Are we living our dream?

[Mini Horses]

Sounds like you're doing fine, without inspiration!

Oooh, I have an onion/cheese fritter I want to try!! You reminded me wish I'd read this an hr ago! Before the ham sandwich

 

[Mini Horses]

How's it going now days? Touch base.

 

[Medicine Woman]

Nature called so I got up and convinced myself to get busy. I wanted to get more done before anyone was up but DH was maybe only 40 minutes behind me.
I hope I’m not sorry but I just ordered some 6X300 foot black fabric weed barrier and 100 stainless steel 6 inch staples to hold it down. It was just an idea to try to deal with my needs in the easiest way possible in my condition.
I’m trying to finish up some watermelon rind preserves today. Hopefully this morning. DH was going to feed them to the chickens but I’m too cheap. I can’t find the potato masher but I did chop them in very small chunks. I added pectin cuz I wanted a jelly consistency. I realize it won’t taste like watermelon by the time I’m done with it. But DH goes through a ridiculous amount of jelly, jam and various preserves. Might as well fill my empty jars.
It’s about ridiculous how I own private property but have to be afraid of parish officials bullying me into keeping the grass under control. And it’s so hot to get out there and have to take care of so much. Tell you the truth; if the black fabric does the trick, I might consider buying much more of it for the orchard, my old home and whatever I can manage to deal with.

 

[Mini Horses]

I enjoy making jelly, jams & preserves but, now almost no one around here eats them. Kids & grands all grown up. I've shared with friends, who always want more -- but, they don't want to return my jars! I want them back, even empty.... They're $$$
The sugar & fruit are bad, have you priced pectin lately?

 

[Medicine Woman]

Pectin does usually bite. When I discovered I could make my own from the pith of my oranges I was surprised. I have attempted it but never to the extent that I felt I had succeeded. Maybe next time . I mean I now have more time than money so it averages out. So I know I didn’t get the preserves canned according to this morning’s schedule but the hot water bath is in progress now. I wish I could just look at whatever I am canning and instantly know how many jars to take out.
You know it’s crazy how much work I did before HG and DD got up and while DH was tending to the animals and I went down for a nap, got rid of so much fluid, got up and BAM!!! A bunch of dishes waiting for me on the table!! I guess I’ll just deal with them cuz I’m pretty sure they are from the one who did those outside chores. . I am willing to bet DH can sweat more than all of yours . OVERSHARE!!!! But in all fairness we have a really warm climate. So as of Friday I got a handicap license plate, I turned in a plate to save insurance money and I tended to a late registration for DS on a vehicle my dad gave me when he got sick. DS immediately reimbursed me. Currently bossing the girls around on laundry.
DH put a new incubator right on the side of my comfy chair in the living room. Strangely it doesn’t smell bad yet but it’s not time for a hatch yet. He plans on fetching a cage from my house to repair it.

 

[Mini Horses]

Chicks!! They are fun at first, then work, then more work if freezer fill. . I just incubated some that hatched 3 wks ago. For layer pullets & freezer roo. But only a few since a hen had hatched a few, plus I'd bought a few. It'll all work out.

Are your a combo hatch or just freezer fill? Maybe sales.

 

[flowerbug]

i used to make and give away a lot of strawberry freezer jam. now i have a few jars in the freezer for us to use and that's it. i enjoyed the work, the whole growing, picking, cleaning, making, etc, but when the critters started getting almost all of the harvest that took a lot of my enthusiasm away and last fall when i turned the whole patch under it was with a feeling of relief that i wouldn't be primarily working for thieves any longer. a good electric fence would have likely helped but i don't need yet more stuff around here to maintain at the moment... so until things change or whatever, it's just onwards and not looking back too much. if someone wants me to make jam for them they can buy the fruits, etc. and pay me to do it. i'll be sure to make the price worth it for me too. my guess is nobody will ever take me up on this... i'm good...

 

[baymule]

I used to make lots of jam and jelly. My picky grandkids only like raspberry jam and only 1 particular brand. I don’t eat much because of sugar and carbs. So why bother.

 

[Medicine Woman]

It’s been a little minute. I didn’t used to be like that.
I will attempt to answer whatever questions came up in no particular order or just add to the conversations.
Well I think the hatch is over. Only 8 hatched and 7 survived. But actually there aren’t a whole lot of unhatched eggs in the bator so it was probably pretty good especially considering DH caught the temperature spike like crazy once. We have one butt hole cockerel who is already begging me for freezer camp. So I like to have a no nonsense farm. I know the best way to turn a profit is to not sell eggs unless they spend 21 days in the incubator. I try to keep Milo to have that high ratio of pullets for a better sale but I am determined to run a tight ship so I don’t let the cockerels get too old before I slaughter.
I have a confession: I cooked chicken a few days ago and today I used the leftovers to make gumbo. Well…. I didn’t personally know the chicken I used . There. I said it.
So for a few hours DH hasn’t been able to find his wallet. I helped him search in the only way I know how. I started picking stuff up and tidying around. In the meantime I was listening to him talk about the last time he had it so I asked him if he looked around the truck he was putting the new battery in. That’s where it was.
I have intentionally held off going to the Dollar General so I can go today to use my $5 coupon.
We have a bunch of eggs ready for round 2 on the Bator. I knew one of them was bad because while looking for the wallet, I smelled something. I really wanted to get rid of it when I emptied the Bator but DH beat me to it.
So I have a few ‘delicate’ (French term for picky eaters), grandchildren. But I think it’s cuz they are my son’s children and not my daughter’s. Obviously my daughter cooks similar to me. My DIL…. Well I didn’t raise her so what can I say? She is in nursing school so I get that she doesn’t have time for much. They are fast food kids. The baby eats my food better than the older kids. I stopped worrying about if they like my food. I cook what I want and DS, the baby and I eat. If no one else wants to eat, that’s their problem.
So my bone density infusion finally messed up my teeth enough that I have my first ever cavity and need a root canal which I can’t believe the cost, so I have scheduled DH and myself an appointment at LSU Dental School for next month. Chewing hurts, the cold hurts. Sometimes just breathing hurts. So I informed my oncologist and he told me not to take my last infusion. Apparently it can cause serious problems with my jaw. I think I will refuse my next infusion as well.
Currently at war with our credit cards. The interest rates are ridiculous.
So everyone was in a panic a few days ago because of that Gulf storm and I took DD and HG to the grocery store. I stayed in the truck with the baby and I learned that I paid for the babies cereal (big deal) because WIC didn’t so I asked if HG got the rest of her formula for the month….No. I threatened her life…sorta. I mean how do you know if we gonna be able to come back within the next few days?? . So I said well we best look like feeding her food. Also if we don’t have any power outages the rest of the summer I guess we’ll have fuel to cut grass for a long time.
Oh well….. Dollar General here I come

 

[flowerbug]

when hungry enough picky eaters may end up trying some things and liking them.

for myself we were not able to be too picky as we were poor enough that if you didn't eat what was put in front of you you probably either went hungry or it was waiting for you for breakfast.

i'm glad that i was able to learn how to cook different cuisines when i got away from the routines of childhood and teen years and i'm willing to try new things when i get chances.

i really do not like wasting food so the best way to try new cuisines is to find a good buffet at an ethnic restaurant and then sample bites at a time on my plates. from there i can learn and adapt recipes to suit my own preferences.