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)

Rendering lard

When we made the decision not to eat vegetable shortening/canola oil/vegetable oil products, I knew that I had to find an alternative immediately for pie crusts.  I tried butter crusts for a while, but they always seems to misbehave and some had the tendency to stick to the bottom of the pie plate.

But we love pie so much.  I make several at a time and freeze one for a day that we desperately need pie and I don't feel like moving.

(my crust abilities are steadily improving...really...)

The first few times that I used lard, I bought it from the store in the nice box all ready to go.  Then I found out about how that lard was made and decided that it was too processed.  Now I render my own lard.

 All rendered and ready to use!

Using a method similar to here (except I don't bother to grind the lard, just cut it into chunks), I put the lard into my small crock pot and leave it on low for a few hours.  Every now and then I stir it.  When the lard starts to cook down, I spoon out the liquid fat into a container.

Left is cooled down, right is newly poured.

Almost completely rendered lard.

Rendering lard, snacking on anadama bread.

I bought the lard from work at about 1.00 per pound, and three pounds will result in enough lard to fill one and half yogurt containers.  By the way, the best doughnuts we have ever had were fried in lard.

Lard should be used in moderation, but I believe that in combination with a healthy lifestyle and diet, it is a good food that can be enjoyed responsibly.  This article by the Washington Post reflects my opinion.

During the recent cold weather and subsequent snow day from work, I made baked beans, anadama bread, and roasted some of my sunflower seeds with sea salt.

I also started to knit this cabled scarf with handspun wool.  Very easy pattern.  I want to try entrelac knitting soon- my resolution this year is to try new knitting techniques and have more sales!

We are still selling yarn and fiber on ebay, and are now selling some used wood carving tools!  Check us out!

Baking all day

I've been meaning to write here again for some time, but every time that I sit down at the laptop, I remember that the dishes haven't been done, there's knitting in the basket next to me, that laundry is still in a huge pile on the bedroom floor, Jon calls me over to discuss cabin plans again...or I am just too exhausted to fill a blank page before me.  My job at the farmstand is only part time.  That is quite enough for now.  I am only working in the bakery now and survived making hundreds of pies through the end of the year and now am figuring out how to make shelves look full without over-baking.  I still am having a very hard time waking at up 4:45 am and now eat two meals a day because my stomach can't handle being awake so early.  However, this is one of the best jobs that I have ever had and I am so very thankful to be paid to bake all day.  Even if it does mean that when I get home I feel like a blob and go lie on the couch.  And neglect cleaning and making dinner, especially baking again.

Jon is at home for now and very forgiving of my blob-ness.  There are some days that we only eat rice and kolbasa.  Tonight we are eating homemade baked beans and roasted butternut squash and anadama bread, not only because it is delicious, but we can also eat it for days.  I don't mind keeping this job for a while until we can save up or Jon gets a really good job.  I'm hoping that once the days get longer and warmer my energy will increase and I will once again be able to do everything around the house and keep up with my massive garden plans.

I think ahead to the future, a one room cabin, spinning wheel in the corner, bread in the bake oven and the warmth of the hearth.  Goats grazing the lawn, and maybe children playing on the porch.

Oh, and I finished the sweater-thing.