Soup Sunday, New Welcomes & a Strange Vegetable

The last couple of weeks have been uneventful. We went to the Country last weekend & got the 2 asparagus beds straightened & filled w/sticks, poo & straw. Will continue adding compost material until time for planting in March. Forgot the camera so no pic.

Had a bit of drama though. When we got there we were basically locked out of our way in to the property. We had to go to the other side of the property & use my Dad's gate & drive across the pond damn. Quite a ways out of the way but doable. The person who let us use his gate for access has 'gone off his meds' & is a bit crazy w/o them. This is the 3rd or 4th time he's done this so we are done w/him. We'll be putting in a driveway just down the road from my Dad's gate but have  few obstacles we will need to be overcome, such as clearing some woods that has a branch running through it. I'll post our progress.

I got this strange vegetable in my last CSA delivery. 

I cut it up along w/some onion, mushrooms & yellow peppers & roasted them.

I served it w/organic chicken in a creamy asiago cheese sauce. It was delicious.

Greg got some bathroom shelves put up so I could display my milk vases (he calls them graveyard vases). We've had these shelves since last summer & I've been collecting the vases from estate sales during that time. I'm quite pleased w/the results.

For Souper Sunday, I made sausage, kale & lentil soup. I don't like kale & this is about the only way I've found that I can stomach it. I like all other greens (turnip, mustard, collards, etc.), just not this one.

Saute some spicy sausage w/the casing removed
Add onions & any other vegetables you would like (I used parsnip, carrot & a couple of potatoes)
Add rosemary, salt, pepper & cumin
Saute until slightly tender
Wilt in chopped kale along w/some grated nutmeg
Stir in some tomato paste & a cup or so of white wine
I also added a can of chopped tomatoes at this point.
Add lentils & 6-8 cups of liquid (I used a quart of homemade tomato juice, 3 pints of homemade meat stock & 2 cups of water.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat & cook until lentils are tender (about 45 minutes)

This made a lot of soup so I canned most of it (12 pints). I also found a couple of containers of spaghetti & meatballs in the freezer so I thawed those & canned 2 pints of that along w/the soup. The pressure canner is whistling while I type this. Note: This is my 1st time canning any meat products. 75 minutes at 10lb pressure.

Greg just put some ribs on for dinner & I harvested my cauliflower & last of the broccoli. Here's a picture of my bounty.

The largest cauliflower floret is about the size of a baseball. Guess I need to add more sun & fertilizer to my fall/winter garden - lol.

Lastly, I'd like to welcome a few new followers:

Lara from A Primitive Homestead. She's got a real nice blog that talks about a lot of the things we all like. She's going through a rough time right now, as she lost a child last year, so she could use any support available.

Barbara Fitch also joined. Barbara, I didn't see if you have a blog. If so, send me the link, I'd like to read along. Update1: Barbara's blog is 3 Acre Homestead. Head on over & tell her hello. She has a lot to offer.

Lastly, Garland Girl from Crap Happens Acres. From what I can tell, she just started her blog & it looks like it will be very interesting & entertaining.

Update2: Suzi from Chores and Chandeliers also decided to come join the party. She's a very talented wife & mother we could all learn a lot from.

Thank you all for joining me on my journey.

Brooke

Many years ago, Greg & I decided not to have children. This was a disappointment to my parents (& his) but we were just too busy & made the conscience decision to not have children ourselves.

But my sister did (she's 10 years my junior) .... thank goodness, she took all our pressure away! I remember the day she called me to tell me I was going to be an Aunt. It was late & I was still at the office with only a few people around. Once she gave me the news, I just started squealing (like a happy girl)! The few left on my floor came running but were relieved to find that I was screaming from happiness. I . was . going . to . be . an . Aunt!

The birth, the coming Christmases & Birthdays were wonderful. My sister & BIL always brought her to our house 2 days before Thanksgiving & we babysat & would do projects that she loved, & return her on Thanksgiving Day. Her sister came along 4 years later & both of them came to our house for this 'ritual' year after year.

I think this my favorite all time picture of her as a child.

My 2nd all time favorite. Uncle making her laugh. Getting ready for a parade.

The family.

She was so sure of herself!

Cooking crab legs w/Uncle

We also spent several New Year's Eve with those 2, as my Dad's side of the family always had their family reunion around that time & they would always sleep at our house.

She was insistent on driving at that age.

Then she let her sister drive.

At 6, Brooke insisted she was going to be a nurse when she grew up. I also 'mentioned' that I would take her wherever she wanted to go (within the continental United States) when she turned 16. She announced then, that she wanted to go to NY.

10 years later, 6 months before her 16th birthday, she reminded me of my promise. We agreed on a date & I immediately made reservations for flights & hotels, telling her that she had to find restaurants & other things to do. She did & I made arrangements for it all. We went to NY in 2008 & saw  a couple of plays, bought purses in China Town, ate at wonderful restaurants & shopped to her heart's content. We did all that she wanted, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Macy's, Greenwich Village, Little Italy, etc.

She was so glad to have seen Lady Liberty!

The last day we were there we stumbled upon a street market. It was windy & rainy & we came upon a vendor at a street market from Venice selling glass jewelry. He looked at her & told  her that she was "just lovely". She gushed about that. No one had ever described her as 'lovely'. Lots of people told her how beautiful, smart, sweet, nice, kind, etc. But, never 'lovely'. She loved that term. I will always cherice the necklace from that day.

She graduated in 2010, as class president.

After graduation, she started planning her wedding & began nursing school & started a job at one of the local hospitals.

At her job, all the full-time nurses wanted her to work with them & all the patients wanted to take her home with them. I know this because my Dad's wife has worked at that same hospital, as a nurse, for over 20 years & was told this same thing about her, over & over again.

She had met her future husband at 15 years years of age, the year before we went to NY. At one point in NY, I asked her if she shouldn't broaden her range & make sure he was THE one. She explained to me, her silly Aunt, that she had made up her mind & that was that. She loved him & his sister & parents & that made all the difference in the world. They loved her & she could tell, just as I knew with Uncle Greg, that it was the right choice. I agreed with her & let it go.

At 20 she got married. She was a beautiful bride, with nothing but love & excitement in her heart for the future.

In the next picture she isn't posing for the camera at all, just looking at the person she loved so much, & knowing that he loved her the same. Oh how happy she was on that day!

On Saturday night the 15th of December they had celebrated Christmas with her husband's Grandmother. It was such a beautiful night, they decided to ride the dirt roads on their ATVs. At one point, her husband missed the turn onto another road, hit the brakes & turned a hard right. Brooke wasn't expecting the sudden stop & hit her on head on what we think was the roll bar of the Ranger she was riding in.

It was just a terrible accident. The next 3 days were a bit of a blur, visitors stopping by to give hugs & bring food. Then the families having to make the funeral arrangements, the viewing & then the funeral itself.

There were 800 people that attended the viewing. Along with my Sister & BIL & Brooke's husband & his family, my 16 year old niece stood there & greeted every.single.one of those people. The funeral was the next day with about 500 or so in attendance. It just proved to all of us, how much people loved & respected her.

Just a note on the funeral ... I had written before, about southern traditions & that people, no matter where they are headed or how big of a hurry they are in the pull to the side of the road to pay their respects to friends & family when they come upon a funeral procession. I noticed 2 such occurrences during Brooke's procession.

The 1st was the county Sheriff at the first turn just past the church. He was in a suit & tie, instead of his usual uniform, as he had attended the service as a family friend. Even though he wasn't on duty & could have let another officer do that 1st turn, he stepped in & stopped traffic on a US highway to let those in mourning pass, as HIS show of respect.

Along the route various drivers we met along the way stopped to pay their respects ... cement & dump truck drivers, mothers & fathers on their way home, school buses full of children, etc.

But what caught our eye was one young man in particular.

After driving along the US highway for a couple of miles, we turned onto 'the back roads' heading to the cemetery where Brooke was to be laid to rest. We passed a neighborhood that contains houses on 5 - 10 acre lots. Most have swing sets, some have gardens, some animals, etc. Along the way, at the end of one of these driveways by the road, sat a boy 8 - 10 years on his go-cart.

He had stopped riding & shut off his 'vehicle', standing w/his hand over his heart, watching us, until we passed. It was truly touching that this child, without his parents immediate direction, knew to do what he did. It made me cry all the harder, but made me believe that there is hope in our future generation!

The following pictures were taken last December (2011), by Brooke's best friend, as a gift to my sister. These are just 2 of the loveliest photos I have to look back on.

Brooke on the left.

Brooke on the right.

Her sister is again quoting silly things on FB, along with scripture, which makes me feel that she will go on with her life, as it should be.

I miss Brooke with my whole being, but I do know that she is in heaven awaiting all of us. She was called to heaven the day after that horrible CT/Sandy Hook massacre. Maybe she was needed to help take care of those precious children? It's definitely what she was called to do... help others.

We stopped by the grave site on our way home the other day. We won't be going there to 'visit' her because she isn't there. It will only be a place to reflect on her life on occasion.

I am still very sad. I am ok when I am around others or working on something. But when I am alone, the tears come back ... mostly on my drives to & from work & during my shower just before bed. I am really trying hard not to think of what might have been. I have to push those thoughts away because there is no need in thinking them because nothing will change the fact that she's gone & certain things will never be.

POEM of LIFE (Author unknown)

Life is but a stopping place,

A pause in what's to be,

A resting place along the road,

To sweet eternity.

We all have different journeys,

Different paths along the way.

We all were meant to learn some things,

But never meant to stay..

Our destination is a place,
Far greater than we know.
For some the journey's quicker,
For some the journey's slow.

And when the journey finally ends,
We'll claim a great reward,
And find an everlasting peace,
Together with the Lord.

Update: I heard my sister laugh, however brief, this past weekend. Also, my younger niece requested that Brooke's husband & one of his best friends go to church w/her on Sunday. She picked them up & they had lunch afterwards. Life does go on, no matter how painful.

Happy New Year, Souper Sunday & New Welcomes

Happy Near Year everyone! Thank you for all your kindness, support & prayers. We made it through the New Year 'celebration' by cooking a rib roast (aka prime rib), twice baked potatoes (can't remember the last time we had these!) & roasted asparagus. Plus, one of my favorite wines ever ... Terra Bianca! It was delicious, many times over.

We ended the year on such a sad note that it's hard to look back at all I got accomplished. But, we must forge ahead, no matter how painful at times.

So, instead of looking back, I'll look forward. My sister is now speaking in complete sentences instead of just one word answers to questions. And, she shared the Hobby Lobby postings this week. All signs that she will move forward with her life as well.

I'm still working on the post for Brooke but having trouble with just the right words, much less the problems with photos. Oh well, I'll get it worked out somehow.

I went back to work last Wednesday (1/2/13). Hard, but getting better. I still have a few friends to face but after that, I think things will work themselves out for the normal side of things.

Our house is still clean & uncluttered. One of the goals we have set for ourselves .... when laundry is done, put it ALL up. That may take some cleaning of drawers & closets but rest assured, we are going to really try.

This past weekend was another round of accomplishments. Not much to speak about for Saturday but Sunday was a busy day. 

I tried a carpet cleaning recipe that really seemed to work. Our last house guests (in Oct.) apparently filled their coffee cups too full & 'dribbled' coffee straight across the room which I didn't notice until we started cleaning last week. I put about an 1/8th of a cup of baking soda in a spray bottle, then filled with hydrogen peroxide. Sprayed the stains, waited a few & then dabbed scrubbed the spots, then vacuumed a little while later. All gone!

Update: No pictures. Just trust me, it worked!

I then started some yogurt with whole milk (pasteurized but not homogenized) from Wainwright Dairy I warmed 1 quart milk to 180 degrees, let cool to 110 & then added 1/2 c. Greek yogurt w/life cultures. Put it in a covered glass container & put it in an insulated cooler with a qt. jar of very hot water. I just changed the quart jar of now luke warm water w/another qt. of hot. I take it out at 8pm tonight & will set it in the fridge to drain to get some nice thick yogurt.

Update: Got it & it's delicious! It is a toss between sour cream & butter. Soooo good! I can only handle a 4 or 5 teaspoons at a time.

I decided to make French Baguettes today as well. I had bought 2 Williams Sonoma baguette pans at an estate sale last year ($10, retail for $30). I mixed the yeast, sugar & salt, let that sit, then added flour & kneaded for 10 minutes (my 2nd workout for the day) then let it rise for 45 minutes. Then every 30 minutes took out, turned, folded & put back to rise for another 30. Next was to shape in balls, let rest for 5, then flatten & roll into loafs. Let that sit for another 30 & then bake for 20 min. in a 450 degree oven. They smell heavenly, & they tasted wonderful! Update: It's now Tuesday & I just had a couple of slices w/my wonderful salad, delicious.

Note: Will cook at 425 degrees for 25 in the future. They were very good but I think a lower temp. would work better.

Since it was such a dreary day & on queue from Mama Pea I decided to join in Souper Sunday & made homemade soup.

Cream of Broccoli that I adapted from Granny Miller is what I decided on. I steamed Organic broccoli that I got from the The Veggie Bin & then finely chopped & put it in with some whey that I had frozen from the last time I made cheese & heated that up. In a separate pan I melted 3 T. of butter, added dehydrated shallots, s & p & then added about 1/2 c. flour. I browned all that & then added about a quart of the Wainwright Dairy whole milk. Once it thickened, I added the broccoli mixture to that & it has been simmering for about an hour. Update: Added about a 1/2 c. of freshly grated parmesan cheese, just before serving. 

Sorry for the bad pic, but rest assured there is broccoli & cream in there!

I picked 3 different lettuces from my grow stand. Made a simple salad of lettuce, scallions, a little bit of tomato & crumbled blue cheese with balsamic vinaigrette. It was very good!

2 of the 3 different kinds of winter lettuce!

Home grown lettuce!

And last, but certainly not leastly I would like to welcome a few new blog friends:

Red Woman - She's a woman who speaks her mind & makes no apologies. Very refreshing.

Pat. It doesn't appear that you have a website, but I welcome you as you follow along.

Terri from Our Crazy Farm. She is probably one of the most spiritual person I have 'conversed' with. She's been through a lot but continues moving through her purposed driven life.

Thank you all for joining me on my journey!

That's it. Good night, sweet dreams, don't let the bed bugs bite, etc., etc.

Another update: I also made homemade yogurt that is nothing if not exceptional!