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Post by centralilrookie on Nov 30, 2023 10:53:46 GMT -5
Yesterday started out with getting sweetheart on her way to work at 4:20am. Did my usual chores and went to pickup the FIL to go to the farm show. Stopped along the way for coffee and a delicious warm cinnamon roll that had more than enough icing for two rolls. With a sugar buzz that could powera spaceship takeoff we headed to the show. Piddled around looking at different things, grabbing all the free giveaways and talking to a few salespeople before deciding to head home but not before stopping for a late lunch. 😂 Met sweetheart at auto repair shop so she could drop off her car to get an oil change, tires and alignment today. Didn’t get anything accomplished but had a darn good day……
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Post by emmsmommy on Nov 30, 2023 12:40:09 GMT -5
I decided to tackle the linen closet yesterday as that's usually where I hide Christmas presents and lately I haven't had room for towels. Ended up with a tote of easter and Valentine's day decorations, more Halloween decorations, displayed the Christmas decorations, pulled out the Mickey Mouse DVD player that has been in there since kiddo was just a wee sprout and hubby and I watched an episode of NCIS on it. Didn't tackle the top shelf as it's mostly quilts and I didn't feel like grabbing the step stool. Still some work to be done on the bottom two shelves but managed to get towels in as well as the packs of TP I grabbed on sale last month. Also made a list of stuff we're running short on. Decided to work on my Baker Creek order as I would like to have everything I foresee needing before the first of the year. No new varieties of tomatoes this year as I still have seeds left of my parent's favorites and ours with enough additional seeds to feed this end of the county. Burning restrictions generally lift at the beginning of the year so hubby and plan to burn the rest of the brush pile and start on the greenhouse when we find a few good days. I may need to temporarily use the kennel greenhouse and thankfully I pulled the plastic sheeting of of it early last year and it should suffice for spring. I have to be at school this evening to distribute fundraiser orders but making hubby a birthday dinner before I leave. We're finally the same age again as I'm five weeks older. ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png)
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Post by martywny on Nov 30, 2023 19:52:14 GMT -5
I took advantage of today's nice weather to move a trailer load of tree trimmings back to the bonfire area, then spent a few hours running new wire in the vineyard. I have several more hours of work in the vineyard and will begin early, as rain is scheduled for late morning. Going to put out a few more Christmas decorations if I can beat the rain, then work in the garage putting chains on the tractors. We have several more days of above-average temps and I plan on enjoying the warmth outside.
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Post by desertwoman on Nov 30, 2023 21:00:54 GMT -5
Got a good workout today. We got 5-6 inches of wet (heavy!) snow that came down steadily until about 1PM. We shoveled here at home and had to do some of the circle driveway so that we could drive out. After backing out of the carport there is a slight incline to the upper exit- just enough to spin out and not be able to move forward.
After seeing what was needed here, we realized our friend who lives close by would need her driveway shoveled too- at least part of it so that vehicles can get in and out. - so we headed over there next. I'm exhausted. Wet snow is a lot of weight to move!
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Post by binnylou on Dec 1, 2023 11:01:26 GMT -5
With mellow temps yesterday, we spent time outside doing things we should have done last month. ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) . Flower pots were stacked in the garden shed…in previous years, I’d dump the soil on the compost pile, scrub the empty pots, and pack them away. I’m hoping that “lazy” works because I didn’t dump the soil this time. Come Spring, I’ll mix in some nutrients and plant flower babies. The garden shed mice will love those pots with straw mulch still in place. Thinking about a spritz of peppermint spray to make them less comfortable. Most of the garden hoses have been gathered and parked for the Winter. Those flexible Zero-G hoses get stored in a garbage can so that they don’t become mouse bedding. I love those hoses and I’d be really upset should they get chewed. They are pricey, but worth every cent. Another raised bed is now readied for Spring planting. Onion babies will have a home. More beds need amended and topped with straw, but I’m thinking they won’t all get done. Gardening in Iowa and Christmas just don’t mix. We do have daytime temps above freezing most of next week. I’m counting on it.
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Post by ahntjudy on Dec 2, 2023 11:02:24 GMT -5
Yesterday, before the rain, I picked two 5-gallon buckets, one each of beet greens and the most gorgeous Swiss chard. I believe Cleopatra would have approved some of the enormous Swiss chard leaves as use for fanning her.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 2, 2023 11:26:11 GMT -5
I have a bunch of Swiss chard in my front bed I will be harvesting today! I saw this recipe in bon apétit, that I will be making with it. I like the fact that it uses the stalks, as well as the leaves - so many recipes just say something like "discard the stems". Of course, I always save them for something else. www.bonappetit.com/recipe/swiss-chard-pasta-salad
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Post by breezygardener on Dec 2, 2023 12:27:20 GMT -5
so many recipes just say something like "discard the stems". Of course, I always save them for something else. I will never understand that. For me, Swiss chard isn't Swiss chard if one just uses the leaves. What an absolute waste!!
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Post by desertwoman on Dec 2, 2023 15:05:15 GMT -5
I slice the stems like I do celery. Besides the nutrients, they add color (I tend to eat red chard) . On the rare occasion I don't use them they go to the compost bucket- I never feel I am wasting food if I compost it.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 2, 2023 20:33:51 GMT -5
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Post by emmsmommy on Dec 3, 2023 10:43:46 GMT -5
I've been stitching lately as I decided I'd better start on some Christmas ornaments yesterday that I need for an exchange today. Have chicken bacon ranch dip ready to go and planned to make banana bread but out of butter so went for plan B which was thin mint truffles but used the last of the cream cheese in the dip. So I'm going dessertless but there's usually plenty. I'm going early to help decorate and offered to bring my small trees for the tables. Didn't realize when I offered that they were at the bottom of a stack of totes. ![::)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/eyesroll.png) uncovered them and have most of them in the car. Of the ones left behind, one has a broken stand and the other isn't decorated. After some incidents with older kids at school we decided that screw drivers probably aren't a good gift choice if they're not already packaged, so will be exchanging them later this afternoon. The next two weeks are going to be hectic but I'm sure I'll take time to thoroughly inspect and pet my seeds orders when they arrive. ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png)
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Post by desertwoman on Dec 3, 2023 11:12:54 GMT -5
planned to make banana bread but out of butter Just for future reference.... I always use a vegetable oil in place of butter in my banana bread and all other baked goods (except my family recipes for Italian Christmas cookies!). My choice is avocado oil or organic canola . So if you are ever out of butter and want to bake you should be able to sub whatever vegetable oil you have on hand.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 3, 2023 12:04:14 GMT -5
Out of butter?! How can that happen in Christmas cookie season?? ![(rofl)](//storage.proboards.com/6160292/images/ME8dXZmcAFURModTzFH5.gif)
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Post by binnylou on Dec 3, 2023 13:05:30 GMT -5
Depending on what the baked item is, I’ve subbed up to half the butter with Greek yogurt, coconut oil, applesauce. Banana bread is very forgiving.
When baking my favorite carrot cake, coconut oil subs in nicely for vegetable oil.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Dec 3, 2023 17:01:51 GMT -5
I can see doing that last banana bread with coconut oil. After all, I added coconut flavor to it - that would add even more! Would have to adjust the moisture, by reducing the buttermilk, or maybe add a tb of flour (remember - butter is 80% fat, and 20% milk, a fact people often forget, when substituting other fats for it). I will have to try this with my next bananas...
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