Kitchen Tales

We are in the part of summer where an abundance of produce appears, either in your garden or farmer's market. I started paying attention to preserving the bounty from my then huge vegetable garden about 20 years ago. I got involved in canning for a few years, but I one year I asked myself, why? It is an effort. It's hot. I had always froze things like green beans and such, why not the rest of my bounty. So I started freezing whole tomatoes, roasting and then freezing tomatoes, making pesto, making basil cubes, all destined for the freezer. My produce now grows in four 200 gallon water tanks, tomatoes, eggplant, fennel. I also have accidental celery (it was in with the parsley) and multiple pots of herbs.

I shred zucchini, roast and freeze eggplant. Slice and freeze peppers. The zucchini and peppers are from Neighbor Bill, who was going to cut back but didn't. We also get cucumbers from him. And tomatoes. I can't remember the last time I bought a can of tomatoes.

Last week I brought one of my remaining bags of whole tomatoes up to thaw. I leave them in the refrigerator until thawed, then I pop the tomato out of the skin like a pit out of an olive. Voila! Tomatoes to become sauce. No making and then canning a sauce. I make it as I use it. Yes, I am brilliant.

Or......not.

 

Into the Depths of the Beast

My Thursday afternoon adventure. Spending ninety minutes in an MRI machine. Ninety excruciatingly painful minutes. I cannot lay on my back, my bulging spine screamed at me the entire time. I was about at the end of my rope when I heard the nice young man say it was finished. I really wanted the results, so I sucked it up. I think I deserved a ribbon around my neck. 

 

No, This is Not The Onion. Glorifying Misogyny

I don't know about you but I am not going back to this. 

 My friend, Lori, had the sense to add some info about this person. Which I have added.

Yenor has taught political science at Boise State University since 2000 and has been open about his opinion on social justice programs at universities. His antifeminist views, claiming career women, include referring to some as "medicated, meddlesome and quarrelsome", led to a Title IX investigation and his being charged with civil rights violations by Boise State. Yenor is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and Loyola University Chicago.

Toil, Toil

A bit of morning light to brighten the day.

 

I spent three days clearing out the screened porch. It's too handy for stashing 'stuff'. It has been three years since we used it, mostly because it's too hot. I'm allowing the grape vine to crawl along the screen for some shade. It was a tragedy when the enormous tree with the wonderful canopy had to be felled. That south facing space became a sauna.

We had our first meal on the porch last evening. Nothing to write home about, just a thing taking very little effort. Tri Tip steak and a green salad for me. Grilled sweet corn for Mark. Boring but did its job.

I have the rest of today planned out but I will make an effort to pop in. I need to get going or I don't get going. Excitement here at the worlds end.

An Apple a Day They Say

Good Friday morning one and all. We are starting this day with a thunderstorm rolling it. It will supposedly be brief. We picked up an Aldi order yesterday so I am supplied with fruit for a while. Cosmic and Envy apples. They have rekindled my love of apples. Thank you to Boud for introducing me to Envy apples.

My appearance here may be sketchy for a few days. I'm on a roll in the catching up department around the old homestead and need to focus on that while I still have the oomph. Just to let you know if you don't see me commenting on your blogs. These bursts are rare, so I must grab them when they appear.

Sometimes the simple things turn out to be some of the best. A little bit of leftover pork chop, zucchini and peppers from Neighbor Bill and we had a simple, flavorful dinner at almost no cost. Can't beat that.

Tried Something New

Good Morning one and all. It's a pleasantly cool morning, something rather rare these days. Life has been quiet and uneventful, which isn't a bad thing. The produce is beginning to produce. Soon I will have tomatoes and eggplant. Fennel and the accidental celery. Herbs are in their glory and all is well. 

My good friend Lori posted a recipe I found unusual, so I had to give it a try. It turned out to be really good. 

I don't have biscuit mix so I put the dry ingredients together for biscuits. I used about half of that for this recipe. The oil threw me off but I gave it a go. It worked! I used olive oil as I haven't any vegetable oil. I used Gruyere and Pecorino Romano with some shredded mozzarella on top. I had to cook it 50 minutes. I think I had it in a smaller casserole dish which made it thicker. Thank you Lori. You got an A+ from Mark!

 

Winter is Coming Soon, Right?

I walked through a patch of catnip yesterday. The cats have been enthralled by my tennis shoes. They take turns.

Another, just like the others, hot and humid day ahead. The horses are doing well, handling this weather like the Arabians they are. They do remind me they are Minnesota Arabians. I'll be doing like Gatto and lay low.

Donating Gatto?

I took this photo of Gatto just now. The fellow has claimed this donation box as his own and that is that. There is no explaining them, so I don't try.

His Highness, McCool, has decided he is a house cat yet still enjoys a good lounge outside, so the deck is his outdoor version of the house. He rarely leaves it unless he decides to come inside.

 

Of course I have to comment on the weather. This morning the Twin  Cities had a dew point of 80 degrees. You know, that state the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon used for Frost Bite Falls (International Falls) where everything was frozen? Welcome to the jungle. We have condensation on the outside of every window. The old grey mare and her herd will be staying in for the day. Yes, I will too, but this referenced Babe. Horses that have been somewhat pampered don't need to struggle in their twilight years. That was the message left for me anyway. 

Quiet Day

Happy Saturday. 

The cats have the day off.

Birds on a Wire

 

*Matthew dislikes Leonard. When I asked him why he said because he thinks he's so cool. That's because he is said I.*

Weeds and Such

We are having three days of what was once normal summer weather. I am taking full advantage. Yesterday I weeded this flower bed. It was laden with weeds. I had to carefully maneuver my way into the inner area to pull weeds and vines. Me treading carefully is a laughable idea, since I can barely walk without tumbling over, but somehow I managed not to fall and destroy what I was trying to clear. This flower bed took four hours to weed and my body knows it.

This wildly overgrown patch is next on the list but may need to wait until tomorrow, the last day of a working temperature. Today will be a less stressful-on-my-body day. Just some general cleanup, maybe some mowing. Then more weeding Thursday.

This overgrown spot will be tilled for Iris transplant later this year. I have many that need a new home. The daylily population, here and everywhere not pictured, all come from the few I brought with me from my home in Saint Paul, as well as the yellowish iris which are also in abundance. It's a pleasant remembrance of that grand old house.

Enjoy a stroll through a garden. 

Dogdom

I am certain one and all are anticipating the day I would start going down the doggo memory lane. You will wait no more. Introducing two of my three bassets. These two did live together for two years. Lots of twos in there.

  Howard B. Hound

2007-2017

Basset Hound Extraordinaire

Murphy the Magnificent

2003-2018

Rescued Fella

2015

Are you going to eat that?

This Is Not a Yawn!

Howard worked himself up from a barely audible squeak until he reached this, full-blown howl that could shake the roof. It was all about biscuit time.

I do believe I've put enough photos up for you to catch the common Basset theme. They can be slugs. They are also incredible clowns and very stubborn beasts. They have a thing called 'flat basset'. When they decide they are not going to move, down they go and good luck to the poor soul who thinks they will move them. My friend and helper on the farm said it was like moving a wet bag of cement. With big-boy Howie it was probably two wet bags of cement.

Aroooooooo

 

Is It Caturday?

Gatto and Jigs wanted their day in the sun.

It is cooler today but humid. The smoke is gone for now, anyway. It is nice, and the cats appreciate it, to have the two kitchen doors open.  One door gives them access to this porch you see them snoozing in. We don't use it much since it started to heat up, especially after the enormous tree that sheltered it died. It had been a pleasant place for many a lunch and dinner.

Stay well, my pals.
 

Reprieve in Sight

This is what the cats have been doing during this excessive heat.

Today is our last extreme heat day, or so they say. Fingers crossed it is. We are still under a smoke alert. My area is under the 'bad' warning. The horses are staying in the barn again today, both for heat and air quality. Without a breeze the heat, combined with the smoke and those flies that grab on and won't let go, the geriatric club stays in the barn. They don't care as long as there is hay and water. They are barn babies.

I have an appointment at the end of the month at a spine clinic. I have little doubt about what is wrong but I'll get a definitive answer then. I have an appointment with my primary the next day. That will be interesting.

I think I may spend the day like Frieda.

Otherwise there is nothing of interest. Mark attended a funeral for a classmate this week. He grew up in a small southwestern town in Minnesota. His went to school with the same kids from kindergarten through to graduation. This is the eleventh to die out of a class of thirty. I had a class of about four hundred. To say we came from different universes would not be far from wrong. He keeps in contact with them through their frequent class reunions and funerals.

Medical System Rant. Enter at Your Own Risk.

As anyone who has followed this blog for a while knows, I have had serious back problems and serious medical care/interest problems. I spent 9 months in physical therapy after leaving my prior provider. The therapist was helpful, I was given exercises that could help, but stopped short of what the underlying problem is. I was too far along, as I have now found, at this point for exercises alone to help. The NP I'm seeing has shown interest but either does not know or didn't care to get into it. I think she doesn't know.

Last week while once again looking for exercises that may help, as the numerous others have not, and I stumbled upon my problem. It is a real thing with a name. The common name is Flat Back Syndrome. Who knew? Not me and apparently not the three different medical professionals or the two PTs. 

This is what Flat Back Syndrome generally looks like.

This is my poor attempt at showing my back. My lower lumbar is not flat. It is curving outward. The cervical spine follows the lumbar, so the more it flattens, or curves outward, the more the shoulders bend forward and the head juts forward. I am thrust forward from shoulder to head. To give an idea what that looks like from the side, standing with my back against the wall my head is 6 inches away from the wall. I cannot bring it back.

I've looked at a lot of YouTube videos from doctors to chiropractors. The symptoms described are what I was describing from the start. A tug, pulling me forward that I could not control. It is like something is attached to my neck and shoulders pulling them forward. It just got progressively worse while I was being told to pull my shoulders upward. Do chin tucks. Etc. Walking and standing is painful and exhausting.

Now there is nerve pain. Surprised? A recommendation is to try decompression therapy. I did find a chiropractor near me who does this. I'm going to make an appointment. If this does not work there is spine surgery, which I do not want. I also don't want to spend the rest of my life like this. The past five years have been enough, thank you very much.

So, how was your week?😉

Flat Back Syndrome 

*Video is a bit over 5 minutes. There are many more going into more detail.

Another Heat Wave.

With 90+ F/30+ C temperatures and high humidity for the coming week I have been thinking of winter. That's where this unbearable weather takes me. Frankly, I prefer the snow. With this thought, a lovely photo of Sir Gatto in the gentle light of a winter evening. He wanted an appearance on Caturday.

Matthew is coming to visit today, bringing lunch. It's been a long time since we have seen him. Life is busy.

We can dream. Right?

Seize the Day. Maybe. Sort Of.

Thursday was actually tolerable, allowing me to play in the dirt and do some mowing.

 

See the catnip? I know, you cannot not see it. It grows wild here and it is everywhere. I sat on the front porch on the rainy day this week and took some photos of the porch flowers and the hollyhock I planted by seed last year. I still have some hollyhock birds graciously planted decades ago. At least that's what I have believed all these years.

There's a tree, I now know it's a tree by the plant identifier, I'm going to plant along the drive. They get tall, produce berries that stay all winter, a perfect tree for the birds that stay here over winter. It's a Hackberry, a soft wood of course, as this is a softwood forest. This autumn we are also going to dig up and transplant some maple saplings growing in a copse of maples along a fence line. There are several nice saplings. 

We also, meaning I, plan to dig up and move several red cedar to the south tree line. Red Cedar grows like a weed. I've provided most of the landscaping in Matthew's yard, including a red cedar, with all the things that grow wild here. 

I believe I have absorbed the 'live for today' mode. At least I'm trying. Life feels very uncertain, like the bottom could drop out anytime, so I am attempting to embrace every day. Not usually my style but as Saint Francis of Assisi said "Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible". This applies to me attempting to see something good everyday. Well, maybe one day I will be Suzy Sunshine. One can hope.

Chippy

Chipper little fella.

We have a rainy morning, which is much appreciated. Although it's green out there we are still seriously behind on rainfall. I've been rather blah although sitting outside watching the wild things was a pleasure. I think I'll sit on the front porch with my coffee and listen to the rain. I'll check in with you all later.

Nature

                                                           

Contemplation

I have held the belief that a nation which cannot look honestly at itself, at the bad, along with the good, is a nation which will never evolve. The past couple of days have cemented this point of view.  

Smell the roses while considering this. 

A Little Cuteness.

Another photo of the pampered pup.

They had a nice time up there in the northland. Now back to the hustle and bustle of life.

No hustle and bustle here. It's hot and humid, which means it's yuk. 

Little Miss Suzy Sunshine signing off.

Too Much Information?

I know I've posted this photo a couple of years ago. I am going through photos to clear a bunch of them out and I saw my truck. We are not people who buy new things when the old is working just fine. My 1997 Chevy one ton diesel dually works as well as it did in 1997. It was primarily used to pull a horse trailer and to pick up grain so the milage is relatively low, especially considering it is a diesel. 148,000 miles. With the price of diesel I am very happy it is now used to pick up grain and little else. Young men nearly swoon over this truck. It really is sort of humorous.

My bedroom furniture, minus the bed, is from the mid 1960s. My living/dining room furniture is from 1981-82. I have many furniture pieces which have passed down a few generations. I'm the last stop for those items. My son has no interest. I don't replace if I don't need to. I've even hung onto Mark!

Here's a real surprise. When my mother died I inherited her car, a 2005 Buick LeSabre (my parents would only own Buicks). I had a 1997 Jeep that is still in very good condition and now belongs to neighbor Bill. The Buick has 48,000miles on it. Yep, you read that right. It looks new. 

Now you know another of my proclivities. Or is it peculiarities?

Is it possible to have too much Homer?

I thought not.

They are going Up North for a weekend cabin stay on one of the seemingly million lakes we have in Minnesota. New York says Up State. We say Up North. Which for me, probably not all of us, means the eastern part of the state along Lake Superior. Likely because, except for a few exceptions in adulthood (am I an adult?), that is the only part of North I knew, including Canada. I've skied in Canada often. I went to the Arabian Canadian Nationals, which was held in Regina. It got moved sometime in the 2000s. I had to look up where it is now. Brandon, Manitoba. 

I certainly got off topic. So, as long as I went there we will jump from Homer to Zing (WF Last Roses) and his trip to Regina. He did very well considering he probably was the only horse in the ring who wasn't owned by a person with wealth. Which is a problem, likely in all breeds but this one in particular is dripping with $$$$. One of the judges was a performance trainer who liked him very much, which made him a contender. I bred for beauty AND athleticism. This was the 3 year-old futurity. He came in 5th out of the Top Ten.

Anyway, this is what I used to do for a couple of decades. Sorry, Homer. I didn't mean for you to share the stage.

***His name comes from his dam, who died at his birth. Her name was LF Diamond Rose. He was her last. Zing came from her habit of 'zinging' her teeth on the stall door bars when she wanted something. I called her 'jailhouse mama'.***