Exhaustion.

A thunderstorm is coming.  I can hear the rumbling in the distance, and of course this is the first time in months that I have the time and energy to write here.  Every day seems like a rush, getting chores done, going to work, building up my new business.  I have an actual business now, White Mountain Fibers.  I've even gone to two farmers markets and have an ebay shop!

At Northampton Farmers Market

(I have a much better black tablecloth now)

I still work at the bakery.  That job is slowly sucking away my baking creativity...I have very little enthusiasm when I come home to come up with new recipes or even make meals.  I won't go into details, but I will say that there is more drama there than at the ice cream shop from last year.

However, I have still managed to feed us and not loose my sanity.  The garden helps.

 Potato and cheese pirogi, before going into the pot of boiling water

 Roasted rooster with vegetables and gravy.  I butchered the rooster myself.

 Paskha and spread for Easter.

 Another spice bread.

 Fiddlehead pizza.

 Fiddlehead, sprout, bok choi, mushroom, and shrimp stir fry.

Applesauce muffins and the first strawberries of the season!

 Today's harvest: peas, dragon's tongue beans, mizuna, brune d'hiver lettuce, strawberries, basil, lovage, and ground cherries

Someone should make this in to a painting for me =)

And because I've been promising pictures of my garden, here they are.  The thunder is getting closer, so I'm off to watch the clouds roll in.  Oh, and we got two more angora rabbits and another guinea pig!

 radishes and bok choi going to seed (I save seed), brune d'hiver lettuce and lettuce mix

 Japanese burdock (for the medicinal root)

 strawberries, yellow beans, and potatoes

 alpine strawberries

 kidney and yin yang dried beans

 carrots and peas, chives in corner not pictured

 loads of heirloom tomatoes

 ground cherries, peppers, hot peppers, eggplant

 basil in the back

 herbs and pansies

 mizuna

 Amish pie pumpkins

 butternut squash

 bloody butcher corn

 sunflowers in the back

 crookneck summer squash

 I planted so many cucumbers I couldn't get them all in the shot

 replanted zucchini just coming up

 garlic, which is taking forever

 dried turtle beans

 onions, which you can't see for the weeds

 tatsoi and yukina savoy, going to seed

 beets

 cabbage

 dragon's tongue beans

 slowly setting in a perennial herb garden

 Güzel (handsome, good, in Turkish)

 Jon named the new guinea pig Gary Busey

 Firari on the left (runaway, escapee in Turkish, because he got away once and made a run for it)

 Tavie.  Just shed his coat again, thinks he's still the most handsome

 Quwi has an attitude

Pies and tarts and bars

Work has kept me busy this winter.  I haven't had as much time to sit in front of the computer or to take pictures of what I make.  Things are only going to get busier!  Nothing's new around here, so I'm just going to post what I made today.

Fed sourdough!  Will be ready to use either this evening or tomorrow.

Apple pie.  No sugar.  Pie crust recipe here.

Bacon and mushroom tart with rest of pie crust.  Tart filling has:

one small onion, 1/2 green bell pepper sauteed, few chunks bacon ends and 1 cup sliced mushrooms added in until cooked, 4 eggs, 4 Tbsp sour cream, a dash of A1 Steak Sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, and fresh parsley.  Pre-baked crust for 8-10 min.  Poured in filling, cooked for 20-30 minutes (wasn't paying attention to timer).

Mmmm bacon mushroomy goodness.

Granola bars!  

1 cup applesauce, 1 egg (can leave out), 2 1/2 cups rolled oats, little less than 1/2 cup homemade chunky jam (peach cherry this time), few sunflower seeds and ground flax seed to equal 1/2 cup, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, dash cinnamon, sprinkle vanilla.  Bake in greased 8x8 for about 20-25 minutes or until set.  Recipe can be greatly modified to suit your ingredients (general rule 1 cup applesauce : 2 1/2 cups rolled oats: 1 egg : 1 cup dried seeds/nuts : 1 cup dried fruit (or 1/2 cup chunky jam)