framing fowl -daily living

[framing fowl]

Met witht the leasing agent yesterday. It would definately be a money maker. The questions we now need to answer are would we qualify for a home loan in Urbana if we leased our current place out. In this crazy world of ours, we could pay $1000 or so/month for a 2 bedroom place if we rented there. Or we could buy a small house with large fenced yard for $35,000 - $45,000. So more questions to answer and more creative, upside down thinking to make this work.

Made the tomato/basil/seasalt leather in the dehydrator. Didn't quite do it for us to just eat but a nice addition for flavoring to other dishes. Don't think we'll do it again for just us but a fun experiment.

Lunch today is roasted portabello mushrooms with bacon, yellow squash, fresh tomato, fresh basil, and mozarella! I'm drooling and my tummy is rumbling already!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

That does sound delicious!

The portabello mushrooms, are you roasting them in the oven??? it's so hot up here - I cringe to use the oven!

Congrats on getting to a size 10! I've got to step up my healthy eating - I've dropped off the wagon a few times the last couple weeks. I'll do good for a few days, eating super healthy, and then I'll have a day that the junk just jumps on my plate....

 

[framing fowl]

Quail, I was using my oven until I started reading what XPC was saying about BTU's and the air conditioner. DUH Me!!! (but it still tasted good!). As far as the eating, you just keeping starting over if you fall of the wagon. Just keep after it. Pretty soon, the junk just doesn't have the same appeal.

Had our first showing of the house today! That feels like a victory. One of our friends is a house inspector and he said last year he was averaging 12 inspections per week. Now he's averaging 1. The good thing is that if by some miracle, our house does sell, we'll be able to buy something very reasonable in IL! I am keeping the faith. I am keeping the faith. I am keeping the faith.

Put up 20 listings on CL today and just had the first one go out the door! Time to keep clearing stuff out.

One of my favorite sayings is "Free is a very good price." This weekend was kind of one of those weekends. We had a faucet that was getting drippy and finally got to the point of needing to be fixed and one that had a really clogged aerator with little water coming out. We thought it would be a brilliant idea since plumbing isn't our favorite things to do to trade a blackberry crisp for labor with a plumber friend. So he comes out and the whole faucet ends up busting.

The day before I had found 9 pieces of 4' rebar on the curb while I was urban foraging. So I was able to return those because they were in perfect condition to HD and had enough for the new faucet. So I guess it the end, it wasn't really free but still pretty inexpensive!

Well, I think we're headed to bed early tonight and tomorrow is out in the garden planting more beans and carrots and more cleaning/ organizing/ Craigslisting/ ebaying/ donating/ and packing.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

great news on the house showing!

One of my favorite sayings is "Free is a very good price."

i always say that free is my favorite price!

 

[framing fowl]

Last night had homemade kraut with brats. Yum, but the kraut was a bit salty. I'll tone the next batch down a bit. Then one of the watermelons in the garden had split so we had watermelon and a handful of raspberries for dessert. Then had battered eggplant fried in bacon this morning for breakfast. Made myself an espresso and then was off to the library and farmers market.

I indulged in 2 things: a pint of raspberries for $4 as a b-day present for a friend and $6 for 2 lbs of rhubarb for a special pie for our anniversary (#11) tomorrow night.

I think I did pretty well for my next $10 which bought me 1 1/2 pound grapes, 1 lb cubanelle peppers (think I'll stuff and bake 'em) 4 lbs of eggplant, 1 1/2 lb of hot banana peppers for pickling, and 2 lb of yellow squash.

Then at the library my copy of Stalking the Healthful herbs by Euell Gibbons finally came in after 3 months wait! I also picked up Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread, & Scuppernong wine. It's the folklore and art of southern Appalachian cooking. It looked like it had some good fermenting and pickling stuff. Plus who doesn't like to say "Scuppernong Wine?" I have no idea what it is but it sounds comforting!

Off to nap to improve my mood from this heat and then on to chopping & blending!

Happy Saturday all y'all

 

[framing fowl]

11 year anniversary yesterday. MyT Man worked so it was pretty low key. Went out for breakfast together this morning. It was great because we were able to brainstorm our way through the next year or so. Due to the housing market and finances, we're tabling school until next fall. We're taking the house off the market and concentrating on putting in a large fall garden and me getting a second job. If I can pick up another 20 hours or so a week, we should be able to be almost debt free other than the house by the end of next summer. Then we will be in a better position to sell the house, go to school, and weather the loss of my income.

So we're moving forward, together and we've got a plan and goal again. It was hard emotionally to let go of the dream of school for another year but in the long run, this will probably have a much better result. So, now I'm off to polish up my resume and pound the pavement.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

sorry, honey. sometimes defeat looks like victory in the rear view. but i know that now probably feels very frustrating.

Onwards and upwards!

and congrats on:

1. not doing something rash (i know someone who is bailing on their house without thinking about 'what next')....
2. your anniversary!

now go eat some thing chocolate and then get out those garden plans. we will all love to hear about what you'll be planting!

 

[framing fowl]

Thanks OFG! We don't consider it defeat, it's just adjusting the deadline of the goal! Although I did grieve for a bit earlier this weekend. I feel so much better today! I just can't function without a goal. I get lost and just want to read books all day!

Thanks for the virtual chocolate! I'm headed over to the neighbor's to help deliver a project MyT Man just completed for her. If I'm lucky, maybe she's got some chocolate cake just lyin' about!

 

[framing fowl]

I am in LOVE!!!
I'm not one to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I'd rather be out in the garden or with the animals. But the other night I saw a red (my fav. color) cuisinart food processor on CL. I had to have it. I don't know how I have survived without this tool for my whole life. I LOVE my tools and this is awesome!

Tonight I was rockin' it in the kitchen. Went out and gathered from the garden.
4 trays of dehydrating tomatoes
1 bowl of tomatillos to give to a friend
2 pie crusts frozen and ready for later
1 strawberry rhubarb pie cooked
1 blackberry cobbler cooked
onions chopped and frozen
sweet peppers chopped and frozen
eggplant sliced and ready for frying
1 5lb head of cabbage shredded and ready for slaw/kraut tomorrow
hot peppers pickled and canned

MyT Man washin' the dishes and I'm headed to bed! I love days like this

 

[framing fowl]

Posted an ad on CL on Friday that I would come pick people's fruit trees this weekend. Had a lady call with 2 apple trees. Got 8 - 5 gallon buckets!

It took me all day today to go pick, come home, water the garden. Then it was inside to tackle the tomatoes and make actual sauce rather than just chunking them up and canning that. Then on to the apples.

So far, 1/3 of a bucket has made 4 quarts. But I didn't start on them until 4 pm and then I was interupted to go move the trailer so our shed can be delivered tomorrow.

We found a great deal on CL for a metal storage shed which will mean the lawnmower will be out of the rain and the shop will be clear again. Perhaps chickens again... Yes, I know I'm justifying!

So tomorrow will be applesauce. I think the last time I had homemade applesauce was over 15 years ago when I left home. Yum comfort food!

It also rained tonight! It was 98* today so the rain and cool was a blessing. Doesn't look like it will last long but I'll take what I can get!