Britesea - Living the good life in rural Oregon

[Britesea]

Today was work in the house day. I got all the dishes done, ground up dozens of eggshells for the ducks (I don't have a processor so I used my mortar and pestle), cleaned the stove up for the repair guy, mopped the kitchen floor, did laundry, and paid the bills.

Didn't have to cook today, because DH decided to grill steaks. I added sweet corn and pickled beets to the plate. I'll have to wait until I'm sure the oven is working before I plan tomorrow's supper. If it works, I might make scalloped potatoes with ham; if not it will be zuppa toscana (very similar to the sausage and cream soup that Olive Garden makes).

Tomorrow is supposed to have thunderbumpers. I'm praying for no hail because I don't have covers for all the beds. I'll try to get some stuff planted if it doesn't rain too much.

I'll try to take some pictures, but really- the garden is nothing special yet.

 

[Denim Deb]

It's a garden, so that makes it special.

 

[Britesea]

I picked up my trike yesterday (yay!) and ran a few small errands around town, then got together with some of my townie friends to solve the world's problems over coffee
Today I finished paying bills and tweaking the budget. Then spent some time in the garden potting up herbs. The small pile of compost is nearly finished, so I spent time sifting out the finished stuff to add to the pots until it got too warm for me. I'm just not used to this hot weather yet!
In about an hour, I'll be able to go out again and spend more time potting and watering, while DS builds the last 4 raised bed frames. Then we need to fill them with soil and I can finally plant the rest of the garden. The tomato boxes just need a squirt of caulking to hold the fill hose in place and then they will be ready for filling and planting as well. I'm not sure how many days this will take; I can't seem to keep going all day like I used to.

Pork Sofrito on the menu for tonight, plus a green salad (longing for the day when I can use my own greens!) and baked bananas for dessert.

 

[Denim Deb]

I'm having problems going all day as well.

 

[SSDreamin]

I had to look up Pork Sofrito, as I'd never heard of it before - I found a roasted version with pork butt roast that sounds like a yummy variation on carnitas that I really want to try, but would you be willing to part with your recipe? Please???

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I think Britesea just needs to publish a cookbook!

 

[Britesea]

Actually, I posted the recipe, as well as a simple meal using it and canned diced pork in the Kitchen, under Convenience Foods. I learned to make Sofrito from the Puerto Rican mother of a boyfriend I had once. I wish she had taught me her version of tamales as well... she used plantains (not the herb, the banana analog) and she would never tell me what was inside. I think I saw something that looked suspiciously like tripe though. Whatever it was, it was heavenly!

As far as a cookbook, I'm still working on an herbal book that covers herbs I can find or grow in my part of the world without too much trouble.

We had a pretty hot day for our neck of the woods- thermostat read 92F on the porch. I stayed inside and did stuff on the computer and did the dishes. Should have done laundry but I guess I'll do that tomorrow.

After it cooled off, I got the mild chilies planted, and the one and only summer squash my DH will allow me to plant, lol. The next bed over will be planted with beets and rat's tail radishes as soon as I finish digging it over and smoothing the surface.

I tried to ride my new trike, but I guess I better do it in the morning, when I have more energy, because I couldn't get it going enough to take the small rise on the driveway. I am SO out of shape!

I've covered the salad greens with an A frame of burlap to give them some shade, and when it was reading 92 today, I went out and wet down the burlap to make a sort of swamp cooler for them; when I stuck my hand inside, it was definitely cooler inside. I'm hoping that will keep them from bolting so quickly.

Simple meal tonight: oven fried chicken, pasta with kale in a carbonara, and a cooked rhubarb pudding.

 

[Britesea]

I finally took some pictures of the garden. I posted them in a thread in the Gardening section... it hadn't been posted in for years, but I'd rather use a thread that already exists rather than start another one. Now that I have done this... I expect all of you to post pics of your gardens too! And no excuses about it not looking good, cuz mine is nothing special either, as I said before!

 

[hqueen13]

I have pics of my little garden I need to post... I also have some plants I need help identifying!

 

[Denim Deb]

When I'm done getting it in, I will. I'm also planning on posting some pics of what I had to deal w/B4 I could get it planted!