tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74480896972947955882024-02-19T17:17:34.039-05:00Living the DreamMy horses, food, random rants, hot buttons, maybe an occasional rave...ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.comBlogger400125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-73924181030265599652020-12-01T10:21:00.006-05:002020-12-01T10:39:21.908-05:00Corn - 2020Oh my. I really haven't kept up with my blog have I? Over 4 months since my last post?<br /><br />
Of course, 2020 has been a complete and total disaster. Between the plague. The riots. And the circus that politics has become. Not to mention natural disasters - record hurricane season, late season snow (9 May!), early season snow (30 October!) and we even had an earthquake here off the coast of Massachusetts!<br /><br />
And...truth is, I've had not much of anything going on!<br /><br />
<hr width=50%/>
<br />But! I <b>always</b> try to keep track of...corn!<br /><br />
Corn was late this year. Spring was cold and wet. The first native (not local) corn was in the farm stands on 15 July.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5EZ56YzduK-fbvovbJqlrMM6ew1BmoxDepmyDEXQfkGBFMgE2J0b1jD-64jbl1Odyy9ct0wKySc7oFpHdrWjFwdNqhCEEGziJwr9olzt2Nq3y58IkexPEX7d-x1GEtVEjLD4lLZ8mvdc/s1152/FirstCorn-Jul15-not-local.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="1" width="600" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5EZ56YzduK-fbvovbJqlrMM6ew1BmoxDepmyDEXQfkGBFMgE2J0b1jD-64jbl1Odyy9ct0wKySc7oFpHdrWjFwdNqhCEEGziJwr9olzt2Nq3y58IkexPEX7d-x1GEtVEjLD4lLZ8mvdc/s600/FirstCorn-Jul15-not-local.JPG"/></a></div>
<center>This was from Northampton or Deerfield 15 July</center>
<br />
It was very good corn actually. I never did try any corn from Connecticuit or New Jersey this year.
<br /><br />
The first local corn in the farm stands on 25 July. Yes that's <b>very</b> late.
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVNuZndgNoD1vZUqF8cNmLrCaXVlmAFqdnHiPNocIcrF6FQOkvY82ktv7fVqtTL_0sat8dFTeikmJ32_djsMz3kCVX7sekIASeMyJo67yQNCJdtCNJuvARnrmdTscTCEWrGShC5m1gDfm/s663/FirstCorn-Jul25.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="1" width="600" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="663" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVNuZndgNoD1vZUqF8cNmLrCaXVlmAFqdnHiPNocIcrF6FQOkvY82ktv7fVqtTL_0sat8dFTeikmJ32_djsMz3kCVX7sekIASeMyJo67yQNCJdtCNJuvARnrmdTscTCEWrGShC5m1gDfm/s600/FirstCorn-Jul25.JPG"/></a></div>
<center>Local corn, 25 July (<a href="http://www.arcadianfarms.com/">Arcadian Farms</a>)</center>
<br />
Arcadian Farms had the best of the local corn this year. It really wasn't a good year for corn and none of it was outstanding. The <b>last</b> of the corn was around 7 or 8 October. Yes <b>very</b> early. I was able to snag a few ears after but basically the locals just stopped picking because it wasn't worth the trouble.
<br /><br />
Interestingly enough I did discover <b>Charles River Farm</b> near where I live. An honor system farm stand with a fairly wide selection of produce. They had corn regularly but it wasn't their own. They'd buy it every morning from the markets in the city and it usually came....from of all places...<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy,_Massachusetts">Quincy</a>! The corn was always good and I'll be very happy to support them next season. I just love fresh summer produce!<br /><br />
I do rememeber however my very last ear of native corn this year was on 23 October from Calabrese Farms in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwick,_Massachusetts">Southwick, Massachusetts</a>. I was driving by and I swear I thought I was seeing things but there, on a hill behind the farm stand, they still had corn!
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-72045250789031541562020-07-23T18:55:00.000-04:002020-07-23T18:55:04.651-04:00Just *Amazing*!So. Our President. The President of the United States of America. "Passed" a cognitive impairment test and it's just *amazing*. How on earth did you do that?!<br /><br />
Are we...like...supposed to ...um...not realize <b>anyone</b> that's not "cognitively impaired" can "pass" a "cognitive impairment" test?<br /><br />
This is <b>not</b> a "skills" test. It is <b>not</b> not an IQ test.<br /><br />
Ay yi yi. Our President. The President of the United States of America is <b>bragging</b> he "passed" passed an Alzheimer's test.<br /><br />
<b>Seriously</b> people. Anyone that doesn't have [pre] Alzheimer's can pass an Alzheimer's test.<br /><br />
It was a <b>hard</b> test. No. No. it's an <b>easy</b> test. Anyone <b>not</b> "cognitively impaired" should find it's <b>easy</b>.<br /><br />
<b>Seriously</b>. "What day of the week is this?" is not a hard question. I admit I'm having a hard time keeping track of what day of the week it is ...but..but ya...I really do know what day of the week it is without having to think very hard about it.
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-26936381401192721862020-05-31T15:17:00.000-04:002020-05-31T15:20:00.002-04:00Stimulus!Oh look! Donald Trump sent me a check!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMciFLJKa8nYfEwV8upiGEeAvpcZ_eezdD8IwWAjc_jF1wGQmgttXfk5UYfQIlcafgIJgoRCjE_ajLy0V-NkEhQ4I9ZiaTqJfnNjFM3CFEpij7xNGJt_irRadM6-pD2-ZdLIJYzXPckOH/s1600/StimulusCheck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMciFLJKa8nYfEwV8upiGEeAvpcZ_eezdD8IwWAjc_jF1wGQmgttXfk5UYfQIlcafgIJgoRCjE_ajLy0V-NkEhQ4I9ZiaTqJfnNjFM3CFEpij7xNGJt_irRadM6-pD2-ZdLIJYzXPckOH/s640/StimulusCheck.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="1122" data-original-height="748" /></a></div>
<center>I'm gonna vote for him!</center>
<br />
Seriously! Out of touch much?<br /><br />
Weeks later I get a letter. Cue sinister music. From the IRS!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgJrq2XXThDXXMT1YZ6KI7-MsA40Z_f3CfAUWCgFaAVy-c87SHCYOead1nv8uroQ66NJnvwTYmlYm2vN2eLUlDs-NtOB4Hyp-Ee3Cga9Su0TqGJBuE6WJYobjLRB-5IM-8yEHsCxdr7vA/s1600/Envelope.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgJrq2XXThDXXMT1YZ6KI7-MsA40Z_f3CfAUWCgFaAVy-c87SHCYOead1nv8uroQ66NJnvwTYmlYm2vN2eLUlDs-NtOB4Hyp-Ee3Cga9Su0TqGJBuE6WJYobjLRB-5IM-8yEHsCxdr7vA/s640/Envelope.JPG" width="640" height="426" data-original-width="898" data-original-height="598" /></a></div>
<center>Nobody wants one of these!</center>
<br />
Seriously? Nobody....<b>nobody</b> wants an "official business" letter from the IRS! Like. Oh crap! Maybe they didn't like that good faith estimate of 40 year old capital gains? Am I gonna lose my house? Am I going to end up in jail?!<br /><br />
Ha! No! It's a letter from the effin' White House! Telling me I got a stimulus check! <br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0pGYs0YjQZeF_mSxNS0_iZ1nSbb905dmlBvA5Spnhq46AG2W98NUGYH5y6edTp5xAl7SuzGGHZ1PArYlLrMBhD6cOTDdaE6PhtWpwnQdvmBw_YRkdgMzrM0Ys7w_8AY-Mmo_5cqyAztL/s1600/Letter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0pGYs0YjQZeF_mSxNS0_iZ1nSbb905dmlBvA5Spnhq46AG2W98NUGYH5y6edTp5xAl7SuzGGHZ1PArYlLrMBhD6cOTDdaE6PhtWpwnQdvmBw_YRkdgMzrM0Ys7w_8AY-Mmo_5cqyAztL/s640/Letter.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="1053" data-original-height="702" /></a></div>
<center>Seriously. W. T. F.</center>
<br />
Ya. Go ahead and scare me half to death.<br /><br />
"Our great country". Ya. America is broken. It won't be fixed in my lifetime. It might never be fixed. The beginning of a failed nation? It's nobody's fault and it's everybody's fault. The Republicans broke America. But the Democrats let them do it.<br /><br />
I'm sorry. I don't usually share potentially controversial political opinion. But that letter <b>really</b> pissed me off.ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-39332935438413186352020-05-10T15:36:00.001-04:002020-05-10T15:36:52.026-04:00Winter Says "Not So Fast"Ya. That's snow.<br /></br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqzLL-rXMs4YGjZrSKvoaiwHAaIwT1n7C1jaP8-01Pzug90r27LwnqDg9z6Tz7v0XCYBtdBUo8JGkIf2tfo9sTnXTd_T6GzCHz7OREsTrS3XX-qoi__cyRwmYZM7ZGUL6WdnMSLBc0BJ-/s1600/ViewWest-May9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYqzLL-rXMs4YGjZrSKvoaiwHAaIwT1n7C1jaP8-01Pzug90r27LwnqDg9z6Tz7v0XCYBtdBUo8JGkIf2tfo9sTnXTd_T6GzCHz7OREsTrS3XX-qoi__cyRwmYZM7ZGUL6WdnMSLBc0BJ-/s640/ViewWest-May9.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="1147" data-original-height="765" /></a></div>
<center>9 May 2020</center>
<br />
Ya. Second time in my lifetime we've had snow in May.ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-41118014358305750022020-04-30T09:51:00.000-04:002020-05-08T16:32:23.491-04:00Just Stay HomeI think it's going on 6...maybe 7 weeks now we've been ordered to stay home/quarantine to minimize coronavirus transmission.<br /><br />
Anyone claiming their life hasn't been disrupted in some way is lying. Speaking for myself, I'm retired, I'm the quintessential introvert and I tend to be a homebody anyway. I hoard food by nature...I swear I won't miss any meals until the 4th of July.<br /><br />
I understand it's very challenging for many people. People have to work from where their jobs are such that they can do that. Not everyone likes that. I always hated working from home. Some people are seriously getting on each other's nerves. Others have lost their job and are threatened economically. But it's fair to say the impact on my life has been minimal. Mostly I've found my shopping habits have changed considerably. I don't stop at the supermarket "for a few things" anymore.<br /><br />
Certainly the <b>biggest</b> impact has been...the public library closing. It's looking like the public library network will be closed until July. Causing much anxiety. I think public libraries are jewels. I read 2 or 3, sometimes even 4 books a week. It's a comparatively trivial issue but it had me wringing my hands anyway.<br /><br />
The public library does loan ebooks! So. I sucked it up and got a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-new-Kindle-Paperwhite-Waterproof-Storage/dp/B07CXG6C9W">Kindle</a>!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxOkIVAFYyIxG8XTUUFWzWoxTKZ_QXmlQEKrD1_EqVHONCaf0vrjkLTv-QKvM0KfBKOrNubqeeAgitxiAwWACSdcynItM0yRLsVLJmi5Hu82v9zW_UyK8FwYhYBGk2wkphRT41otIt3iU/s1600/Kindle-Apr29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxOkIVAFYyIxG8XTUUFWzWoxTKZ_QXmlQEKrD1_EqVHONCaf0vrjkLTv-QKvM0KfBKOrNubqeeAgitxiAwWACSdcynItM0yRLsVLJmi5Hu82v9zW_UyK8FwYhYBGk2wkphRT41otIt3iU/s640/Kindle-Apr29.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="1032" data-original-height="688" /></a></div>
<br />
Frankly I think it's a little expensive. But the technology is fairly mature and reliable. And it <b>is</b> a quality product. I'm halfway through my first book and I'm confident it was a good decision.
<br /><br />
By the way...<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixui615yNydt9yiCgyu87d-UZNTx7_1TEwX6_L6xdUqqCi_lYTsnmmjbp0cSSUSyY1KwUp2MCX4_N-SFt3Jj9VB2cV073TwmS-nEK_TqP8DGEMDRRN_wQ1piqw1dyw_NJHQqb3XNCAo2zL/s1600/Staring-Apr28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixui615yNydt9yiCgyu87d-UZNTx7_1TEwX6_L6xdUqqCi_lYTsnmmjbp0cSSUSyY1KwUp2MCX4_N-SFt3Jj9VB2cV073TwmS-nEK_TqP8DGEMDRRN_wQ1piqw1dyw_NJHQqb3XNCAo2zL/s640/Staring-Apr28.JPG" width="426" height="640" data-original-width="705" data-original-height="1058" /></a></div>
<center>He's still staring!</center>
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-13989323105979303872020-04-19T13:10:00.000-04:002020-04-19T13:10:36.162-04:00Snow Day?!Woke up to this, Saturday morning, 18 April...<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuC3VG4SI3DL2zr5RGYawZF54GQLgZOHsDBBIq4d4lESN55TV04YOlV0-0mjd1L0z1qysUXW7WnMQYxEt1wyiQT-CeG39XQ8mIDjkc_9MuoCc7h0XrEMxMBXiRgc7hEmmuVj7nbElQiIIZ/s1600/ViewWest-Apr18-0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuC3VG4SI3DL2zr5RGYawZF54GQLgZOHsDBBIq4d4lESN55TV04YOlV0-0mjd1L0z1qysUXW7WnMQYxEt1wyiQT-CeG39XQ8mIDjkc_9MuoCc7h0XrEMxMBXiRgc7hEmmuVj7nbElQiIIZ/s640/ViewWest-Apr18-0817.JPG" width="640" height="426" data-original-width="1198" data-original-height="798" /></a></div>
<center>Seriously?</center>
<br />
This is the second latest snowfall I can remember. The latest I've <b>ever</b> seen snow was <a href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/the-may-storm-that-stunned-new-englanders/8100161">9 May 1977</a>. That was pretty bad because the leaves were already out which made the snow covered branches very heavy. We had a foot of snow in some isolated spots.<br /><br />
I actually don't mind the snow so much. It's the cold I <b>really</b> hate. And this hasn't been much of a season. Can't really recall any below 0 weather. Certainly not for any length of time. Long underwear, quilted overalls, storm parka and sheepskin hat stayed in the closet for the entire season and that's usually the best indicator.<br /><br />
And I thought this was kind of pretty...<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi2DNA0FcTkd63Hx_blgQ1_tS99cTmlbXcNtucaO9HNWhQYmL1eHx_WTL8ecxisvkPjYnJGMv3UwbHh5RMepDxuuIq9Q4m_OhBz0BxAP0y89Mi1qUrz3xXTeGp_pcK9npbKnvZnn_7QL7/s1600/NorthStTulips-Apr18-Noon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi2DNA0FcTkd63Hx_blgQ1_tS99cTmlbXcNtucaO9HNWhQYmL1eHx_WTL8ecxisvkPjYnJGMv3UwbHh5RMepDxuuIq9Q4m_OhBz0BxAP0y89Mi1qUrz3xXTeGp_pcK9npbKnvZnn_7QL7/s640/NorthStTulips-Apr18-Noon.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="907" data-original-height="605" /></a></div>ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-11651406380001153132020-04-11T17:16:00.000-04:002020-04-11T17:47:56.010-04:00Happy Good Friday?I don't know. I. Just. Don't. Know.<br /><br />
I'm a confirmed Methodist. Although I don't practice. I'm in my 60s and I don't <b>ever</b> remember <b>anyone</b> saying...<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1248619884688199682">Happy Good Friday</a>?<br /><br />
Good Friday is <b>not</b> a happy day as far as I know.<br /><br />
Edited to add:</br ><br />
It's much to my parent's credit. After I was confirmed I was allowed to make up my own mind. And I did. I haven't been in a church in 50 years.<br /><br />
My mind was actually made up when I was 6 years old. Our church youth minister told me my cat wouldn't go to heaven because animals didn't go to heaven. It was that day. In that single moment. I remember it like I remember Kennedy's assassination. I decided they were all full of shit.<br /><br />Be careful with what you say to little kids. They're not stupid.
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-8585428338628603142020-04-08T09:27:00.000-04:002020-04-30T09:53:16.739-04:00Bagels?All the anxiety over the virus is stressing even me out!<br /><br />
So of course my thoughts turn to comfort food and not necessarily new things but things I may not have done before. Distractions.<br /><br />
For example, I just happen to have a half pound of chicken livers and eggs. So I'll make some chopped liver this week. I've never had chopped liver!<br /><br />
I've had deviled ham but I'd never made deviled ham before. Couple of days I made deviled ham! Spun some cooked ham cubes in a food processor, added some mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, chopped garlic, onions and celery, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and sweet paprika. No recipe really, just a little this and a little that. I should have taken a picture! It was <b>crazy</b> good. I was going to fork it on to some crackers with a bowl of soup...but...it was <b>so</b> good I had to make a loaf of sandwich bread to make a real sandwich. I'll never have deviled ham from a can ever again.<br /><br />
And...bagels? I made bagels!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4GInno3Yki4FZTUuiSPh7TNbm5Y51purDvHTnZiIQD78LYtnLr-M4qhr30ut0rOJlQurjRpEv8ySunQdNfrclOcy-l-y2KNWL-6eRJ-42LXvbK55I56qbOwSXXsK7eH4p3FGREWmyDkN/s1600/Bagels-Apr4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4GInno3Yki4FZTUuiSPh7TNbm5Y51purDvHTnZiIQD78LYtnLr-M4qhr30ut0rOJlQurjRpEv8ySunQdNfrclOcy-l-y2KNWL-6eRJ-42LXvbK55I56qbOwSXXsK7eH4p3FGREWmyDkN/s640/Bagels-Apr4.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="685" data-original-height="457" /></a></div>
<center>Poppy seed. Sesame seed.</center>
<br />
I used <a href="https://www.sophisticatedgourmet.com/2009/10/new-york-style-bagel-recipe/">this recipe</a>. I used 100% white whole wheat flour. The recipe scaled easily I just divided everything by 4. They were very good bagels and I'll do that again. I don't know where I got the idea bagels were hard to make. These were so easy.ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-25719345770070588642020-04-04T11:09:00.000-04:002020-04-30T09:51:53.437-04:00Well Holy CrapThis was the line of cars at the food bank when I went for my morning walk today.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWQ5kbDOTdZFcCN6fzkl3SwO16XaqJveITmcwneS1REPNzRbNdSrQcOtFlhhn6Uz_e_6AmfEFr2RWcbzretS46wIziikNQYXR54AE3q7RM4mIQ-55SJfyUVbn39iSWQfUW-ani8UAjGXi/s1600/FoodBank-Apr4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWQ5kbDOTdZFcCN6fzkl3SwO16XaqJveITmcwneS1REPNzRbNdSrQcOtFlhhn6Uz_e_6AmfEFr2RWcbzretS46wIziikNQYXR54AE3q7RM4mIQ-55SJfyUVbn39iSWQfUW-ani8UAjGXi/s640/FoodetodBank-Apr4.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="675" data-original-height="450" /></a></div>
<center>4 April 2020</center>
<br />
I counted 28 cars.<br /><br />
The normal route to the food bank was detoured due to the high volume of traffic.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-j1B0E82U_2PvXQb9qWB681OHf3bXqV-_iTwqkhhVUtPhi74x6AHtnpIqNjCdzP59Ugj8OGSNZXWwBLR1ZCq72zFoy9Ss0bIRJgfaohz8tNjGl_ZzIBmHiQwM7Xqhoeo3hE4wTIj4snx/s1600/FoodBank-Apr4-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-j1B0E82U_2PvXQb9qWB681OHf3bXqV-_iTwqkhhVUtPhi74x6AHtnpIqNjCdzP59Ugj8OGSNZXWwBLR1ZCq72zFoy9Ss0bIRJgfaohz8tNjGl_ZzIBmHiQwM7Xqhoeo3hE4wTIj4snx/s640/FoodBank-Apr4-1.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="627" data-original-height="418" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuB5iG2ZcbmB0QkN6q15pKO2Pe1G-zWQJDjYIf65AfLDQZG1nlFSt7kmUDTJU0ngPSQkO6zKqOiNavjbcJogNfP91SrvRk3lMPw60X5InZ1VWrkE5-MnESDYCLCpOGGBE70oy0M9SrlBQ/s1600/VillageSt-Apr4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuB5iG2ZcbmB0QkN6q15pKO2Pe1G-zWQJDjYIf65AfLDQZG1nlFSt7kmUDTJU0ngPSQkO6zKqOiNavjbcJogNfP91SrvRk3lMPw60X5InZ1VWrkE5-MnESDYCLCpOGGBE70oy0M9SrlBQ/s640/VillageSt-Apr4.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="660" data-original-height="440" /></a></div>
<center>Main St. 11:00 am on what would normally be a busy Saturday morning.</center>
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-83990265111737938772020-04-03T17:02:00.002-04:002020-04-30T09:51:31.534-04:00He went to Jared!So. Jared Kushner is now in charge of the coronavirus task force.<br /><br />
Are you fucking <b>kidding</b> me?!<br /><br />
Sleep well America.
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-77088941686580199992020-03-23T09:42:00.000-04:002020-04-30T09:52:14.242-04:00Olive GardenI <b>hate</b> <a href="https://www.olivegarden.com/home">Olive Garden</a>. I have issues with the way <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darden_Restaurants">Darden Restaurants</a> treats their hired help. But more than that I hate the whole big chain restaurant format. <a href="https://www.chilis.com/">Chili's Grill & Bar</a>. <a href="https://www.tgifridays.com/">TGI Fridays Restaurant & Bar</a>. <a href="https://www.applebees.com/en">Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar</a>. And of course <a href="https://www.outback.com/">Outback Steakhouse</a>.<br /><br />
For the most part I think of their food as uncreative and unimaginative. Largely distributed by central corporate kitchens and often simply heated up for service. Too much fat (one <b>TGI Fridays hamburger</b> has <b>more</b> fat than I can eat in an <b>entire day</b>!). Matter of fact I have some dietary restrictions, not even severely limiting what I can eat and TGI Fridays has <b>only one thing on their lunch menu</b> that I can eat! Too much fat. Too much salt. Too much added sugars.<br /><br />
And don't even get me started on <a href="https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/">The Cheesecake Factory</a>! And yes I <b>do</b> realize those foods aren't meant to be a daily part of one's diet. The recipes are extensively researched and designed to please one's palate rather than deliver nutritious meals.<br /><br />
Mind you...make no mistake.. healthy nutritious food can be <b>very</b> good.<br /><br />
With all that said. I am embarrassed to admit. I just <b>love</b> Olive Garden's salad mix!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtLcRdfFYVaWO4pfK8SKspVM2JsJvDXP9D7eIyE37M9r5q10SMGyMoih9CDkel8S_5Ea2t8AxWaLRqIaNpSv2dvZ4VeiFXWmLYMUi8u04w-0pNDSeqYsVIDFG4U19WEy-nBOKfAKlCTz-/s1600/OliveGarden-Mar22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtLcRdfFYVaWO4pfK8SKspVM2JsJvDXP9D7eIyE37M9r5q10SMGyMoih9CDkel8S_5Ea2t8AxWaLRqIaNpSv2dvZ4VeiFXWmLYMUi8u04w-0pNDSeqYsVIDFG4U19WEy-nBOKfAKlCTz-/s640/OliveGarden-Mar22.JPG" width="90%" data-original-width="1145" data-original-height="763" /></a></div>
<center>Olive Garden Salad</center>
<br />
Yes. That's the <b>real deal</b>. With closures and reduced service to reduce the spread of coronavirus many perishable food stocks are sitting around loading docks with no place to go. And I know somebody. In food service. That supplies Olive Garden. And <b>that</b> is Olive Garden's salad mix. With some things added sure.<br /><br />
And frankly? You know those <a href="https://www.freshexpress.com/products">Fresh Express</a> bags of greens and salad kits? Olive Garden should do that with their salad mix!<br /><br />
<hr width=50%/><br />
And let's hope the hysteria stops soon.<br /><br />
The supermarkets have been complete mad mob scenes for going on two weeks now. Shelves are stripped bare of pretty much everything. And it makes no sense at all.<br /><br />
We can be at our worst or we can be at our best. It's not going to go end anytime soon. But our <b>food supply</b> is <b> not threatened</b> people.
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-15210228882771371232020-03-10T19:11:00.001-04:002020-04-30T09:53:54.110-04:00WTF?!OK. With a public health crisis going on with the novel corona virus expanding...our president holds a press conference. He wants to reduce tax withholding from pay checks.<br /><br />
Yup! That will stop the spread of the virus!<br /><br />
Seriously. This is actually <b>brilliant</b>. I have a theory. For decades Republicans have wanted to shift the burden of governance to the states. They call it "state's rights"<br /><br />
And. What better way to do that than to demonstrate ineptitude and incompetence in the federal government? Seriously. Let's put politicians in charge of the corona virus task force! Ya. That inspires confidence yes?
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-34927746392559371922020-03-06T12:30:00.000-05:002020-03-06T12:30:07.227-05:00My CatIs really creeping me out. He follows me around like a puppy and <b>stares</b> at me <b>all</b> the time! I go to the bathroom? He leads the way. I take a shower? He's sitting there waiting when I'm done. I go get dressed? In 30 seconds he's looking for me.<br /><br />
Yesterday I'm in the kitchen making pizza dough. I turn around...and..<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTWpNGnPRKFcC03wPwXINE6_FEywMSWn_uQFRn0Kv9-wT02e2iXQDfexRl6sB1Zf0IXLuSfQhAtPrg7doek4uWnx3NSH2qQ84OrV8YOTJPC4JRMvqhnKQzlp0R0UWqZVa-ZoVh3f4fMv9/s1600/Staring.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTWpNGnPRKFcC03wPwXINE6_FEywMSWn_uQFRn0Kv9-wT02e2iXQDfexRl6sB1Zf0IXLuSfQhAtPrg7doek4uWnx3NSH2qQ84OrV8YOTJPC4JRMvqhnKQzlp0R0UWqZVa-ZoVh3f4fMv9/s640/Staring.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="1000" data-original-height="667" /></a></div>
<center>There he is. Staring.</center>ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-2295843276980842352020-02-10T10:21:00.002-05:002020-02-10T10:21:33.082-05:00Climate Change Much?This has been a very strange winter season. Here with the promise of spring I think we'd had one plowable winter snow. There's still time for a blizzard or two. Last year we barely had any snow until March when we got 15 inches in just a few hours. And last March was <b>cold</b>, and the spring was notably cold and wet.<br /><br />
It was a terrible year for tomatoes. And I don't think corn was coming up until June.<br /><br />
This year, last month, end of the first week of January, I saw a Great Blue Heron on the pond outside my home. He was more than likely sick. And then maybe climate change messed him up.<br /><br />
And then I could hardly not notice....buds of trees! On 15 January!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTmN1Kuuq1RduBfqBNSkr2JIHtkZd9xu5FaovoK0s3yXCFa03oox7eBUfk0qWKq_hwYtNulZ9H8-Jc5JUUx7FjXj1ZFAnpyRmvaXRzjQ4HoHE8a8eMkpobML1mFQcko6Q5eBp1WB8wJX6/s1600/Buds-Jan15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTmN1Kuuq1RduBfqBNSkr2JIHtkZd9xu5FaovoK0s3yXCFa03oox7eBUfk0qWKq_hwYtNulZ9H8-Jc5JUUx7FjXj1ZFAnpyRmvaXRzjQ4HoHE8a8eMkpobML1mFQcko6Q5eBp1WB8wJX6/s640/Buds-Jan15.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="1024" data-original-height="683" /></a></div>
<center>15 January. Very bad thing!</center>
<br />
And then just several days ago, I see Daffodils coming up!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiywuyax2DV5GMWAVo8C_CyIYowvZvHzwlmNCC9dJr1qFR61sN0RgPBrE1LimCV9i0li7LgXU7bBoOjfizP-fxulqDuaHZCkZ3MU2Kl3PLQDgsfKlenU8K11PjV56cv5S9oOoJNw7FYkVc/s1600/Daffodils-Feb7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiywuyax2DV5GMWAVo8C_CyIYowvZvHzwlmNCC9dJr1qFR61sN0RgPBrE1LimCV9i0li7LgXU7bBoOjfizP-fxulqDuaHZCkZ3MU2Kl3PLQDgsfKlenU8K11PjV56cv5S9oOoJNw7FYkVc/s640/Daffodils-Feb7.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="799" data-original-height="533" /></a></div>
<center>7 February. Daffodil sprouts!</center>
<br />
As I understand it, everyone agrees the climate is changing. The issue is the likely cause. Most people believe carbon emissions are to blame.<br /><br />
Some believe it's just part of a natural cycle. I'm not a climate scientist. But there's a lot of evidence contradicting a natural cycle conclusion. But. It appears evidence doesn't mean much to some people..ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-26920785646506370172019-10-21T10:40:00.001-04:002019-10-22T10:10:56.690-04:00Last CornCorn was off to rough start this season. Spring was cold and wet and our first local corn was late to appear.<br /><br />
But it turned out to be a good season! I <b>love</b> and I swear I'll have an ear of corn almost every day through the last half of summer. Oh there might be a few ears around for the most part the seasoon is over for 2019.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3LdepeAZGsY9Fmot4v75EQr7fANueXglahy3D1z5WsV9BYIRQeluvdJHiI7P9b1xIYs4d_wU1dBbgRjjHXXHt-07ow_ln0GQerZ2c6QKp_yizvBKL0hQ4b9e0Yturid5d2YOHkBznRbt/s1600/LastCorn-Oct20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3LdepeAZGsY9Fmot4v75EQr7fANueXglahy3D1z5WsV9BYIRQeluvdJHiI7P9b1xIYs4d_wU1dBbgRjjHXXHt-07ow_ln0GQerZ2c6QKp_yizvBKL0hQ4b9e0Yturid5d2YOHkBznRbt/s640/LastCorn-Oct20.JPG" width="640" height="426" data-original-width="811" data-original-height="540" /></a></div>
<center>Last ear. 20 October.</center>
<br />
Edited to add: That corn came from Kelly's Farm Stand in Upton, MA.<br /><br />
Of course it's comfort food and soup season! As much as I hate the wintertime soups, stews, squash and roast chickens takes out some of the sting.ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-78109624674661844472019-09-30T10:06:00.000-04:002019-09-30T10:06:07.347-04:00Dead trees...I've noticed a <b>lot</b> of dead trees this year. Just this last May, after the leaves came out in the spring, I was shocked by the sheer number of dead trees.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HA4aGfw48CvvW3ycWNXHSVu71i_eHqkC8jHLlVIYmNFhli4f4q1pGF1uZrgKFEqUjMZiqN9L2EHImj5PqahfJ0sAGy9cZqecG1nTq7_F75jwfOP5qC6Sv26fBfHZEbcBT6jRhAtKjRZS/s1600/JohnSt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HA4aGfw48CvvW3ycWNXHSVu71i_eHqkC8jHLlVIYmNFhli4f4q1pGF1uZrgKFEqUjMZiqN9L2EHImj5PqahfJ0sAGy9cZqecG1nTq7_F75jwfOP5qC6Sv26fBfHZEbcBT6jRhAtKjRZS/s640/JohnSt.JPG" width="427" height="640" data-original-width="427" data-original-height="640" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKHXZJ6DLymCqrIAgyfDEVWcooRDYLFl8N0vnLDZNToj2i_cdkerpFt-Q7RjL5jLfdiBIPdES96oRcSJARpRWv76VlmnO_b21xdabPYsL1u_ys5btL1irzlZXslcwGxmoRC1qyK30uiau/s1600/NorthSt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKHXZJ6DLymCqrIAgyfDEVWcooRDYLFl8N0vnLDZNToj2i_cdkerpFt-Q7RjL5jLfdiBIPdES96oRcSJARpRWv76VlmnO_b21xdabPYsL1u_ys5btL1irzlZXslcwGxmoRC1qyK30uiau/s640/NorthSt.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="987" data-original-height="658" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cpCKEQpCpNCh6MvmAtPOQ-14y0QmMdFjaGpm1d8sbmP7KJext3lqkee7ow1rYnAYo1-Up3b9DrC6-DgZYCAQOnfO9EFaNL-1jw-EYTcO17x3JyI_USqlNEY59lh5clf8ywv5_w8CUd0k/s1600/ChurchSt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cpCKEQpCpNCh6MvmAtPOQ-14y0QmMdFjaGpm1d8sbmP7KJext3lqkee7ow1rYnAYo1-Up3b9DrC6-DgZYCAQOnfO9EFaNL-1jw-EYTcO17x3JyI_USqlNEY59lh5clf8ywv5_w8CUd0k/s640/ChurchSt.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="1024" data-original-height="683" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CddlGT3_NEX73gg96uhacF_gzDbIVASefC0TUA1Vw4Keh09eg9_1J-WlCzN-kkrdtxoZ4jS0h7QdDKYrRjEKYQ2dxdXdjypa5CK_bvcjdYcAcGh6VhT8VFo5oqyLBaANh680KBN0OXw2/s1600/VillageSt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CddlGT3_NEX73gg96uhacF_gzDbIVASefC0TUA1Vw4Keh09eg9_1J-WlCzN-kkrdtxoZ4jS0h7QdDKYrRjEKYQ2dxdXdjypa5CK_bvcjdYcAcGh6VhT8VFo5oqyLBaANh680KBN0OXw2/s640/VillageSt.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="817" data-original-height="545" /></a></div>
<br />
Pretty much <b>everywhere</b>. I swear you can't walk two blocks without passing dead trees.
<br /><br />
So. Interestingly enough. A local news station did a report on all the dead trees. A certified arborist explained the consecutive droughts of 2015 and 2016 weakened many trees and left them vulnerable to disease and catastrophic damage from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymantria_dispar_dispar">gypsy moth caterpillars</a> in 2017.
<br /><br />
So there really is an unusual number of dead trees. Not just something I hadn't noticed before.ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-84314680547444430322019-09-17T11:23:00.000-04:002019-09-17T11:23:00.109-04:00This time they mean it!Jane and Paul's farm is a local institution.<br /><br />Many of us have enjoyed their produce for more years than I can remember. And they pretty much <b>always</b> had the very <b>best</b> corn.<br /><br />
Six years ago they <a href="http://lifewithlids.blogspot.com/2013/05/like-in-for-good.html">missed a step</a>. I don't know the whole story but I know there were some promising negotiations going on to acquire the property with community funds. That didn't work out. But they came back the following year!<br /><br />
But ...now, this year...<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zEBXHyZnR4BaJT3XXCyD5aZ_bKfeahNBirbBJGgBgx2IkDe146aTF4KCgEaBQLiOhbyWh-jBO1cdN3gzxdeia1ftqxoTdTxsYChJg5tbawWEDFHOFzHpnalWs6rI5iF7UctYmsIVS1TV/s1600/JaneAndPaulsClosed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zEBXHyZnR4BaJT3XXCyD5aZ_bKfeahNBirbBJGgBgx2IkDe146aTF4KCgEaBQLiOhbyWh-jBO1cdN3gzxdeia1ftqxoTdTxsYChJg5tbawWEDFHOFzHpnalWs6rI5iF7UctYmsIVS1TV/s640/JaneAndPaulsClosed.JPG" width="426" height="640" data-original-width="551" data-original-height="827" /></a></div>
<center>1 September. They're done. Forever.</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLzLdxkoKgMbotOsNlnAPqT3AME7KScBc17gSbVTiZathue7oFzHXYlyCBrU37hOlN3wYNDBpkeN0wgohcV2OoJ5l-GMKnbOeT0UT9rndczsqXPcN_ktV8_4P1sEa4U9s4MnwPCOzV2fW/s1600/JaneAndPaulsClosed-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLzLdxkoKgMbotOsNlnAPqT3AME7KScBc17gSbVTiZathue7oFzHXYlyCBrU37hOlN3wYNDBpkeN0wgohcV2OoJ5l-GMKnbOeT0UT9rndczsqXPcN_ktV8_4P1sEa4U9s4MnwPCOzV2fW/s640/JaneAndPaulsClosed-1.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="815" data-original-height="544" /></a></div>
<center>Much Sadness</center>
<br />
They plan to continue farming. But they're closing the farm stand. The second year in a row it just hasn't been worth keeping open. Last year hundreds hundreds of bushels of apples remained unpicked.<br /><br />
And Paul told me this year they hadn't had a single busy day. Not a single one. And at least half the blueberry crop rotted on the ground.
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlGlvEEg4dpqVW2vyGxL2ILskeNL3-e6Sb9jsp0Rn0LX_2WL8hALFJ-SmHv9dtpQ8C0yevLYi-VwHbh5EqsNczgVgnot27wZZ_s9bCO30KoYVAKWk44S7q65MRKbuoKsunvWX5W1IyP9e/s1600/LastEarJandP-Aug31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlGlvEEg4dpqVW2vyGxL2ILskeNL3-e6Sb9jsp0Rn0LX_2WL8hALFJ-SmHv9dtpQ8C0yevLYi-VwHbh5EqsNczgVgnot27wZZ_s9bCO30KoYVAKWk44S7q65MRKbuoKsunvWX5W1IyP9e/s640/LastEarJandP-Aug31.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="840" data-original-height="560" /></a></div>
<center>31 August. My very last ear of Jane and Paul's corn.</center>ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-836463178704951032019-08-18T09:12:00.000-04:002019-08-18T09:14:26.617-04:00Beef TatakiIt was maybe a year or so ago, maybe longer, I'd had <a href="https://www.japancentre.com/en/recipes/418-beef-tataki">Beef Tataki</a>. <b>Loved</b> it! But. Like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashimi">sashimi</a> and beef <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/05/italian-easy-beef-carpaccio-recipe.html">carpaccio</a>, I leave raw dishes to professionals. What with all the food safety warnings regarding raw animal proteins.<br /><br />
Truth is I don't get out all that often and almost nobody serves carpaccio anymore. So I did some research and <b>finally</b> decided to try making Beef Tataki!<br /><br />
Sauce: Mix maybe 1/2 cup soy sauce, juice from a half a lime, a teaspoon or two of honey, a chopped garlic clove, and a generous splash of sesame oil.
<br /><br />
Procedure:
<ul>
<li>4 oz. strip steak</li>
<li>Freeze it</li>
<li>Thaw in the refrigerator for 90 minutes</li>
<li>Bath it in vodka</li>
<li>Sear each side one minute each in a screeching hot cast iron skillet</li>
<li>Finish thawing in the refrigerator overnight</li>
<li>Slice thinly (almost see through)</li>
<li>Marinate two hours in sauce</li>
</ul>
The idea behind the short thaw in the refrigerator is to have the surfaces soft enough to take a good sear while the interior is frozen thereby reducing the risk of cooking it. The vodka bath is a home cook's carpaccio trick to minimize the impact of bacteria. I'm not an expert but it's my understanding bacteria is found on the surface of the beef and not within the muscle itself.<br /><br />
Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEitWynVRP6neuL-YVM10ZnzE3VpxNjHV3YTr35GoDE9dryR19UAZzd0-tOrwiO15ocRa1Q4Trr_hp5mzp_9qpiLZIaUx4R2jZDp6w6SOhboq004ya6V7ciLKUNHJuJHQdyS3OoeD5uVn/s1600/BeefTataki.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEitWynVRP6neuL-YVM10ZnzE3VpxNjHV3YTr35GoDE9dryR19UAZzd0-tOrwiO15ocRa1Q4Trr_hp5mzp_9qpiLZIaUx4R2jZDp6w6SOhboq004ya6V7ciLKUNHJuJHQdyS3OoeD5uVn/s640/BeefTataki.JPG" width="427" height="640" data-original-width="678" data-original-height="1016" /></a></div>
<center>Beef Tataki</center>
<br />
Hands down the best thing I've had to eat this year. Best thing I've had to eat in a very long time. Will do it again!
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-954194885494578582019-07-28T10:10:00.002-04:002019-08-01T08:35:39.681-04:00Poor bunny!I went over to cut some flowers in my garden yesterday. I have a condo and on the downside of that I don't have any place to plant a garden. But! The community farm in the town where I live leases garden plots! I don't know if that's common or not.<br /><br />
So I have a garden plot for the season that I can keep the lease for as long as I want. I've had all kinds of different lettuces, radishes, beets, turnips and my fennel is doing <b>really</b> well. And I planted all kinds of flowers. I've really enjoyed my garden. Mostly. For whatever reason my tomatoes aren't doing very well. I've never had much luck with tomatoes. I've learned some lessons for next year.<br /><br />
So. As I'm picking flowers yesterday a <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/id">Red-tailed Hawk</a> swooped down and snatched a bunny hardly 6 feet away!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9z2G3-O0MfLgKJLtprg-4UjLbyC3ew2aj-ZBO4OA8rsU4rDeziXVqptJxZgDRNmE402TKLjQoUOKvIMN_XOIgabJRziFrfRNa57b50cQpHN2LGzuNyBwmXwKVt-LUARYk-KVymvqD38J/s1600/HawkWithBunny-Jul27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9z2G3-O0MfLgKJLtprg-4UjLbyC3ew2aj-ZBO4OA8rsU4rDeziXVqptJxZgDRNmE402TKLjQoUOKvIMN_XOIgabJRziFrfRNa57b50cQpHN2LGzuNyBwmXwKVt-LUARYk-KVymvqD38J/s640/HawkWithBunny-Jul27.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="520" data-original-height="347" /></a></div>
<center>Up close and personal!</center>
<br />
Poor bunny. Of course I felt kind of bad about it but...well, Hawk has to eat!<br /><br />
<b>Edited to add</b>: At least it was quick. <b>Very</b> quick.ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-58852753929265966932019-07-21T16:45:00.000-04:002019-07-28T09:57:07.925-04:00It's hot!Not record hot, but hot! A hundred degrees. Feels like 107. Yesterday, 20 July, was the hottest day in 8 years.<br /><br />
And...my air conditioning is broken! Which is normally no big deal. I like the heat. I live over a river. It's typically 10 or 12 degrees cooler over the river than it is just a quarter mile away. And I figure if I have to close my windows it might as well be winter time. I've been here 29 years and I don't think I've used the air conditioning more than 5 times.<br /><br />
But that doesn't mean I want to sit and sweat like a pig either.<br /> <br />
So. I have a most awesome industrial strength ceiling fan!<br /><br >
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_q3MwDXLQw2_Elu7trty2WVfbPSjT6pQnm-1ZdkTCZ8fW6t9e8s_1BffGMN-cswG7nZ4nUxT5yelOiz0KHVwO60FCfgIBhmSdjmnjc2uUQhA3xVfqK46XJJbLru_yFiHwm79-TjjaZO_/s1600/CeilingFan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_q3MwDXLQw2_Elu7trty2WVfbPSjT6pQnm-1ZdkTCZ8fW6t9e8s_1BffGMN-cswG7nZ4nUxT5yelOiz0KHVwO60FCfgIBhmSdjmnjc2uUQhA3xVfqK46XJJbLru_yFiHwm79-TjjaZO_/s640/CeilingFan.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="871" data-original-height="581" /></a></div>
<br />
I actually got it for the winter time to keep the heat from rising and collecting under my 12 foot ceiling. But it's nice in the summer heat. So. I get out of the shower and find...my ceiling fan failed! Story of my life!<br /><br />
So. I get dressed and head for the dollar store. Luckily enough they still had some fans!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnU6XtWjrX8Dji8VrUh19WbNZTC3-4JUdKD_kpw-wbIVVAYamKAzSC740IdPEzMeMYKsQFrVTiWS0cBpZGq73KkUdechFppx15vUjqZ01IejyeS30SvG8M-G1LrAkrPb_gyoEXWSpQMXm/s1600/HotCat-Jul20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnU6XtWjrX8Dji8VrUh19WbNZTC3-4JUdKD_kpw-wbIVVAYamKAzSC740IdPEzMeMYKsQFrVTiWS0cBpZGq73KkUdechFppx15vUjqZ01IejyeS30SvG8M-G1LrAkrPb_gyoEXWSpQMXm/s640/HotCat-Jul20.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="824" data-original-height="550" /></a></div>
<center>Not very decorative...</center>
But at the least my cat was happy with it!<br /><br />
I went over during the afternoon and hosed down L and stood her in front of a 4 foot <a href="http://lifewithlids.blogspot.com/2018/07/luxurious-accommodations.html">fan</a> for a half an hour. She didn't mind!
<br /><br />
I like to prepare food seasonally. More than that I like to prepare food that suits the day. And what could be better than....<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEict-fbF8Y1E7kDCrhY_9yEMShcwYuy8HReDHQdPZ2JZZXV5jrcmT-x3hgI6R5YpcncxugAfGq_ZJFsdaW6ZF-bCLKo_2kRkb94mxPdPwNL3-OXNG24YBN-P1hs5xlnVlfm4QhPJvWFssXt/s1600/Margarita-Jul21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEict-fbF8Y1E7kDCrhY_9yEMShcwYuy8HReDHQdPZ2JZZXV5jrcmT-x3hgI6R5YpcncxugAfGq_ZJFsdaW6ZF-bCLKo_2kRkb94mxPdPwNL3-OXNG24YBN-P1hs5xlnVlfm4QhPJvWFssXt/s640/Margarita-Jul21.JPG" width="427" height="640" data-original-width="528" data-original-height="792" /></a></div>
<center>Of course! A Margarita!</center>
<br />
Well. To be fair, a <a href="https://lifewithlids.blogspot.com/2018/07/quntessential-summer.html">gin and tonic</a> is the quintessential summer drink. Or a <a href="https://lifewithlids.blogspot.com/2012/07/local-corn.html">bourbon rickey</a>. Or a <a href="https://lifewithlids.blogspot.com/2011/07/recipes-for-summer-day.html">daiquiri</a>. Or sangria! Even a <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-pina-colada">pińa colada</a>. I'm not a big fan of fruity cocktails but ya, that works on a tropical day. And there's always the <a href="https://www.goslingsrum.com/cocktails/rum-swizzle/">(Bermuda)rum swizzle</a>. <b>Edited to add</b>: How could I have possibly forgotten to include the <a href="https://www.liquor.com/recipes/mojito/#gs.slqr4j">Mojito</a> in my list?!
<br /><br />
And the *best* thing for dinner on a day like this? The very *first* thing that comes to mind?<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwyl_P8tY35VdD3wHFQqYEwldcAAsAwUDuWNdxzrABKSpjlKRT8UIs_EBESf2T8johsljWUF9Pb8PtKrmRhjQTTLbcdjoot8pyEkBKHyBTzGSCO8RjSuSk1KhNmkxNSJ_Cly672H7V7H6/s1600/Gazpacho-Jul20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwyl_P8tY35VdD3wHFQqYEwldcAAsAwUDuWNdxzrABKSpjlKRT8UIs_EBESf2T8johsljWUF9Pb8PtKrmRhjQTTLbcdjoot8pyEkBKHyBTzGSCO8RjSuSk1KhNmkxNSJ_Cly672H7V7H6/s640/Gazpacho-Jul20.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="862" data-original-height="575" /></a></div>
<center>Gazpacho! Of course!</center>
<br />
Oh, and Home Depot has references to local electricians that service Hunter ceiling fans. It's not like I'm going to replace a $650 fan because the power switch broke!
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-27226065064545462742019-07-16T10:28:00.000-04:002019-08-01T08:35:25.779-04:00Corn - 2019Behold!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiae8ra2X34w5ZSU3lrMcKXdhs2RyXL8bQW-gL30yekMYXaKoKNfoGhxlI_dSlMGsvh3on7NI-BM5vzgRimMYKo4zNkHqPofQfIv5DVVGce_s1IZN6ouQMHOQnEzTuMyoDdm9enaxXPL23q/s1600/Corn-Jul15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiae8ra2X34w5ZSU3lrMcKXdhs2RyXL8bQW-gL30yekMYXaKoKNfoGhxlI_dSlMGsvh3on7NI-BM5vzgRimMYKo4zNkHqPofQfIv5DVVGce_s1IZN6ouQMHOQnEzTuMyoDdm9enaxXPL23q/s640/Corn-Jul15.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="862" data-original-height="575" /></a></div>
<center>15 July</center>
<br />
First "Our Own" corn of the season! This ear came from Dick Kelly's Family Farm in Upton, MA. This was very good. The early corn isn't the best. But of course I'm <b>always</b> excited about fresh local corn. It's late this year. After such a cold wet spring pretty much everything is a week behind.<br /><br />
I haven't been blogging much. I retired almost 2 years ago now. I've never been happier in all my life! But...while I have my (satisfying) routine I really don't do anything interesting. It's nice to have time to keep a clean house but is that anything to blog about?<br /><br />
I fully board L at a farm barely 2 miles away. We don't train anymore. Well. Of course it's all training all the time and I try to make sure she knows <b>she's the horse</b>. But we don't vigorously train and we don't compete anymore. Mostly we just do ground work and pony ride. Fully boarding her was a <b>huge</b> adjustment!<br /><br />
With more time on my hands I'm trying to do an occasional road trip. Tour old favorites and discover some new places.<br /><br />
I'm thrilled with retirement although it's sad in a way. There was a time I thought what I did was just the greatest thing in the world. And then...I think it was along about the time 50 hour work weeks became expected of professionals I started becoming unhappy. Then when being connected 24/7 became normal, conference calls at 11:00 at night and reading email in bed got brushed off as nothing I'd had enough.<br /><br />
You know, it wasn't supposed to be like this. Back in the 1960s we well and truly believed technology would make us so productive full time jobs would be 30 hour work weeks. That our greatest challenge would be fulfilling our free time with recreational pursuits. Of course we also thought cars would fly by now. And electricity would be free. And nobody would go hungry.
<br /><br />
I'm very happy I'm not a young professional trying to build a career today! I haven't missed my work for not even a single minute!ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-4481141106680434792019-03-18T10:10:00.000-04:002019-03-18T10:10:28.058-04:00Winter 2018 - 2019We had barely 10 inches of snow, grand total, most of the season. There were a couple of bitterly cold days in January. Below 0. Maybe 2 or 3 days. I don't mind the snow so much but I really <b>hate</b> the cold!<br /><br />
It wasn't all that bad overall. I never did get out my quilted Carhartt overalls. Or my sheepskin hat. That's my real measure of how bad the winter was!<br /><br />
We had barely any plowable snow until 12 February.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9a5ZX2OGkaCFDcr7W28wZA_5_UTHl-C05-fw1knfX1SjDLU-p0q1RMv_JIAnSOEo3tBNtKwWcfWfawES9ccZVDGdSDWi5U5BGMc7rrLalpFnF0JGZhh4khHsodGBJDpelF3WJL5nAVvE/s1600/Barn-Feb12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9a5ZX2OGkaCFDcr7W28wZA_5_UTHl-C05-fw1knfX1SjDLU-p0q1RMv_JIAnSOEo3tBNtKwWcfWfawES9ccZVDGdSDWi5U5BGMc7rrLalpFnF0JGZhh4khHsodGBJDpelF3WJL5nAVvE/s640/Barn-Feb12.JPG" width="640" height="426" data-original-width="560" data-original-height="373" /></a></div>
<center>12 February</center>
<br />
Oh. Pretty enough. Not much of it. It does have a certain cozy charm. Nice day for hot chocolate!
<br /><br />
And then, interestingly, on 3 March, 5 inches of snow was forecast. The snow hadn't even started at 11:00 pm and then, by 6:00 am, 4 March, we had this!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg-YHRMQHUBKIsnkNpk03juMwh8IEMFHlhandOS-EVoxEbNMaV5Gh316sfAVyN8MvIPUkLXvAzCJlAGpYA19bz-oEknIKptlhkdBwBqKu4txnGtbENCeAdlsflyjfglzDLq207z2LJ96R/s1600/VillageSt-Mar4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg-YHRMQHUBKIsnkNpk03juMwh8IEMFHlhandOS-EVoxEbNMaV5Gh316sfAVyN8MvIPUkLXvAzCJlAGpYA19bz-oEknIKptlhkdBwBqKu4txnGtbENCeAdlsflyjfglzDLq207z2LJ96R/s640/VillageSt-Mar4.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="614" data-original-height="410" /></a></div>
<center>4 March</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvs1r4NWd41mz2dP7anS0RVfz7y2WtOTx4IyMbJku6I2zMUCZybQ20zuhYjrHX8DRndI2vLjpdThhJnz0g26xvVhkYkifQjzxBuHdVYsKSe4cSDwoR7AJsAphZz2gOwHg0mr_jysRS78PZ/s1600/PineSt-Mar4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvs1r4NWd41mz2dP7anS0RVfz7y2WtOTx4IyMbJku6I2zMUCZybQ20zuhYjrHX8DRndI2vLjpdThhJnz0g26xvVhkYkifQjzxBuHdVYsKSe4cSDwoR7AJsAphZz2gOwHg0mr_jysRS78PZ/s640/PineSt-Mar4.JPG" width="640" height="427" data-original-width="614" data-original-height="410" /></a></div>
<br />
It really must have been snowing to beat the band! I'd guessed it was maybe 12 to 15 inches of snow fell in what was, at the most, 7 hours. That's a pretty good steady rate.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kpTvJ4ZsuB7R62hVrA6RJ5JHTMRKLjkrFCHnwHdt5vTs3VPpfBUCrixWNCV_0owfQr2BZIQrUGCocIqzF29UZOE4-iL0CW1h6rdXxglf4MM3bFrUw0xtORDpvMCU3M6scno60JQo_7BW/s1600/OaklandCemetery-Mar4-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1kpTvJ4ZsuB7R62hVrA6RJ5JHTMRKLjkrFCHnwHdt5vTs3VPpfBUCrixWNCV_0owfQr2BZIQrUGCocIqzF29UZOE4-iL0CW1h6rdXxglf4MM3bFrUw0xtORDpvMCU3M6scno60JQo_7BW/s640/OaklandCemetery-Mar4-3.JPG" width="640" height="426" data-original-width="614" data-original-height="409" /></a></div>
<center>Turned out to be 18 inches</center>
<br />
Of course it's not over yet. We have plenty of severe wintry weather in March and April but the worst of it <b>is</b> over. And it never <b>ever</b> goes below 0 after the first week of March!
<br /><br />
And I <b>did</b> manage to make lots of soup this season. That was a goal!
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-62013656010409925202019-02-12T10:03:00.000-05:002019-02-12T10:03:10.517-05:00Mushroom SoupI'm not crazy about the wintertime. I don't mind snow so much but I *really* hate the cold.<br /><br />
The only two redeeming things about wintertime are rich hot soups and all kinds of comfort food. Last year I was off my soup game. I'm not sure why really. I was distracted sure. Between farm work and the <a href="http://lifewithlids.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-year-in-ice.html">ice</a> I just hadn't fixed soup like I'd wanted to.<br /><br />
This year I was determined not to have that happen again and have made soup frequently. Lentil and cabbage soup are probably my favorites. Tortellini soup is right up there and of course there's always chicken soup. And here in New England there are all kinds of chowders.<br /><br />
And then there's this.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIU0pDJmK3wzjrta2KL8MluDMcwqRsfQFa6uz5nC2y3i40NnXdcz6YDjNxg_AHPrY1BMt8t14vPUPleB_Nnl09g2xc0WSjS-7OR6fdqaQSj_-g85pXG1O1D-r1fRBF-j7VBw7q4wY-7WN/s1600/MushroomSoup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIU0pDJmK3wzjrta2KL8MluDMcwqRsfQFa6uz5nC2y3i40NnXdcz6YDjNxg_AHPrY1BMt8t14vPUPleB_Nnl09g2xc0WSjS-7OR6fdqaQSj_-g85pXG1O1D-r1fRBF-j7VBw7q4wY-7WN/s640/MushroomSoup.JPG" width="640" height="426" data-original-width="868" data-original-height="578" /></a></div>
<center>Wild Rice and Mushroom soup</center>
<br />
I made this a week or so ago and I swear it's just about the best soup ever. I'd made a vegetarian Bolognese with mushroom duxelles and I had some leftover mushrooms. Here, loosely adapted from a recipe by <a href="http://www.martha-rose-shulman.com/">Martha Rose Shulman</a> appearing in the NY Times:<br /><br />
Ingredients (serves 2):<br />
<ul>
<li>
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
</li>
<li>
2 T olive oil
</li>
<li>
Half a medium onion, chopped
</li>
<li>
One carrot, sliced
</li>
<li>
One celery rib, sliced
</li>
<li>
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
</li>
<li>
2 cloves garlic, minced
</li>
<li>
pinch of salt
</li>
<li>
1/2 cup Minnesota wild rice
</li>
<li>
1/3 cup white wine
</li>
<li>
2 cups chicken broth (no salt added, I used homemade)
</li>
<li>
1 cup water
</li>
<li>
1/2 t thyme, 1/2 t parsley, 1 bay leaf
</li>
<li>
1/2 cup frozen peas
</li>
<li>
Cider vinegar, to taste, a t or two
</li>
</ul>
It looks like a long list of ingredients but this is <b>easy</b>. <i>I don't do anything that's hard</i>.<br /><br />
Procedure:<br />
<ul>
<li>
Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 1/3 cup boiling water from a kettle for 30 minutes or so. Strain and reserve the liquid for later. Some people run the liquid through some cheesecloth or a coffee filter. I don't bother.
</li>
<li>
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté until they soften, maybe 5 minutes.
</li>
<li>
Add the sliced mushrooms to the saucepan. With a pinch of salt. Cook them over high heat until they start to soften, maybe 3 minutes or so. Reduce the heat and add the garlic. When the garlic is fragrant, after a minute or two, add the thyme and the parsley. Stir to combine.
</li>
<li>
Add the wine and reduce to at least half over high heat. Add the reserved porcini mushroom water. Add the chicken stock, water, and bay leaf, bring to a boil.
</li>
<li>
Add the re-hydrated porcini mushrooms, wild rice, bring back to a boil reduce to a simmer. Simmer for an hour, covered.
</li>
<li>
Add the peas.
</li>
</ul>
Season the soup to your liking. I splash in the cider vinegar at serving time. Best soup I've had in a very long time!
ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-51436950945664012882019-02-10T16:33:00.000-05:002019-02-12T07:46:06.202-05:00Boring winter!This has been a *very* boring winter.<br /><br />
I fell off my horse in December just before Christmas and broke a rib. Oh that hurt like hell! I'm getting a little too old for that and I don't heal as fast as I used to. I've been way off my game. I think I'm just going to have to start using a saddle...as much as that disappoints me.<br /><br />
Of *course* it was my fault. We'd had a good ride and we were cooling off just shuffling around and...*boom* she's off and running for her life. Leaving me in a heap. I got caught off guard and yes I know better. Ain't that always the case. I used to be pretty good at falling off a horse but now? Not so much.<br /><br />
We've had a couple of *really* cold days but not hardly any snow. Sloppy ice storm a week or so ago. As much as I hate the wintertime a blizzard would be exciting right about now. At least...this time of year...it has a certain charm that's hard to describe.<br /><br />
Speaking of which. I pack in Chef Boyardee ravioli and Beefaroni for my "storm" food. In case we lose power for any length of time. At least I'll have a lantern, a book and my Chef Boyardee for the duration. But. It came to my attention some time ago that Chef Boyardee ravioli and Beefaroni use HFCS! And no. I do *not* knowingly eat HFCS.<br /><br />
But...thanks to <a href="http://foodtalkcentral.com/t/ftc-confessions/3927/1181">FoodTalkCentral</a> this also came to my attention! Throwback recipe!<br /><br /> Yes, it uses sugar and no, it's not like I eat a lot of this stuff. I don't think added sugar is good for you either. But hey, with this stuff in the pantry I might just look forward to a power failure!<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJfS2i0y3OmzZuayPj7EkyxqU1Dk768jjDU4WajPFibYMNShZ699_H_e4pnoBbHPDb92mS_f7JMOx2Phaeay05XVLQGTmXljnh2n19o2YBRE3tPSTXOu-LGPYeLc0rMhByTvtnl_n9z5m/s1600/ChefBoyardeeRavioli-Feb7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJfS2i0y3OmzZuayPj7EkyxqU1Dk768jjDU4WajPFibYMNShZ699_H_e4pnoBbHPDb92mS_f7JMOx2Phaeay05XVLQGTmXljnh2n19o2YBRE3tPSTXOu-LGPYeLc0rMhByTvtnl_n9z5m/s400/ChefBoyardeeRavioli-Feb7.JPG" width="267" height="400" data-original-width="578" data-original-height="866" /></a></div>
<center>A childhood favorite! And still a guilty pleasure.</center>ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7448089697294795588.post-1955528230314889782018-11-13T09:28:00.000-05:002018-11-13T09:28:00.933-05:00Happy trails!Our new home has some trails out in the back.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbjKJLj-nWKJHnn2HEOeNNOL2An8qbC6o_rIrgBTTjzJumd0JnLfnx_bTeK3MjeNWCLqftYRZtAZ0WUiXzcMx705bF-oLGGBNnmAZQScFB3_3PW8zecqrC06QImvWR4c5pz_94fhmAXLA/s1600/TrailRide-Nov8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbjKJLj-nWKJHnn2HEOeNNOL2An8qbC6o_rIrgBTTjzJumd0JnLfnx_bTeK3MjeNWCLqftYRZtAZ0WUiXzcMx705bF-oLGGBNnmAZQScFB3_3PW8zecqrC06QImvWR4c5pz_94fhmAXLA/s640/TrailRide-Nov8.JPG" width="427" height="640" data-original-width="478" data-original-height="717" /></a></div>
<center>Thursday 8 November</center>
<br />
We can easily spend 45 minutes in the woods and it's mostly easy going. As you can plainly see this a most beautiful sparkling pleasant fall day. No bugs!<br /><br />
And..on the other side of the woods...<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1e-nyqbtW5vlZrvKPEbmymf5oFkL3AqKZXBNxXUeQHW_-CvNCHsTjQUZKK93eXxPzqY6RLY2CUJjlu4PZLOYwnctuVFnSMmPAVx0wIl3H5EeHbGG6Ov65u0GFxcD3easkP8EH-uxjuMRk/s1600/TrailRide-Nov8-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="1" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1e-nyqbtW5vlZrvKPEbmymf5oFkL3AqKZXBNxXUeQHW_-CvNCHsTjQUZKK93eXxPzqY6RLY2CUJjlu4PZLOYwnctuVFnSMmPAVx0wIl3H5EeHbGG6Ov65u0GFxcD3easkP8EH-uxjuMRk/s640/TrailRide-Nov8-3.JPG" width="427" height="640" data-original-width="405" data-original-height="607" /></a></div>
<center>Treats!</center>
<br />
L knows the field is on the other side of the woods! She really enjoys these trail rides! On the other side of the field, beyond the trees are power lines. I used to ride those power lines 25 years ago. There's been a lot of construction out there in the past 20 years. Entire neighborhoods with 30 and 40 houses sprang up almost overnight. Said really. People still think of this as being "out in the country" but it's not at all like it used to be.<br /><br />
But we can still ride for <b>hours</b> out under the power lines!ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15420250818448361372noreply@blogger.com0