Enjoying a bit of a break...

Well...you know.  For me.  lol

 This is a picture of bread made for the first time using my new-to-me KitchenAid mixer.  It's a honey oatmeal loaf that I added about a cup of Bob's Red Mill 12 grain cereal to, because..well...because I can't ever follow a recipe.  lol  And I don't like white bread, even oatmeal bread. I need some STUFF in it, lol  It has a wonderful crumb, it slices beautifully and I am very happy with it.

 I went out this morning and cut butternut squash and hauled them into the garage to cure for a few days before putting them into storage. There were about 3 of them that I'll be cooking tonight--2 with bad spots (as in, someone else already lunched)  and one that I accidentally pulled the stem off.  The stem coming off is a big deal, because it allows bacteria to enter through that soft open spot  and the squash will rot.  'Sokay.  I needed a vegetable for supper tonight anyway.  I am baking some chicken and cooking some rainbow quinoa and roasting the cubes of squash with just a little EVOO and sea salt.  Perfect-O.  Got a pretty decent haul of squash this year...and there are still more out there that came on later and aren't ready yet. I'll leave them as long as the weather holds.  They aren't huge, but they are a pretty nice size for meals.  One really big one that grew out of the compost pile, with no help from anyone. lol

Haven't canned anything recently, but I did dry a dehydrator full of jalapenos (mostly) and cayenne (some) peppers.  Thought I could pulverize the cayenne and roughly grind the jalapenos for use in cooking.

  I have a lot of green tomatoes out there. Thinking I will make some green tomato salsa...kind of a salsa verde, but with unripened green tomatoes instead of tomatillos.  I found several recipes for it, so I know people do it.  lol  And...I'm somebody, ain't I ??


 The weather is beautiful. Cool nights, down to the mid 40's. Pleasant days, hovering in the low to mid 70's.  Blue skies and sunshine and fluffy white clouds now and then. And the leaves are slowly starting to turn, a little red here, a little gold there...and fall from the trees in that ever graceful dance of autumn. 


  This cold is loosening it's hold on me. Luckily the doc said my lungs were clear and recommended a couple of OTC medicines that I can take with the bp meds.   I have felt much better the past 2 days. Still not a hundred percent, but better. Thank goodness. I hate being sick.  lol
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 Okay, I have the chicken quarters in the oven, all seasoned and baking and smelling up the house.  I got the 3 butternuts peeled and diced and are soaking in a light  salt water brine, getting ready to be roasted.  I have the quinoa out, ready to be cooked, I have retrieved the mail (all junk, lol), and there is some leftover salad from last night's spaghetti and meatball supper. I opened one of the jars of my home canned marinara, added a bunch of diced ripe tomatoes from the garden and it was great.  So that will be supper. Tonight the Irishman goes off to meet up with some friends at a meeting in town here, but I have to have supper ready for him when he gets home, since the meeting is at 7:30.  We usually eat about the same time every night anyway...he doesn't get home until after 6 PM and that is already late enough. 

  After he leaves, I will make a run to the dollar store and buy some more canned cat food.  Remember the big handsome guy that adopted us ??

Pancho.  He is finally starting to come in the house  the past 2 days. He found out I was feeding Lazarus canned cat food, and wanted in on the action. He patrolled the house yesterday for over an hour and then I found him in the guest room, sleeping on the bed.  He came in for a bit today too, but didn't stay long. I hope he will be more acclimated by the time the cold weather gets here. He is a sweetheart.


  Okay. That's about it from Honeysuckle Hill.  Time to go check on the chicken, both in the oven and the coop. Speaking of chickens in the coop, we are debating the issue of butchering these guys and not having chickens again until next spring. They are not laying at all, and there's no point in feeding them through the winter. Not sure what has happened here...these are the worst producing chickens we have ever had.  Maybe because it's a mixed flock ? Don't know, but in the spring we are going back to good old Rhode Island Reds. My favorite chicken.


  *******  Heavens to Betsey. Got busy and didn't come back to this for 2 days.    Shameful !!  lol




Namaste.