Mornin'!

What a beautiful morning!

What a wonderful sunrise!

The air conditioning is finally off, the windows are open, and wow the sun is shining!

Ginny - This is your little gal. She has "racing stripes" on her eyes. She's gonna be a beauty for sure.

I've got a busy day ahead but wanted to get some notes in and a quick update on our crazy hatch.  We now have a total of 15 (or sixteen?) chicks - all one or two days apart. I moved them our of their brooder and into a kiddie in the basement.

The mob. I love how they are all in a clump.

A kiddie pool is a great grow-out area for babies. They are cheap (this one was $9), easy to clean, provides a 'wind break' to keep the breeze out, and gives them plenty of space to run around. Yesterday I snuck up on them and they were all sprawled in all directions - kinda like someone threw a chick grenade and there was little chick shrapnel everywhere. They are just hilarious.

Monday we had three new arrivals - including this little guy. I had to help pip him out of his shell... but he's doing just fine. See that the pine bedding gets into everything. I put their waterer on a plastic lid and it keeps it much cleaner than this. I use empty cat food cans as feeders for these little ones.

Little Baldy is still their leader. Here he's making sure that the new arrivals are well supervised.

Planting notes for the square garden (sorry for the cryptic notes, folks, this is just a list so I remember):

Starting in the corner by the gate:
Sunflowers
Borage
Beets
Carrots
Swiss chard

Next to the far gate:
Beans + sunflowers

By bee balm:
Beats + radishes (??? dang, now I cant remember!)

Seedlings:
Broccoli + cabbage

Row nearest fence:
Butternut squash

Long row before raised bed:
Swiss chard
Carrots
Spinach


Happy Wednesday everyone!

Fall Planting

This week I'm finishing up my fall planting. Can you believe it? Actually I feel a little bit behind.

Grow, little cabbage, grow!

The crazy spring we had - with everything getting into the ground a month late - has really taken its toll on productivity. By now I should have a lot more produce. I'm hoping that a big crop of broccoli, greens, beets, and cabbage will keep our grocery costs low this winter. And heaven forbid I actually grow a carrot! This could be the year, folks, keep your fingers crossed!

Normally our first frost is mid-October. So I still have time for "short season" varieties. Around here most of the seeds have been taken off the shelves (what's with that?). But I can still get some great cool weather, short growing seeds from Ed Hume. The website isn't fancy - but the shipping costs are low ($2 for me!) and they have a good variety. Plus I honestly believe they care about customer service - and its a smaller company, which I like.

I'm also going to be working on some infrastructure so next spring will go smoother. For instance, our big productive garden space - the Square Garden - was too wet to till most of the spring and even summer. So it just laid there growing weeds. I was finally able to mow it off and till it under... but wow. I don't want another wet spring and not have workable soil. So I'm going to work on some permanent raised beds. I've wanted them for a long time but its been the initial investment (materials to build) that has been holding me back. But you know me, I think I can hill billy-up something. And I think I can lay the foundation of a hoop house/covered garden like some of your folks have. I'd love to be able to have fresh greens thru the winter.

So that's what I'm working on this week. I think we got a break in the weather so we should have cooler temperatures and tons of sunshine.

How about you? Anybody else working on fall planting?

Happy Monday!

'Maters!

The tomatoes are ready! Whoot! Just went and picked a big basket full of these lovelies.

So I'm working on sauce today.....

Whatcha doing?

Economic woes take their toll on Nicholas: Hard Day #4

The events of yesterday and the lingering exhaustion over the debt ceiling debate have left Nicholas exhausted. It was a hard day indeed, the fourth of 3 previous very hard days.

Nicholas hasn't moved from here since yesterday - except to eat and chase Little Mo

At this writing he's still in the same spot - on the counter - asleep, with eyes about half open, and paws chasing a dream mouse. While he's glad our not-so-super-Congress got their act together to resolve the FAA funding issue....he's resting up to see what new hell will happen after the opening bell for the Markets today.

Chin up, Nicholas, today may be our best day yet! If not, we're just gonna keep on keepin' on. And if nothing else, I'll come inside when we hit a heat index of 100* and we'll finish reorganizing the kitchen.

Wait! Is he getting up? No... just rolling over.

Onward and upward, folks! Now get out there, do some gardening, put up some tomato sauce, and fry yourself up a big slab of ham for supper. Least ways, that's what I'm gonna do.

Nicholas's Hard Day #1
Nicholas's Hard Day #2
Nicholas's Hard Day #3
Nicholas's Hard Day #4
Nicholas's Hard Day #5
Nicholas's Hard Day #6 
Nicholas's Hard Day #7
Nicholas's Hard Day#8
Nicholas's Hard Day #9 
Nicholas's Hard Day #10

Happy Friday everyone!

While we're all complaining....

Friends, I have to tell you I am one of the 70%+ of folks who are utterly disgusted by the goings on in DC. This whole debate debacle has been nothing short of an embarrassment to the country, a source of fear to many, and has made more than a few of our leaders look very, very bad.

I don't pretend to have a solution and I don't have a "side"... well... strike that.. I do have a side. I'm on the side of the American people who've had just about enough.  And who watched with outrage when Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed some of our troops in Afghanistan. Any body else get a sick feeling when the soldiers were most concerned about whether or not they were gonna get paid? "Here son, take your gun and go and storm that target - maybe you'll have the rent money for your wife and kids, maybe not." Just shameful.

So the legislation ingloriously passed. And we're....saved?  Until, of course, it comes up again and the hostages in all of this will be older people and our soldiers. I don't see any of them boys in Washington volunteering their wages - or their staff's pay - to be the first to be cut if the new "super Congress" doesn't reach an agreement.

The only good thing that I can come up with about all of this is that some of the ridiculous legislation that's been coming up won't have any way to be funded. I'm talking about the milk police, the new DOT proposition to require farmers to have CDL's to operate vehicles, and one particularly disturbing Executive Order that got passed when everyone was more concerned about former Congressman's Weiner's tweeted wanker.

Our pal and fellow blogger, Veggie PAK, has written a couple posts about this summarizing what some of this means, starting here. Now don't get out your tin foil hat, folks, this really is something everyone should do your research on and decide for yourself what it all means. Search for yourself on "EO13575" and "Agenda 21" in your home state. I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, but I sure can't come up with any reason why the DOD is all that concerned about rural America.

Maybe "they" really do just want to put in a health care clinic and get some decent cell phone coverage and high speed out here. But based on what I've been seeing lately?  The amount of controlling legislation and the heavy handed ways it being enforced?  I dunno. 

Don't think any of this affects you? What happens when all our food production is forced out of the country - to, say,  somewhere like China. And they decide they are tired of feeding us...and they want their money back that they loaned us. Then what? Or what if you are one of the millions of people currently struggling financially and you find out food prices are going up AGAIN because your local farmer has to pay over $100 per employee (and family member) so they can legally drive a farm vehicle - a couple of times a year. We should not be making it harder to grow food, friends, we should be making it easier. For all our sakes. 

Between this rainy, cloudy morning and this heavy topic I'm feeling a little low. So here's some good news - we had two... wait! Make that THREE more chicks have hatched in the incubator! When all is said and done I'll do a post on how NOT to have a hatch.

Let's all buoy each other up today, folks, take a deep breath, and think about adorable little chicks... while keeping a eye on all these goings on.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Epic baked salami sandwich

You may not be able to handle this one - are you ready?.... behold. The Best Sandwich Ever!

The other day we were watching Lidia Bastianich and she was making these amazing sandwiches - so I just had to give it a try. Turns out they are our new favorite lunch treat - and so easy! I was only half listening to the show so it took me a while to find the actual recipe just now. You can find it here. The first time I made these I just guessed the dough recipe. All I heard her say was "about a cup and a half of water" and I just worked it out from there. The dough is just flour, water, and yeast - how easy is that? I used about a cup of whole wheat which is while my breads are little more "rustica."

After your dough has risen, cut it in half and form into rounds. Get two cast iron skillets ready and start cranking your oven to about 450*. And sure, no one wants to heat up the kitchen during the summer.. but psstt..make the dough at night, put in the fridge, then bake in the morning.

Pat the dough flat and then put in your skillet. I add a bit of olive oil  in the bottom of the pan to make the crust extra crispy. Stretch the dough until it fills the bottom of the pan. Cover to rise about 20- 30 minutes or until light.

See? It kinda puffs up a bit. Oven hot? Pop them in until its barely light brown - about 15 minutes. Take the breads out of the skillets and let cool on a rack for a few minutes - until you can easily handle them.

Now this is the hardest part - cut the top off the baked bread. Careful! Don't cut your hand. Just use the longest serrated knife you have and kinda turn the bread slowly as you are sawing into it.

See? Easy peasy and no one ended up in the ER! Yay!

Then fill them up with whatever grabs you - on this day I did 2 kinds of cheese, salami, ham, basil, olives and some marinated peppers. On her show Lidya did roasted veggies in one and sausage and greens in another. Today (Monday) I slathered on a layer of pesto, provolone, salami, ham, and goat cheese.

Now here's the best part - put the top back on and then put it all BACK in the hot oven for about 10 or 12 minutes - until the cheese is melty, and the bread is a lovely golden brown.

Cut into wedges and serve them up.  How much fun is that? They can easily be reheated in a toaster oven, or are fine cold. The best thing is  - you can stuff them with pretty much anything.

So now you know what I'm having for lunch - whatcha making to sustain you these days?

Happy Tuesday!

Hey thats GREAT! And some aw shucks-ing

Hey! It's a Shout Out day for some of my online pals! Oh golly did I get some fun news and I just had to share....

First, remember my pal J from Insurgent Chickens? The story continues and I just had to tell you about the great turn of events. You can also hear it from the man himself over on his blog...but here's the story. J is doing such a great job with his farmin' in a limited space... and I loved to hear about how he was "share cropping" on a friend's land. They had some extra dirt, he had the gumption - so they worked together to put in a plot of taters. Wow what a great partnership!

But wait there's more... my friend BBH mentioned that she wanted to get more creepy meat chickens but was holding off because she really needed some help on butcher day. And guess what - BBH lives kinda close to J....and he really needed more space if he was going to do more chickens....and BBH needed butcher help...and the light bulb went off in my little head. So I made the introduction - and they made the connection....and now BBH is raising the chickens and J will head over for butcher day. Now THAT'S great team work. I'm really proud of both of my pals for figuring out a way to work together for the benefit of them both. And I can't wait to hear the story about butcher day.Yay team!

And for the aw shucks-in'... I loved that Coco Over at Galician Garden gave me the Versatile Blogger award. Yay! Thanks baby! She has a beautiful site - be sure to check it out.  I received this award before but I have to tell you - I just love this kind of thing. So thanks again, Coco! I think these awards are a fun way to recognize each other and to be introduced to new folks.

So here are the rules - thank the person who gave you the award, link back to them - of course, and then pass the award on to other folks (and be sure to tell them about it). Then you must give seven fun facts about yourself.

I really thought you knew everything about me as you read  here.  But OK maybe I still have a few secrets:

1. I can free dive to over 50 feet - probably close to 60 feet. Its true. I used to spend a lot of time in Hawaii and I can snorkel and free dive with the best of them. Someone once called me Jackie Cousteau and I thought that was pretty funny.

2. I don't like bananas. Or banana flavored stuff. The smell of baking banana bread makes me want to barf. I say no more on this.

3. I'm a total sci-fi nerd. I think you know this but I don't think you know how bad it is. I have a Christmas tree ornament of the Enterprise. It lights up and everything. I love it.

4.  I don't like team sports. I don't like to play them or watch them. One time I went to a pro baseball game (under duress) and after the first seven hours got bored and started to read a book. Some of the drunken fans screamed at me for not caring about their game. Really? And you think a drunk fool yelling at me is gonna make me want to come back? Really?

5. One of the best days of my life (besides my wedding to The Big Man, of course) was a spectacular summer day in my early 20's. The first time I went to Europe I was on one of those tours - you know the company, the guy from PBS? And when we got to Switzerland I just couldn't leave. So I abandoned the tour, waved goodbye to the bus, and hiked the high roads in the Lauterbrunnen valley alone. It was perfect.

6. My father was a Thud pilot, its where I get my 'hell yeah.' This will mean something to some of you - like Chai Chai's The Commander - and it might just make some of you take a step back and say "Well that explains a lot."

7.  The chickens are the best part of my farm day. I can't help it - I love them and don't care who knows.

Since I've passed this award along before I'll  remind everyone who I choose. And... I'd love to give J at Insurgent Chickens this fine award for all his good work.

Happy Monday everyone!