Feeling Farmy

I guess I should start out the post with some kid pix. As we continue to pass the last couple weeks of summer vacation I can honestly say it has been a great summer. The kids were not overscheduled with too many activities, I think. In fact, the only "summer camp" in which they were enrolled was a one week strings session for "Spy Music". The week culmintated with a performance of the theme from The Pink Panther and Mission Impossible. The kids put on their "spy shades" while they played Mission Impossible.

We've enjoyed watching the garden grow taller and taller. I know I should have pix of the kids amongst the 12 to 15 foot tall corn and sunflowers so that you have some perspective, but they were not readily available to stand still like the garden obliged. May I brag? Check this out!

The combination of weeping amaranth and sunflowers really dresses up the place. Also, last spring I was cleaning out the winter squash I had been storing in the dining room fireplace ... they were looking lovely and then one day turned to a pile of mush. So, I got a shovel and bucket and took the slop out to the compost. Now we have some interesting volunteers springing forth from the compost. I think this is a cross between a hubbard squash and a pumpkin.

The bees have been stoked about all the squash blossoms and even the corn. I can hear them humming! They love the sunflowers as seen here:

And they are like clown fish on an anemone in these artichokes:

The crazy girls are making honey now. I've put some supers on top of their brood boxes. Here are some of Margaret's girls on the inner cover of the hive:

And speaking of sweet things, I've been harvesting those garden huckelberries. So, here is the gig: If I proudly gave you a start for one of these and you have been frustrated because they taste awful, then I have an answer for you! (That is, if you haven't ripped the plant out of your yard out of sheer frustration!!!) St. Clare Heirloom Seeds has the recipe on their blog (because they sell the seeds!) Now, I purchased my seeds from Baker Creek Seeds. You'd think they would also give a recipe. But, no. They give a simple warning that these things should not be eaten raw. No problem there. They are disgusting raw. Okay, that said, here is the best recipe that transforms these nasty little buggers into a delicious pie or jam or something. (I've made both successfully this summer). And, included below are my pix with their recipe. For the filling you will need: 8 cups garden huckleberries 1/3 cup baking soda 1/3 cup water 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 T lemon zest Pinch allspice 1/2 t salt 1/2 cup tapioca flour Place 8 cups berries in pot with enough water to cover fruit.

As they begin to boil, slowly add 1/3 cup baking soda, stirring constantly.

Green foam will appear. You'll want to cook this 10 minutes at a low boil.

That picture did not cover the greenness of the water. So, I've put some in a bowl here for you. Now, I've seen this color range from a yellow green to a very vibrant blue green that is just plain unnatural! Way fun.

After 10 minutes are up, you'll need to drain and rinse those rascals. Don't taste them yet! Return the somewhat hard barries to the stove and add 1/3 cup of water and 1/2 cup lemon juice.

So, there went the water with no big change. Here comes the lemon juice:

Oooh la la!! Take a close look at that crazy purple:

Like magic! From green to purple. That is a total science experiment right there. My kids love to be in the kitchen to watch that happen. You'll need to cook this down for another 35 minutes until the berries become soft and it looks like a jam or pie filling. At the end, when tender, add sugar, lemon zest, salt & tapioca. Pour hot mixture into your homemade pie shell or into hot sterlized jars. If making a pie, bake at 350* for about 50 mins. If making jam, process in water bath for 15 mins. Enjoy, you Huckleberry Hound!

Summer Vacation Land

Well, we've really settled into the summer break mode around this place. At first it was so nice to not have to set the alarm and pack lunches and yell at kids to get out of the house on time each morning. We savored the sleeping on the weekends. And because I relish my weekend sleep, a moratorium was placed on any sort of sport or activity that would require me to drive kids around to appointed games/activities on those particular days during the school year.

But with the hazy, lazy days of summer upon us, that wasn't even an issue. The larger issue became that we had no set rhythm or schedule as did previously. We were all sleeping until we felt we could amble out of bed. We ate whenever we felt like it. And with the sun out so late, the kids weren't getting into showers until after 9pm. This set up a situation where I was perpetually cleaning the kitchen (as no one had the same meal schedule). And Michael and I lost our "us" time in the evenings. Things had to change.

We recently sat down and devised a schedule for the whole family. It's not unreasonable. The kids can sleep until 8am. They need to be in bed by 9pm. Dinner is a 6pm. Also, we set up a new chore chart. Our little helpers will be doing more dishes and sweeping up around here. (My name ain't Alice!) Since we have the never ending yard work to be done, we've devised a new win-win system. Kids not in bed at 9pm? For each minute they are not in bed, they can make that up with yard work. Are you sure you need to get out of bed to get that drink and start a conversation at 9:30pm? Thirstier than you will be pulling weeds out in the blazing sun? You see, genious. Now it just takes some cnosistent enforcement.

Also, Valerie is no longer allowed to use the "house vacuum" in her room. Michael is tired of unclogging it. She is now welcome to fetch the shop vac to clean the pet shop. That place is unbelievable. I really should take a photo. In other domestic news, we got another batch of chicks! These are white orpington cockrels. Right now they look like smokey cotton balls. They are pretty darn cute. And we hardly need the heat lamp as it is well over 100*(F) out there. In fact, Michael has rigged up a little fan on the box for them. I hope it helps. If it gets too ugly, we will have to move them into Valerie's pet shop again.

In our business report we cover fleeting Lemondade Stand business. How classically cute is this? Some poor kid stands out in the sun on a busy road with a sign that no one will be able to read as they tear down the heat rippling asphalt at 50+mph.

The other kids and dog sit in the shade and collect the cash.

On to the farm report. The turkeys are getting huge! The three blue-slate mixes are exceptionally big. Our poor Bourbon Red survivor has been gimpy for some time. There is something wrong with her right leg. And now it is just completely turned sideways. She's not near as big as the boys. She spends most of her time roosting or taking a dust bath with her odd leg bent sideways from beneath her. Today I went out to give the birds fresh water and turn on their sprinkler. She was missing. Turns out she defected to the chicken side of the fence. They have a huge fruitless mulberry tree over there. She was resting in the shade next to their food. The chickens didn't seem to mind. She's a little wiley. I think she got through a little hole in the fence. The big boys are just too darn big and slow to figure that out. I worry about her being in pain with that leg. We'll have to keep an eye on her. Flowers are busting out in the front. This provides some relief to the yet-to-be landscaped bulk of the yard (front or back!)

Also, I've taken some photos of the bounty we've harvested from the land here. We've got onions and garlic.

We've got cukes, zukes, peppers, toms and eggs!

I'm also making some lacto-fermented pickles from the bounty around here. I even pulled the dill from the yard! (Martha Stewart, if these are any good, you can eat your heart out!)

We're getting cute little blue eggs from Lindsey (Rex's hen ... the bonus chick that came with the last batch of meat birds. Apparently she's some sort of Auracona or Americauna).

And with those cute little eggs (and the big ones too!) I made a clafoutis! (Had to purchase the berries from the farmers. But I'll get there some day). Serve this baby up with piles of whipped cream and call it a meal.

In vacation land, we managed to get up to Lake Almanor the last weekend of June. My friend Julie brought her friend, Melissa and her girls up to join the fun.

Michael rented a boat and took the kids tubing on the water.

I am a serious land lubber and opted to stay on the shore fishing and reading. I did catch a fish! We cooked that rascal up too! I let Valerie hold the fish for the photo op:

The thought of being on a boat makes me a bit green (not with envy). Michael says, "Come on! Isn't there something wonderfully serene about being on a boat in the middle of a lake with striking views all around you and nothing to bother you?" To which I quip, "There is something terribly serene about being trapped in an elevator. Nothing is likely to bother me there either." Meeeee-owwww! Poor Michael. Loves boats and water. The kids are part fish too. I eventually sucked it up and came out on the boat with my friend and her kids and took photos of everyone tubing. They all had a great time. I enjoyed their peels of laughter as the inner part of me secretly pined for the shore, a glass of wine and perhaps a plate of nice cheese. Wonderfully serene views from there as well (as long as I'm looking over the lake and not the camping ghetto full of trailers and RVs).

Last weekened we drove up to Donner Lake. As usual, the kids and Michael played in the water while I decided to hang around on the beach.

Truckee has really become an extension of some of those elite little Bay Area Hamlets like Lafayette or Danville. Truckee now boasts a little wine and cheese tasting shop behind the post office. There are fancy cafes all around with baskets of flowers spilling out over railings. The "cheap eats" have either upped their prices or gone out of business. So, although the town is really more beautiful than ever ... I don't see how the locals can afford to live there. As we ate our home packed lunches on the beach at Donner Lake, a perfectly groomed family set just in front of us near the water. By the looks of it, the mom spent most of her time in a spa or salon. And the rest of the time she probably spent at a gym with a personal trainer. Maybe she had a job. Or maybe it was a trustfund. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped on the side of her white wine glass as her witty laughter rippled through the air. Her husband, who was equally well groomed and maintained, smiled a perfect smile back in her direction. Their three darling children ran back from the ice cream truck and the parents "ooohed and ahhhed" at their choices, "How cute is that! Is that a duck?" "No Daddy! It's a penguin from Madagascar!" His daugther daintily bit part of the penguin head off and his six pack abs didn't even ripple as he laughed and toussled his well manicured hand through her shiny, perfectly trimmed locks. In contrast to this family, there was another one at the picnic table just behind us on the beach. "Oh my gaaaawd! What are you doing? Pick it up! No, this one. Don't eat that one! Eat this one! Oh my gaaaawwwd!" I had to crane my neck to see what brought on the horrendous squawking. A rather large grandmotherly person was flapping her flabby arms at a rather shaggy and rotund teenage boy who had evidentally knocked the ball of icecream off his cone. She continued to get louder, "No! That one will stay. Eat this one. No! Eat this one, not that one!" I kept thinking that perhaps she needed to be more specific and replace her pronouns. You know, maybe, "Eat the ice cream and save the cone for later." This kid was clearly not getting the "eat this, not that" business that was now being shouted across the beach. Eventually grandma gave up. But then I heard two other voices, "Hey! What the ...??! You're dripping everywhere! What are you doing? No! Oh MY GAAAAAWD! Eat this one! Not that one!" His large-ish parents had also made their way back from the ice cream truck. And they sounded just like grandma! When the entire family realized they could shout at this boy all day to no avail, they sat down near by and absorbed themselves with some game on an iPad. I'm not suggesting it was Angry Birds just because the logos were on their t-shirts. And after becoming completely encased in icecream and attracting ants, the big stickey kid took it upon himself - without any coaxing from the extended family - to rinse himself off in the lake. Smart boy. Meanwhile, the good looking family had moved on to dipping their baby carrots into hummous, running their manicured fingers through their shiny hair and smiling their perfect smiles at their adorable children who sat quietly near by building some verions of the Taj Mahal in the sand with their own tiny, well manicured fingers. I looked around for their butler, but couldn't find him. This weekend we are off to Whiskey Town Lake for another camping adventure with my friend and her girls. We're looking forward to it. But then I think I would like to stay home for a bit. I like clean sheets and a private shower. Plus, we've got to give Michael time to turn the pool into his bass fishing pond.