*Whew* ---It's been a stupid busy time.
Before I tell you anything more, I must admit to being the worst/most sporadic blogger on the planet. There's always so much to do here on the farm daily, all seasons 'round. That ends up cancelling out blogging time, sad to say. I'm usually actively working on this place or making $$$ to keep it going. I promise, I'm going to do much better going forward.
As an example of my hectic schedule, I've spent the last three months painting & producing Artwork for my art contract, also attending to the usual list of chores most farms and homes have. Seems like somebody's going behind me and adding things to list when I'm not looking.
Working this place solo has it's blessings but there's a list of curses, too, like having to climb a 12 ft ladder to clean leaves out of the gutters. NOT my idea of a swell time. Other chores of note: standing in my truck door with a hornet's nest sprayer hoping it really does spray 15 feet like the label says. Just in case the manufacturer stretched the truth a tiny bit, the truck is running and my plan is to jump in and gun it in reverse the second I finish spraying. Thankfully, the manufacturer didn't exaggerate one whit. Those hornets have threatened me several times and stung my big guy King, my Catahoula Leopard dog I adore. Can't have that here on the farm.
Then there was jump-starting my ole' riding lawn mower, euphemistically titled "lawn tractor", an egregiously misleading moniker. It mows as long as I can keep it running, once caught on fire with me ON it ( I didn't think I could move that fast), and has more aches and pains than I do. I git 'er done, though, no matter what obstacles I trip across.
There's always the fun stuff, like making home-made pasta, which I took a stab at over the weekend. I grow my own organic herbs and dehydrate & jar them. While I sell some of my savory herbs in my Etsy store, I use most of what I grow for my own kitchen.
I use coffee filters made into baskets with a little twine to achieve initial drying, then a dehydrator to finish them. That initial coffee filter step eliminates any chance of mold later on. I have to say there is no comparison between store-bought grocery store herbs that've been sitting first in a warehouse and then store shelves for months, and the real deal you grow yourself. Most herbs are super-easy, no-fuss propositions. More on this in another post.
Here's the Pasta I made, a Pork Ragu that had the whole house smelling like Italian heaven. (I used a recipe for 3 egg pasta dough I'm happy to share if you'd like it.
( I'm thinking that's the next blog entry. )
This was some next-level yummy. Like, you-make-animal-noises-when-you-eat-it yummy. Shave a lil fresh Parm on there and who needs a restaurant, amiright ?!? *Note the fresh Parsley scattered on top that I grew on my front deck*
As for current projects, I'm getting ready to re-finish counter tops and make OOAK hand-painted ceramic tiles to create a backsplash for my kitchen sink. I've often worked with ceramic and glass mosaic tiles before so I'm well-prepared for the job & the messy grouting required. I plan to use Alcohol Inks to create each tile, using a specific
My kitchen wall color is very much like sample # 24 from the paint chart listed above. That's what I'll be working with. I look forward to adding this customized designer touch to my wee galley kitchen.
As usual, I have a list of tasks to complete before the dinner bell sounds. Which is fairly silly cuz I'm the one who rings it. Ah,well, you know what I meant.
Wishing you a comfortable transition from the caprices of Summer to the cozy sleepiness of pumpkin-scented Fall. More soon, I promise ~
Warmly,
Susi
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