Birthday, Beds, Omelettes, Peas, Raspberries & Beans!

Greetings!

It's Friday!  Where has this week gone and what happened to the first week of August!?

The week started off with a family outing at an outdoor pool/splash park and a wienie roast for our wonderful Daughter-in-Law's birthday.  I can't believe those kids, and our poor son, spent over 4 hours splashing and running and laughing at this awesome outdoor play/water park.  Papa, DIL and I got to watch the shenanigans pool side, in our lawn chairs, in the shade.  The three youngest ones had sun screen on and fared very well, the oldest kid, our son, - got burned to a crisp!  They had a riot! 

We drove around for quite a while looking for a day use area for our wiener roast after we left the water park, then finally ended up coming back to our place in the end.  I remember many day use areas from when I was a kid for such impulse occurrences.  Apparently this isn't as popular any more.  No worries, though.  We have our own fire pit, complete with indoor plumbing and running water.  It's all good!

Tea Towels I make for our DIL's birthday present

This week found us with a young house guest.  Our middle grand child is a delightful young man.  Full of mischief, stories and lots of fun!  He was on a mission this week.  As it happens, his family is moving later this summer to a house on the lake.  His mom thought it would be cool if his bed could be raised so he can see out his bedroom window from his bed, to enjoy his new lake view.  Papa, of course, is always happy to accommodate, especially for a grand buddy.  A plan was formulated.  A color was chosen and the two men set about their project.  Anyone who knows Papa, knows that he is extremely efficient with his time and can accomplish just about anything he sets his mind to. 

The new bed base is full of cubby holes which will run down both sides of the bed for easy access.  It is designed in two halves, for weight, "movability" and to potentially accommodate a larger bed in the future, should the need arise.  The young one chose to paint it red.  The Reddest Red paint we could get at the paint store.  Perhaps Gremlynn should make him a new quilt to go with it?  Papa still has a ways to go yet, but our house guest was very happy to assist with it's construction and painting.  It will be amazing when it is complete.   

First section being sanded

A Great Red!  Good Color Choice!

These two halves will be given another coat of paint
Then the cubby holes will be on either side of the bed
The mattress and box spring will sit on top
There will also be a ladder and a toe kick added

The first morning he was here, he informed me that he is really good at making omelettes.  That sounds good!  What kind do you make?  Any kind you like, says he!  So, go ahead and make me one.  Have you ever used a cast iron frying pan, says I?  No?  Then there's no time like the present to learn how to use one.  

Our young chef made the perfect omelette, in the cast iron pan.  This kid's got skills!

Wrist action to incorporate the yolks and whites completely
Only a tablespoon of water and S & P at this stage

Ham and left over Pico de Gallo and some mozzarella
cheese added when the eggs began to set up

Not quite the perfect "flip", but it was amazing!

Thursday found us in the garden.  All. Day.  

The other day I told Papa that when we finally get some heat, everything is going to need to be dealt with on the same day. Thursday, was that day.

It all started innocently enough, in the raspberry patch. 13 1/4 lbs later, on to the beans. Two five gallon pails full, then filled with cold water to be dealt with later. On to the peas.

Our young house guest picked the snow peas, while Papa and I got into the pea patch. Two fully heaping 5 gallon pails of peas later, the two men set about to shucking them, while I continued to pick. We ended up with over 9 lbs of shelled peas for the freezer. And 5.5 lbs of snow peas, picked, blanched and frozen.

Time for a late lunch! It was 2:30 by the time we got in, for our first break. Toasted tomato and bacon sandwiches on homemade sourdough bread with homemade Mayo. Recharged, we set about to snap beans. 

Papa then spent 2 hours on the lawnmower, while I worked on the beans. By 4:30 I had two onions and four colored peppers to made up four batches of seasoned green beans. By 7:30, the 24 pints of beans are put up. Time for a late supper. Sausage and eggs for three at 8 pm.

During supper, I mentioned to Papa that he might want to check the onions. The two I pulled were soft. He went out to check while I tidied the kitchen and got the laundry in. Papa decided to pull the 300+ onions. The men started tying them up while I went to check on the neighbor's place then watered the deck pots.

By 9:45 we were all in and hitting the showers. We all slept like rocks!  Even the Furry one!

Over 13 lbs of freshly picked raspberries
Papa needs 15 for a batch of wine, so he'll
have to top it up - just a bit

24 jars of seasoned green beans

About 300 onions harvested.  Whew!

Our house guest decided that he wanted pasta for supper one evening.  What kind of Pasta, asks I?  Any kind, says he.  That isn't helping.  What kind of Pasta do you want?  He says Alfredo.  Is Chicken Alfredo, okay?  Sounds wonderful, says he.  

We had to go to town anyways, so I picked up a pint of cream, but didn't check the Fettuccine noodle situation before we left.  Come supper time, I put the water on for the noodles and set about to make the sauce, when I discovered that we didn't have any Fettuccine noodles.  Did you want Spaghetti or Shells, instead?  He chose the shells.  Good thing since I really didn't feel like making homemade noodles that late in the day.  It turned out great and he was a happy camper - but then again, he always is!

Chicken Alfredo with Shells
Homemade sourdough garlic bread and
cucumbers from the greenhouse

When I asked earlier in the day what he might like for a dessert, he chose "one of those roll up cakes".  Like a Jelly Roll?  No, this one doesn't have Jelly in it, he says.  It has cream or icing or some other filling in the roll up part. I can work with that.  One chocolate Jelly Roll, sans the jelly, with chocolate cream filling and chocolate glaze.  Oh, and fresh raspberries so it has some nutritional value!  Hee hee!

Chocolate Jelly Roll

We had set up a Monopoly game the first night he arrived.  We got so busy with life, bed building, cake baking, gardening and preserving that we didn't get back to it until this morning.  And then his Mom came to pick him up, so we didn't get to finish it anyways.  No worries, says I.  You can always come back another time and we'll set it up again.  He readily agreed.  I guess we have another date set for later this summer then.  Wink, wink.   

It's always fun when one of the Little's come for a visit!  They really are the Jewels in the Crown of Life.

Enjoy your weekend!

Gremlynn

 

Quiet Moments, Flying Geese and Russell Crow(e)

Greetings Fellow Earth Dwellers:

July was an absolute blur for us out here at No Regrets.  So, I'm not going to lie that when I saw that the last week of the month and the first few days of August had nothing, seriously nothing, written in my day timer, I smiled a little smile and mouthed a quiet "thank you". 

Don't get me wrong!  We Absolutely LOVE having company - after all, when we built this house, we designed it specifically for entertaining!  We both LOVE having folks come out, the deck parties and catching up with everyone!  But when it literally comes in waves, one day on top of the next, with only a moment to do a load of laundry and plan another meal, it can get a bit overwhelming.  We were both happy for a few days of just us two.  I am also happy to report that this weekend and next week will be back to the usual social activities for us.  I am looking forward to spending time with the next arrivals and catching up with all the news. 

So, what have we accomplished during these quiet moments?  I actually got some serious Studio Time in, while Papa got caught up with his weeding and yard work.

I am working on couple of secret projects for two loved ones.  It has given me moments to really remember times shared and the deep bonds we have, although we are literally separated by a continent.  I will share that the first one has 216 red flying geese on a cream colored sky background.  This involved starting with 216, 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" red rectangles and 432, 2 1/2" cream squares.  These first blocks are complete and have been joined into strips. Now for the next step.  I will post more when I am able to, without giving too much away. 

Red Flying Geese on a Cream Sky

We have had some heat recently, so the garden is really starting to pop!  I swear that the corn literally grew 12" yesterday, from when I first walked by in the morning, to later in the evening when I dumped the final wheel barrow of weeds.  I actually did a double take, it was that dramatic!

We have been checking daily the progress of the peas, cherries, raspberries and beans for signs of readiness to be harvested.  Still patiently - perhaps not so patiently - waiting.  The peas are filling.  The cherries are ripening by the day.  The beans are getting longer.  And when those raspberries finally start to really ripen, I predict that we will soon be overrun with them!  It just might be a super busy couple of weeks as I am anticipating that everything is going to be ready all at the same time!

Peas filling nicely!

Apples getting bigger every day!

When we were at a local greenhouse earlier this spring, we spied a couple of Blueberry Bushes specifically hybrid for Alberta's challenging growing conditions.  The test plants were developed and grown in Northern Alberta.  They get more summer sun than us, but their winters are longer, darker and colder.  We deduced that if these are thriving up there, we should have similar success here.  So we bought 2 of each plant offered and are hoping for the best!

So far I have harvested a few berries - and yes, I did share with Papa! - they taste amazing!  

Papa, being a Prairie Boy, only ever really knew Saskatoon's, sort of a Blueberry cousin, but not really.  The taste and texture is definitely its own.  

Me, being from the Maritime's, prefers Blueberries.  Hand's Down.  No Contest.  As a child, I remember picking buckets of wild blueberries in the bushes not far from our home.  

When I first tasted Saskatoon's, I didn't get the love of this berry.  To be honest, I still don't.  The mouth feel isn't right for me.  I know I shouldn't compare them - like comparing raspberries and blackberries - two totally different berries.  They work for me in a pie, or muffin or a crumble, but to just eat them, not my favorite.  The Blueberry/Saskatoon debate has been ongoing in our house for decades.  So when I picked 2 of each berry and offered Papa a chance to taste test them, side by side, I was shocked to hear him say that he definitely preferred the Blueberry!  Score One for Me!  We have a row of young Saskatoon's in our orchard, but I am thrilled to have these Blueberries as well.  Hopefully they survive our winter.

Blueberries!

The overview of the 2019 Garden

Earlier this spring, we transplanted 100's if not 1000's of Sunflower seedlings from the garden, to a dirt pile in the back pasture.  Our hopes was that it would be covered with assorted sunflowers later this summer.  It appears our experiment is a success!  It is just covered with sunflowers in all different sizes and colors!  It is going to be absolutely striking when they all finally bloom!  I'll be sure to take pictures when the colors pop!  I am so excited over this!

One of the Sunny's reaching for the Sky!

Dirt pile with transplanted Sunflower seedlings

We have begun to harvest some of the garden.  I got 7 quarts of stewed tomatoes done the other day.  This is the beginning of the restocking of our cold cellar.  We have several bags of snow peas blanched and frozen now too.  We had stuffed green peppers the other night for supper, then decided to start bringing in the ripe sweet peppers to be cut up and frozen. I need to check on the strawberries again and have done three batches of strawberry jam so far.  The rest will probably just be topped and frozen for winter use.  It is nice to start to fill up the veggie freezer again.

The chickens are all doing well.  Our new little girls are starting to lay a bit more now.  Russell Crow, our new little rooster, is sure getting big already.  He is a handsome boy.  He has been crowing so much lately, duelling with the older rooster in the other pen! They are hilarious to listen to.  Russell Crow has already taken the guardian position of his girls.  When we go out to put the chickens in at night, he stands between us and his women, just to make sure we know he's watching us and ready to defend them.  He and Papa have already had the discussion as to who exactly is the Head Rooster around here.  Russell wasn't too excited to have this discussion, but they are on speaking terms again.  It will probably be two more weeks before we harvest Russell's brothers, so it will become a lot quieter in the hen house.  He is going to be a good rooster for our girls.  I'll have to remember to take a picture of him to share.  

Other than that, we have been enjoying evenings on our deck listening to the pond running.  We have had many suppers out there as well.  I have been working on my EPP project in the evenings, often out on the deck.  It has been a nice, quiet summer week for us here.  We are officially recharged and ready to take on our next week's adventures!

Enjoy your weekend.

Gremlynn