a blog about making things, and also probably goats
The cherry tomatoes are done messing around. They’re coming for us.
That’s just this morning’s haul. There are half a dozen more that will be ripe by the end of the day.
I also picked two raspberries, but my hands were full of tomatoes and too bad they went in my mouth.
Thanks pollinators!
John’s rainbow scarf is coming along! It’s about 1/3 done. No pattern here. Just knitting and purling until he’s happy with it.
I’m working on my flicking technique, and so far I’ve more or less got it down on the knit side. Purl not so much. So I’m like 25% faster than before.
The edges are extra knit stiches that were meant to keep the scarf from curling, but it’s only kind of sort of working. Once I’m finished with it I’ll soak it and set it straight.
In other knitting news…
I decided to level up and try knitting an actual pattern. Socks it is! Here’s what they’re supposed to look like:
Except here’s the yarn I got:
I also have to learn to knit in the round. And make socks. Squee! Let’s do magic!
For the last year, I’ve eaten oatmeal for breakfast pretty much every day. I love it with fruit and almonds and cinnamon and a splash of milk. Yum!
But recently, I switched up my eating schedule and bam! No more breakfast, which kind of meant no more oatmeal (or at least not every day since John cooks for lunch and dinner and I am NOT missing that).
Suffice it to say that I was in need of an oatmeal fix. And what has oatmeal in it?
Say hello to peach and strawberry crumbles, a.k.a. last night’s dessert.
I mean, they’re ugly. But I did this in response to a legit craving and, as we all know, responding to a craving is done in these stages:
And finally,
6. Crumbles
The last step is all that mattered. Get in my tummy!
In a stroke of genius, John suggested using the roasted garlic and herb no-knead bread I made yesterday as the base for some yummy bruschetta. Here is the result:
So easy! He just mixed fresh diced tomato (from our friends at Scenic View Orchards) with a little parmesan cheese and some chopped basil from our herb garden.
We make a pretty good team, n’est-ce pas?
When I decided to make my life about making things instead of thinking things, it was inevitable that I would eventually arrive at baking.
Honestly, I’m pretty obsessed with food. I don’t cook often (one of the perks of being married to a retired chef), but John doesn’t really bake and I thought, hell, I can do this.
For my first loaf, I decided to make roasted garlic and herb no-knead bread. Here’s what it’s supposed to look like:
Okay, easy peasy. I’ve got this.
First I had to do the shopping. John has a well-stocked pantry, so the only thing I really needed was a jar of yeast. Then I raided our herb garden for rosemary and thyme. Done and done.
Keep in mind I’ve never done this before, and I didn’t even study the pictures too closely, because I like to fly by the seat of my pants at all times.
Nah, let’s just call it “beginner’s mind.” That’s better.
Anyway, I mixed up the ingredients and let the dough rise. Meanwhile I roasted the garlic and organized the herbs. A few observations:
My unbaked loaf looked like this:
You guys, may I never forget the aroma of raw bread dough covered in roasted garlic and fresh rosemary and thyme. It was amazing.
After some mixing and more rising, I dumped the dough into our cast iron dutch oven and this happened:
When I say there’s magic in the world, this bread is what I’m talking about. Gather a little flour, a little salt, some cooperative yeast, and about 10,000 thyme leaves, and 6 hours later you get this.
Here’s a shot of it sliced, which accidentally looks almost exactly like one of the photos from the recipe!
I slathered some butter on there and went wild.
It didn’t turn out exactly like the photos in the recipe, but when does it ever? Pretty good job for a first time baker. Now that I’m armed with a little jar of yeast, no bread recipe is safe!
My kitty boy is basically the handsomest, and he knows it.
Kemura Saisho Ototto (so named by my anime-obsessed teen) doesn’t come for pets very often. But when he does, look out, because he’s a purr box.
Like our two dogs and our other cat, Capitano, Saisho came to us via Antietam Humane Society. Good people up there. If you have room in your heart and home for an animal friend, check them out. (Or visit a shelter or humane society in your area.) Adopt don’t shop, y’all.
Gentle reader, meet our long-awaited gardenia blossom. ❤️🌼
This morning, John and I went on an adventure to pick up a like-new basketball hoop for the driveway.
(Aside: Sam is in love with it, and so are the neighbor kids!)
We were a little early, so we pulled into what we thought was a roadside produce stand called Gaver Farm.
This place is pretty badass. They have a huge fall festival that’s set up in the back and I can’t wait for my niece to get a little bigger so I can take her. Come on 2023!
While I wandered around looking at things, John surprised me with this sweet mug:
So this is my advice to you, friends. Choose to be a unicorn today and everyday.
Get out your magnifying glass and check out this extreme closeup of our new orchard:
This is by far the craziest idea we’ve had so far. What would happen if I took this peach pit and stuck it in dirt? Would we get a peach tree? Like a for-real peach tree?
You guys, the world is full of magic.
Is that actually a peach seedling, or just some stray seed that got blown into the pot?
Only time will tell. Stay tuned!
I’m all about getting way the hell off the grid, so I get excited whenever I see windmills and solar farms and Teslas. (Drool. Teslas.)
Anyway, I drove to the sprawl for a doctor’s appointment today and discovered these badass solar shades, which were being installed in the parking lot.
Swoon!
Solar is definitely on the drawing board for us. We have a couple of small practice projects in mind, like adding some panels to the barn to power lights and building a little solar rig for our trailer conversion project.
Someday, on the real farm, we’re just going all out.
Loved bumping into this little glimpse of our future.