Things have been going really well. It has been busy still
but I am making time to cook at home. Today for breakfast I had a Fage Greek
Yogurt, the one with Cherry and a handful of almonds. For lunch, I had cucumber slices
and celery sticks, a banana and a turkey sandwich on rye bread from our local
bakery. Dinner was grilled pork chops, cornbread stuffing…I even baked the
cornbread… and corn on the cob from a local market. It was the last of my corn
that hasn’t been frozen and preserved for the winter.
I have to admit, I like making my own lunch to take to work
and coming home to relax and prepare dinner. It has been a nice almost calming
experience. I have put in the effort to plan a bit more. This has freed up some
time because I know exactly what I am going to be making. No more mad dashes to
pick up a quick pizza because I forgot to set something out. Not to say that
won’t happen this month, I can’t guarantee it as a working busy sports mom.
These things happen, but I am being conscience and intentional about avoiding
those traps. Also, the chickens have
been reaping the benefits of my unprocessed diet. I roasted a hubbard squash on
Sunday and they loved the stringy guts that I scooped out and tossed into their
run. They also like to pick at all my salads and bread heels. Lucky Ladies.
There is just something about October. We have had our first
real frosts that have put an end to any late tomatoes I had lingering in the
garden. My canning has come to a halt. No more veggies to blanch and then
freeze. Foods have been stored. The days are getting shorter. It’s the time to
put away the lazy days of summer and meld into a back to school, back to the
daily routine kind of time. There is
something about the weather change that brings me back indoors back to the
kitchen and back to making sure as a family we have some good quality time
together. Summer is always so busy, so much to do and the kids want to be
outside and out with friends as much as possible. October brings about a change
in that. They kids are still always busy, but with the days being shorter, they
are forced indoors earlier than before. As a family we have the time to take a
breath, have a family dinner, and maybe even enjoy a movie together.
October also brings out the inner crafter in me. I can’t
explain it but as soon as those beautiful fall colors hit and the weather gets
brisk, I just have to create things. I bust out the knitting needles and yarn,
or I paint and make wreaths and Christmas ornaments. I can’t be the only one
out there who does this, the only one who enjoys being crafty in the Fall. My
pinterest boards are already growing with things to make. By February, I am back into the gardening mind
set. I want to peruse seed catalogs and map out garden beds in my head. I make
big plans for the yard and garden in the blah days of February in Michigan. My pinterest
boards will grow with those plans too.
This weekend coming up, I am heading to a friend’s house to
bake bread. I love the physical aspect of kneading the dough. It is rustic and
crafty and reminds me of simpler times. It is especially nice to bake bread
with a friend. It gives you someone to chat with while waiting for the dough to
rise. I will be taking lots of pictures and posting the recipes we try. I am planning on using my Michigan honey I got
from our local cider mill to help get the yeast blooming. I love what that hint
of honey does to breads. Who needs added sugar or corn syrup? Not this girl.
Vanilla extract update… The brandy vanilla mixture still
smells the best. It is really taking on a nice color and the sweet aroma of
vanilla. The bourbon vanilla, while I like bourbon, still has a stronger liquor
smell over the smell of the vanilla. I am still unsure of how rounded a flavor
profile it will have. I really should begin taste testing… Note to self lol
: )
No comments:
Post a Comment