Dad & Son

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Originally uploaded by groyse

Ok, so I am going though my son's photos on flickr and saw this. It touched my heart so much I had to blog it and share my son Guy and his middle son Mike with the rest of you. Hope you don't mind Son...but it was a public photo. :)

Hope everyone had a good and safe Memorial Day weekend!

ducks are sitting, peonies are blooming & a recipe: sloppy joes for a crowd

suggestion: if all you see are little blank boxes instead of photos on the website, right click on your mouse and then click on show all original images. I've been experiencing trouble with uploading photos to blogger so have had to bypass their method and insert html into the posts.

The lavender and white sprinkles of wild phlox contrast beautifully against the greens of brush and trees and lend a splash of color to the field across the road. Have I mentioned how wonderful it is to wake to birds singing various tunes? And then this morning, to rise and find the peonies have bloomed!

Summer seems to have arrived although the calendar tells us that it’s several weeks away. The nights have been warm enough to sleep with window open. The woods out back are a mass of green, making the sight of a deer within near impossible now. So, we watch as they cross near the barn to the adjacent field.

This month has been a busy one and June looks no different for the most part. This last week of May will be spent helping Conrad and Janet prepare for their yard sale, then organizing things in the barn here for their auction on June 30^th. Janet and I will be setting up the kitchen for auction day and serving the traditional auction fare for those who come to browse and buy. It should be fun…I keep telling myself that lol! I’m sure it will be. I’ve managed the kitchen on several occasions for other auctions so it’s just a matter of organization and preparedness. Once you are ready to go the rest is relatively easy. (It should be fun, it should be fun, it should be fun…it will be fun, it will be fun, it will be fun…)

In the meantime…

Coop has been gathering some eggs recently from Louise, our fickle little black hen Muscovy, who doesn’t seem to be quite sure what she is doing. Thelma by the way is sitting on her nest of about 22 eggs, possibly more. I estimate hatching time to be on or near the summer solstice.

Most people I’ve heard of don’t care for duck eggs, but then they’re referring I believe to regular duck eggs rather than Muscovy. Muscovy eggs are a tad bit richer and have larger yolks, but the difference is slight in flavor compared to chicken eggs. Fried over easy or scrambled they make a fine meal. The eggs are a lot tougher to crack because they have a thicker outer membrane beneath the shell and I notice the white is thicker or more gelatinous than a chicken egg. I haven’t tried them boiled, so not sure if the consistency is any different that way. It may be. There’s only one way to find out!

In light of summer gatherings, whether auctions or reunions, here’s the recipe for a mega batch of sloppy joes. This recipe will make a large electric roaster full or two large crock pots full. As always with my own recipes I more or less estimate amounts, so adjust accordingly to your taste and needs.

Recipe for electric roaster or 2 large crock pots of Sloppy Joes

15 lb. lean ground beef

Approximately 3 large onions diced

Cook beef and onions together in large pan or soup kettle, then drain as well as possible.

Add:

1 #10 can ketchup (institutional size)

1 cup brown sugar

Chili powder to taste (I’d suggest about 3-4 T.)

salt and/or garlic powder if desired, to taste

Place contents in your crock pots or roaster and simmer til time to eat.

I think the last time I used this recipe I actually only needed about 2/3 of the can of ketchup. Just store the rest in a jar.

Natural Insect Repellents

Skeeters

One of my friends asked about a natural insect repellent after mentioning it in my earlier post. You can make it easily with essential oils, either using one or a combination. Essential oils that work well are citronella, lemon grass, eucalyptus, lavender, thyme, tansy and pennyroyal (avoid pennyroyal if pregnant!). I use either citronella or lemongrass or a combination of those and others depending on what I have on hand.

Add approximately 20-30 drops of essential oil into a bottle to which an ounce or two of carrier oil such as almond or grapeseed has been added. (A small bottle with a squeeze top works well.) Roll bottle between your hands or shake gently to mix oils before applying to skin.

You can also add essential oils to water, witch hazel or cider vinegar using the same ratio as above. Increase the liquid if you plan on using this as a spray on repellent. I would guess-timate about 20-30 drops of oil per ½ cup of liquid would be sufficient for a spray. My advice is test as you go to see what seems tolerable to your skin and nose. Sometimes less is more or you may find you are senstive to certain oils. Remember; never put essential oils directly on the skin. They can burn or cause irritation.

Notes:
Be sure to use pure essential oils, not fragrance oils.
Dusk is the absolute worst time for mosquitoes.

Ticks

Ticks live in grasses, shrubs and trees as well as on warm blooded animals. Be sure to check yourself and your pet for ticks during the summer months when you’re spending time outdoors.

A natural tick repellant is found in rose geranium essential oil. In a spray bottle place 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons rose geranium oil. Shake to blend. Use this to spray dog beds and other areas where they sleep. You can also dab a few drops of rose geranium oil onto clothing or pet collars.

summer morning ramble

The weather has been warm enough the past few nights to allow leaving the bedroom window open. To wake in the morning to the songbird’s trill and smell the scent of summer in the air, to feel the gentle breeze waft leisurely across the body…these moments are just some of the reasons I look forward to and love summer so dearly.

We have been delighted to notice a rose breasted grosbeak residing high in a tree just behind the house near the creek. Neither Coop nor I had ever seen one before. The flash of his red breast is unmistakable, but it was his song that alerted us to his presence. Quite lovely, unique and intense as it rises above that of the other songbirds. I can hear him singing as I type. To see a very good picture and listen to the song of the rose breasted grosbeak, go to http://www.birding.com/topbirds/9519rbg.asp

Today promises to be another warm one. The mosquitoes have become thick already, one of the less enchanting things about the season to be sure. While planting last night I became their feast, coming in with numerous bites. Tonight I will not be in the garden in shorts and a tank top to be sure! Time to get out the essential oils and mix up a new batch of natural repellant!

I’m hoping to get the tomato and pepper plants in the ground this evening. Everything we’ve planted so far has been certified organic, as are the tomato and pepper plants we’ve grown. If all does well I will likely be setting up a road side stand later in the summer as I’ll have excess produce. I have family and friends that are depending on me rather than the supermarket to provide them with home grown fresh veggies this summer. I’ve never raised a garden that didn’t allow an abundance to share, eat and preserve. I will most definitely be busy come late summer making relishes, salsas, sauces and the like, canning green beans, tomatoes, etc. (Thank goodness I have lots of canning jars!) This is another one of my favorite parts of summer; being able to gather and eat fresh veggies from the garden. We eat less meat in the summer, often making complete meals from the garden. I love it! Like the sign in my kitchen reads, “It’s All Good!”

homemade croutons for pennies

We were able to get part of the seed planted in our garden this evening after the weather cooled. The green beans, beets, eggplant and some straw flowers got planted! Tomorrow we'll get the plants out and hopefully the squash and cucumber seeds planted. The spinach, chard, romaine and radishes are coming up nicely. Again we are planting under a waxing moon for increased abundance.

***

Everytime we have salad I wish I had croûtons, but I refuse to buy them. The frugality in me, for one reason, ya know? The cost is high plus most, if not all (aside from maybe organic croûtons), have either high fructose corn syrup and/or MSG, both bad. Same story with bread crumbs. So, since I always make my own bread crumbs, I decided to try my hand at making my own croûtons this morning since I'd purchased some day old French bread for pennies the other day. I checked online to find a recipe that would give me the correct baking temperature. However, I found the suggested temps ranging from 225 to 425. So, I ended up through trial using a medium heat of 350. All I did was....

Drizzle olive oil over slices of bread then season with onion salt and oregano. (You can use your own choice of herbs of course) After cubing the bread I placed the pieces single layer on pizza stones to bake about 15-20 minutes at 350 F.
Here is the result.

Note, you'll want to check on these to make sure they don't become overly brown, but you'll want to make sure they are really dry so they will keep well.

Aren't I the lucky one?

The other day my nephew showed up at my house bearing gifts! What a surprise to receive all these flowers! Two hanging planters like the one pictured (that frame the front porch entrance quite perfectly), plus the mega planter and two hibiscus shown on the bistro set on the front porch.



Rich is a professional horticulturist and works as a main grower for a nursery. He knows I love pinks and purples, so he certainly kept that in mind when choosing flowers for me. :) I have to say I was totally in awe and appreciation to be the recipient of so many flowers. I've never received so many flowers in my life and especially from someone other than my husband, lol! They sure will dress up the front porch and patio! I am most certainly feeling blessed by this! Thanks Rich and more hugs...aren't I the lucky one?

peacocks & herbs (repost with photos)

This past weekend Kingwood Center held their spring herb sale, so Coop, my niece Jenni, (who lives nearby and is like a daughter to me) and I took a trip over this morning. If you live in Ohio in proximity to Richland County, Kingwood is a place you’ll want to visit often. It’s a gorgeous 47 acre former estate garden brimming with flora and fauna amidst the bustle of Mansfield, Ohio. It’s free and open to the public year round. I have been there many times and will return many more. In fact, June is a highlight for me when the myriad of roses come into bloom. There are about 500 roses in bloom between June and September that result in thousands of blooms in every imaginable color and scent.

I was smart enough to take my camera along this morning and capture a few photos of Mr. India Blue Peacock. Along with photos (which should be showing up here but seem not to be) I came home from the sale with a few herbs; lemon verbena, woodruff, chocolate mint, hot and spicy oregano and bronze fennel. I thought the hot and spicy oregano would be a nice addition to some of my sauces and salsas this year! Can’t wait! I use a lot of oregano in my cooking anyhow, so this will be fun to try. The bronze fennel I was thrilled to find. I do like fennel seeds, especially mixed into sausages and spaghetti sauce, but the beauty of bronze fennel is exquisite. At least I think so, with its feathery fronds of bronze. I would plant it whether it was culinary or not, due to its eye appeal. The chocolate mint is deliciously chocolate and minty, of course! I have grown it before and it is a deep green mint that is very eye appealing, too. The lemon verbena…mmmmm, the scent alone is worth its presence in the garden. I like to add it to my herb tea blends, hot or cold. And the sweet woodruff will be a nice addition as a garnish or to add to teas, also. All in all, a nice little start to my herbal garden.

Towards the end of the month Jenni and I will be going to Quail Crest Farm in nearby Wayne County, Ohio to browse more herbs. I am really looking forward to that and spending the day with her.