for Artisan Bread was the perfect first try. It was a total success.

Susan's hybrid recipe does not require leavening - has only 4 ingredients - and literally requires patience more than any complicated instructions. And best of all, it turned out every bit as good as any bakery.  Nice crust on all sides, soft and delicious inside, moist and flavorful -- and the loaf is huge!  You can find this and other delicious desserts and meals she dreams up at http://BerriesandCocoa.wordpress.com.

AWESOME ARTISAN BREAD         
This recipe is adapted from Jim Lahey’s My Bread, available on Amazon.com.

Ingredients:

5  3/4 cups bread flour, plus more for your work surface
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2  2/3 cups cool water

In a large bowl (KitchenAid with dough hook) combine the flour, yeast and salt. Turn mixer on low setting, adding the water slowly, while scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix well, combining ingredients thoroughly. The dough will be wet and sticky.  

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the bread sit 12-18 hours at room temperature. When the dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty and the top is dotted with tiny bubbles, then it is ready.

Next, lightly flour your hands and your work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Fold the dough over itself once or twice, then tuck under the ends to make a rough ball. Cover with floured towel or flour dusted waxed paper and let sit for two hours, or until doubled in size.

After 1.5 hours, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place large (6-8 quart size) covered dutch oven in the oven and let it preheat. This is the big secret to the artisan loaf – the hot dutch oven creates a mini bread oven! (If your dutch oven doesn’t have an ovenproof knob, cover with aluminum foil).

After two hours total, (dutch oven has been in the oven for 30 minutes to preheat) carefully remove pot from oven and “flip” dough over the pot, seam side up. If you need to, shake it a few times to evenly distribute in pan. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, then remove lid from pot and bake additional 10-15 minutes or until top of loaf is nice and crusty browned. Remove bread from pot and let cool completely on wire rack before cutting -- loaf will taste better if you let it cool.

--------------

GARLIC & LEMON CHICKEN WITH RED POTATOES & GREEN BEANS                  (FB anonymous)
(Gluten free. Low Carb, Diabetic Friendly)  - I made some modifications

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced and 1 juiced

4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Emeril seasoning

A small sprinkle of red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound trimmed green beans

8 small red potatoes (quartered), or 2 Idahos, cut in smallish cubes 

4 thawed chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Dutch oven 6 qt. Arrange lemon slices around bottom. Combine oil and seasonings and mix, set aside. Add chicken green beans and potatoes and toss to coat. Arrange chicken on top of lemon slices, then green beans, and top with potatoes.  Pour this mix over and roast uncovered 60 minutes until potatoes are done and crisped. Remove to serving dish.

The chicken was moist and green beans cooked just right, but the sauce was very flavorful, but thin. Next time I'll whisk in a teaspoon or two of flour and cook the roux for a couple of minutes, and ladle the thickened sauce over the chicken before serving.

Go with your Gut

This apparently was the off year of the every-other-one-is-a-great-Christmas rotation.

It started out strange being in the middle of the week and most everyone working the days before and after. We celebrated with the kids on the Saturday before, and the Hubs lost his pop, and we were just getting through the best we could. Add to that the cold/flu season and we had a day quite different than usual.

It's always great to spend time with family and of course the cornerstone of holidays around here is food. After a year of experimentation with canning and developing other recipes, I was excited to baste the last of the brandied fig sauce from our yard on the fresh spiral ham.

The dinner menu was: zucchini bake, scalloped potatoes, a fresh loaf of artisan bread, steamed green beans, ham, and homemade chocolates for dessert. The ham came out last, heated and glazed and -- does it look kinda weird to you?  We all gathered around and peered down at it. The edges crumbled away in our hands and as we opened the slices, the inside was slimy and had green spots. Oh lord. The only place this ham can go is in the trash.

It's 5pm and the sides are cooling on the counter as my sis-in and I frantically scrounge through the freezer and fridge trying to come up with a main course. Raviolis? Perfect! We cooked them up, tossed them with a pesto cheese and butter sauce ~ and had an all carb Christmas dinner with chocolates and wine.  And after dinner, everyone kept nodding off, even without the tryptophan.

On the 26th we enjoyed a redeemingly nice breakfast, except for the dogs who got into our nephew's backpack upstairs and chewed up a plastic pill box containing one Zoloft pill. Not poisonous to dogs, thankfully, but Lily did spend the rest of the day drugged out and sprawled across the sofa with her head hanging off the edge, looking around absent-mindedly.

I am looking forward with glee to the on-year Christmas of 2014, sans ham and *always* with a main dish back up.

Liebster Award: CityFolk Farmers

Thank you, Berries and Cocoa for nominating CityFolk Farmers for the Liebster Award.  Susan's food blog is a lot of fun and I hope you will check it out: http://berriesandcocoa.wordpress.com

The Liebster award is intended to give some exposure to small blogs with less than 200 followers. Here are the rules:

1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you
3. Nominate 3-11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers
4. Go to the blogs you nominated and notify them of your nomination
5. Give your nominees 11 questions to answer.

My Answers:

1. What famous person, living or dead, would you most want to have dinner with?  Martin Luther King, Jr.

2. Who inspires you? Why?  I am inspired by those who overcome adversity and keep their hopeful spirit. My son inspires me. My father. 

3. Describe your ideal day.  Waking up early and having time to blog, play ball with the dogs and then work in the garden.  In the afternoon, I'd be planning a nice meal with the veggies I picked and have an hour to spare in the afternoon to read.

4. What travel spot is the highest on your bucket list?  To see the change of seasons in the East Coast

5. What qualities do you most admire in others?  An adventurous spirit and the fearless pursuit of a dream.

6. What is your least attractive trait?  Shyness

7. What is your favorite movie of all time and why?  To Kill a Mockingbird, because the story captures a fascinating time in our nation's history and explores life from a multi dimensional perspective.

8. If you could choose one career and be guaranteed of success, what would it be?  Archaeologist

9. If money were no object, where would you live and why?  I would be a rich, anonymous philanthropist traveling the world between my houses in England (history), Italy (art and culture), Tahiti (chillin') and Vermont (beauty).

10. What makes you smile?  Kindness

11. Describe where you want to be in 10 years. Right where I am: on the farm, with crops to tend and animals, with my wonderful husband.

My Questions:

 1. How long have you been publishing on the web?

 2. What are you most known for?

 3. A favorite memory.

 4. If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?

 5.  Biggest influence in your life.

 6. One lasting change you would make in the world.

 7. Favorite food you would eat every day if you could.

 8. Biggest achievement (so far):

 9. Number of cities you have lived.

 10. Age of your oldest friendship.

 11. Biggest dream.

Nominations: http://nonesuchexists.blogspot.com/     NoneSuchExists http://lifejourneythere2here.blogspot.com/  Life Journey https://www.facebook.com/McNutties    McNutties http://debsheadstick.blogspot.com/         The Things That Come Out of My Head

2014

It is a new, unwritten page today, as a new year begins.

The Oasis

I loved 2013. Wonderful people wandered into our lives and we deepened old friendships. The dirt became something, a small garden at first, that grew and flourished, and then an ugly corner of the yard became an oasis. From there came dawning hope for a someday yard with imagined fruit trees and lavender and a sprinkler system and fence.

Our Little Slice

We got the hang of the tractor and riding mower, and those tools helped ideas take shape. Mistakes were made and fixed. We had little pup-friendly getaways - Mendocino for the Hubs' birthday,  Monterey for mine, and a Tahoe Thanksgiving.

We hurtled ourselves into things unimaginable a year ago - fostering a pit bull for instance, and learning to live with copious amounts of bunnies and birds. We learned how to fight back hard against frozen pipes, coyotes and ground squirrels.

Shrimp Veggie Saute

Harvesting things from the yard was a thrill: pomegranates and figs and garden veggies. We learned all sorts of things about storing and canning and cooking more organically. This winter's olive harvest was much better than the last, and we saw the payout from all those months of fertilizing and watering. We planted and watch the fruit trees struggle, and now we are invested in learning more to help them grow. As we find balance, the earth transforms us.

Red Pepper Jelly

I hated 2013. It was a brutal reminder of how fleeting life is, as things we clung to were swept away. We faced the truth that the hippie generation never envisioned themselves to be the elders and are now old and gray. It is up to us to remember the old ways and family folklore and pass it down along with our own stories.

Great Horned Owls

It was an unsettling year as retirement looked us straight in the eye. It was a year of preparing for it just outside the door, and for thanksgiving to be standing on this little piece of land and in a more affordable, sustainable life before than inevitable knock.

What 2013 gave us was the chance to accept the never ending nature of change, and the hard purposeful work ahead. Admittedly we know very little of the reciprocal world of plant/grow/yield/repeat, but that will come.

We will change, pace ourselves, adapt, and thrive. Here's to 2014.