The Great Monsoon of 2015

Its not appearing very likely the first round of hay will ever be cut.  The rain is still coming, each day and every day.  Maybe Mother Nature drank too much dandelion wine and forgot to turn the sprinklers off.  It happens...

I'm behind horribly with the garden weeding.  A broken arm set things back quite a bit.  Though I did get some great help with the barn and now it is all back in place again.  I'll tackle the garden over my long Fourth of July weekend break from corporate life. 

I'm not sure what will be made of it though. It already looks like the radishes and cilantro have drowned, and the peppers are beyond suffering.  But the garlic, lettuce and corn look great! I was finally able to harvest some lettuce and make the first salad of the season.  That made tolerating all the rain a tad easier.  Fresh lettuce is so much nicer than store-bought.
 

I made some lovely cheesy, onion and bacon scalloped potatoes to go along...

New bunnies have made their appearance.  There two larger ones, and now two more that are only a few days old.  That's another thing I have to get a handle on.  It's well over due time for a grand slaughter of older chickens and bunnies.  And the pig will be ready soon too.  I'm down to a couple hams, a tongue, some blade steaks, and miscellaneous other cuts, but only a mere pound of the coveted bacon! 

A break finally

Yesterday evening I baked a loaf of bread, made some croutons from a slice or two, then figured I probably should have salad to go with that, and a little blue cheese and balsamic dressing, only because I had to have "something" to go with my wine, right? 

The weather has finally turned for the better and the temperature will reach 45 degrees today, which should melt off the last bits of snow.  Have a lovely Friday ~ A

A beautiful sunrise

Better weather on the horizon



It's still well below freezing this morning.  When I left for work the temperature had only reached 10 degrees.  But we're supposedly heading for a high of 20, and on Saturday they are predicting a high of 46 degrees, so it will feel like spring.  Sort of... The animals will be happy to get out and about.

Still no signs of the goat giving birth.  Though I'm glad that no babies were born during this week's freezing weather.

In going along with my "eat like a European" plan, last night's dinner was left-over roasted rooster tossed onto a salad with balsamic dressing and a few homemade croutons.  It was enough.

 

 

Summer Salads

I love good salads.  Not the crappy iceberg, tasteless, store-bought tomatoes and french dressing versions of yesteryear, but real salads that are a meal in themselves.  And it's summer, so the fresh and in-season ingredient possibilities for your salads are nearly endless.

The other day I had some just-picked green beans on hand.  So I roasted them along with garlic, onions and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  Then I piled a plate high with romaine and cucumbers.  Feeling even more adventurous, I took some day-old homemade bread, tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, and made some fresh baked croutons.  Finally, I added freshly grated Parmesan, and drizzled on some homemade dressing. I adored every bite.

Red Wine / Dijon Vinaigrette

3 T. Red Wine Vinegar
2 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Dijon Mustard
Pinch of sugar
Fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Whisk all ingredients together well and toss into your salad.  Enjoy!