It’s Humid

We seem to have moved to the tropics. Our temperature currently is 72 F/22 C. The dew point is the same. Autumn, where are you?

We had a very good dinner last evening of steel head trout and fennel from my garden water troughs. Steel head is one of my favorite fish.

The day before I made a lemon ricotta cake. I don’t often bake but sometimes I just want something. I love a ricotta cake. I could sit down with a fork and just eat. This used the last of the three containers I made with a gallon of milk, each about 2 cups.

I’ve had a few days of more energy and therefore activity. No matter how long it’s been a reality, I am still surprised at how long it takes me to accomplish a single task. I have accepted this reality and feel good that at least I am doing something. Let go of who I was and accept and appreciate who I am now. I sound like a self-help guru.
 

Few Words Wednesday

Good Wednesday morning. Things have been quiet on the homestead. I have two appointments this month for epidural steroid injections. I will be relieved to have all of this behind me for awhile. It's been a long haul. It would have been nice to have arrived at this place sooner, but I didn't. The upper forward slump bothers my ego but at this age seems less important than the pain. I've had my grumble over the lack of interest from the medical professionals so it's time to let it go.

I made eggplant parmesan yesterday. I have always roasted the eggplant slices but this time I fried them and I have to say I like it better. Getting the slices crisp means after cooking in the sauce they are a perfect texture. Roasting is faster and less messy, but the result from frying makes it worth the extra effort.

That's about it. Medical issues and food with a dash of cat thrown in for good measure.

 

Goodbye August

Seeing double?

Tabby, outside, and Gatto doing what cats do only in almost synchronization.

Unfortunately we are once again in the hot and humid weather. I think I have been saying for a few summers that summer is the worst. Well, this, for now, has been the worst. Bah humbug. I feel like a cat.

Feeling so Great

Coming your way soon.

Lake Inferior

Bordered by two loser states. Minnesota and Canada.

What Can I Say

Signora, sono un gatto, capisci?

Although this doesn't necessarily qualify for an "now I've seen it all", it does come close in my world. He made himself a bed on a pile of oregano I put on this shelf to dry. I did name him Gatto. 

Grazie per le lezioni, Jean.

*Thanks for the lessons, Jean

Moments

So, another weekend is behind us. One more to go and we enter the season of autumn. I look forward to tolerable temperatures. Which we have actually had the past few days. Yippee.

Speaking of autumn, I have slowly started my annual ritual of preparing food for the winter. I bought what I thought were fennel seed plants but which happily turned out to be fennel bulbs. Fennel has been difficult to find and when I do the cost stops me. There were four plants, one died, leaving me three beautiful bulbs to pull on Saturday. I then made fennel frond pesto. I think I may be happy.

I put some of the pesto to use with last evenings' dinner. I have three thriving basil plants which I will start turning into pesto and frozen cubes for cooking.Those tomatoes were picked from my water tank garden that morning. Something else making me feel happy.

This morning I had another moment of happy when I saw Tabby calmly observing his domain. He and his three siblings were born in the barn to a stray mama on Mother's Day, 2015. Two boys. Two girls. Jigs became a permanent inside cat in 2016 after an injury. Tabs and his brother split their time between inside and outside. Mona wants nothing to do with the house.

 Seek and hold your moments wherever you may find them.

Update

Happy Caturday

I'm giving a quick update on the results from the torture chamber. The MRI shows arthritis throughout the spine. I have straight back syndrome because of this. I still have the fluid on both sides of the spine so surgery is not warranted at this time. I will be given some kind of injection in my neck then later in the thoracic spine when I see the spine doctor. I was told there are two each and they can last as long as a year.

This won't straighten me but it will take away or at least reduce the pain. The PA told me posture exercises after I have the injections may help somewhat.

So, finally, after five years, an answer.

Have a Greyt Friday

Smile

 

take the leap

and relish the day

More About Food

What can I say. It's my life. Yesterday I took a gallon of milk and turned it into ricotta. 

For slightly under $4 I get three containers of ricotta and four of whey. The whey can be frozen for use in baking when the weather turns cool.

Why so much ricotta you may wonder. One reason is these lovely things are starting to become ready to pick. I will also make a ricotta cake and perhaps ricotta gnocchi. Mark had not eaten eggplant before knowing me, being open to trying anything, he found he really likes it. Eggplant involtini and parmesan are on the menu. Mark loves eggplant "meatballs" so....... I'll likely indulge him.

Monday I roasted a small baking sheet of tomatoes. Last evening we had them for dinner.

 That's the skinny from the worlds end.

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.