STAY TUNED

We are interrupting Good Food and Hobart Sunday to say:

PLEASE STAND BY...

...BIG NEWS INCOMING MONDAY!

HOT TODAY MINIMAL YARD WORK

Sorry for the absence and minimal posting, it has been a busy week.  Today as this posts, it's off to the farm.  I shouldn't have to mow since I did it last weekend (just realized I might have missed posting about that).  I'm hoping to finish the orchard area cleaning and start on another project.  Bits and pieces this time of year.

I'll be back as soon as it starts getting too hot.

2nd Man is roasting a chicken and some root vegetables so I'll have a nice meal waiting when I get back.

Hope your weekend is off to a great (cool) start.

FARM TRUCK NEAR MISS

 Went to the farm and saw this:

At first, I thought it was a bush that had just grown a lot in all the rain, ha.  Turns out, a very large tree fell, landing about two feet away from the front of the truck.

It looks like a tree that had two trunks, split and one part came crashing down.  Our best guess is that it was maybe damaged in the derecho/tornadic winds we had (though it was still nice and green over a month later) and then last week, we had another line of strong storms come through.  If it was weakened, those later winds could have brought it down.

I moved the truck so it was further away...

...now it's safe (the ones behind it are much further away, picture just looks like they are close) and now we have to dispose of this downed tree.  It can wait though, certainly not something that needs to be done in this heat.  Seems like a Fall project.  Even if we hired it out, better to have cooler weather.

Never thought about a falling tree near the truck but now we will think of that whenever we move it around.

YARDWORK IS TOUGH IN THIS HEAT

 Was at the farm Saturday but it is just getting so hot so quick this year. 

I started early and got most of it done.

But hey!  It's better than the last mowing!  Looking more like "normal".

I was done much faster than normal.  2nd Man said it was like the NASCAR of mowing!

Like this?  I'll take it!  LOL!

After lunch and a cool down on the porch, I started on the orchard area.  I got the three middle ones more or less done (the cleaning out and around) but then it was just too hot to risk it.

It'll all be there next weekend...and the weekend after that and the weekend after that...etc.

It was a "feels like" of 109 degrees.  Yep, it was definitely time to call it a day.

A friend sent this to us...sounds about right.

Stay cool out there!

GOOD FOOD AND HOBART SUNDAY

Sunday is here.  As this posts, we're off to an appointment (details soon) and then we'll be having leftovers from yesterday's fabulous meal.

Red wine (in moderation it's heart healthy) and crusty whole wheat baguettes (from a bakery, not homemade).  Wonderful!

I made us a couple of nice salads, spring greens, shredded iceberg for the crunch and cherry tomatoes and cucumbers with a tangy vinaigrette.

For the main course, some whole grain pasta with a ground turkey bolognese.  We spread the bread with a little heart healthy butter mixed with garlic, Aleppo pepper and fresh parsley.  Life is good!!

And speaking of life is good...it sure is for Hobart.  He was laying in front of the refrigerator because it's nice and warm and of course we step around him and over him and the door even opens over him.

But he was not wanting to be photographed so he closed his eyes, went back to sleep and we kept stepping over and around him. Because...

#notspoiled

OFF TO THE FARM ON THIS HOT DAY

It's another hot day but we're off to the farm to get some stuff done.  I hope to finish around the orchard area (it's out of control but I got about 75% of it done last weekend).  Fingers crossed that I don't need to mow everything else, but we shall see.

More of an update later, it's been a busy week but all is good.  The storm moved further South of us and so the bulk of the flooding rains stayed away, which is good.

Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP FOR THE HEART AND SOUL

2nd Man loves to make a hearty chicken soup loaded with vegetables.  With us eating healthy, he is making more and more soups like this where we can control the ingredients we use (or not use, ha).

He usually tells me to just pick up whatever vegetables you want to have in it.  Onions, corn, green beans, mushrooms, greens...

Butternut squash, celery, carrots...

Yellow squash, zucchini, garlic and little potatoes.

2nd Man roasted some chicken, no salt, just pepper and some seasonings, spritz of olive oil spray on each one.  After the roasting is done, he removes the skin and throws it away.  We did some research and found leaving the skin on adds flavor not fat, as long as you remove it before eating.  

No sodium homemade chicken broth and water, cooking all the veggies until done...

To serve, we put chunks of chicken in the bottom...

...and then ladle in the broth and vegetables.

So good and so filling and so satisfying.  Definitely healthy for the heart AND the soul.

MOWING BEFORE THE BOTTOM DROPS OUT

 Saturday was mowing day...before our weather takes a turn for the worse.  More on that in a moment.

It was a clear day but hot.  I fired up the mower, full tank of gas, my headphones and key, it was go time.  Or is that "mow time"?  Ha!

I got most of it done, but it was still a mess from last weekend and the really tall grass.

Back to normal mowing of about an hour and a half or thereabouts.  I worked on the orchard area and got it about 75% done...but then it was just so hot.

When I left at about 2:30, it was 99 with a feels like of 108.  But I'm glad I got it done because...

There is a tropical storm brewing South of us.  That may seem like a long way off and we won't have much bad weather but that's not the way these things work.

Even if it's so far South, it funnels massive amounts of moisture into the areas NE of the center.  Our only hope is that it goes in FURTHER South than projected so that we're just out of the rainfall area.

Here are our estimates (at this point).

We shall see!

GOOD FOOD AND HOBART SUNDAY

 Sunday is here and it is hot.  HOT.  Ugh.  But we're expecting heavy rains all weeks so we better enjoy the sunshine while we can.  Time for some good food and of course, some Hobart!

Here is a wonderful breakfast...oven roasted potatoes and onions (just a spray of olive oil) and then mixed in with 2 whole eggs and a small carton of egg whites.  Sprinkled with some fresh green onions, it was so good and filling.  And heart healthy as potatoes, when not deep fried, are full of potassium and rich in fiber.  Also, only two eggs total so we had one each and the rest were egg whites.  Delicious!

Hobart was sleeping on his quilt on the table behind the couch and the sun was shining on him.  I tried to get a quick picture and as I did, he decided to get up (hence not looking at the camera).  I left him alone since he was apparently not wanting to be photographed that day.  Because...

#notspoiled

REUSABLE CANNING JAR LIDS

 Remember last year I found some reusable lids from Ball on clearance?  Well, we love them and use them all the time.  The other day at lunch, I was in Walmart and found that they have their own as well.

Now you don't can with these, they aren't for sealing, they are for turning the ubiquitous jars into other uses.

The ones we got the last time were black and of course these are white (the only color available).  They are BPA free, food safe and perfect to use on our jars.

They fit wide mouth and standard so they work on big jars or little jars.  They are pretty cool to have on hand as they turn any jar into instant easy storage in the pantry, for leftovers in the refrigerator, and so many other things.  2nd Man loves them because he uses the jars to make salad dressing and these make it easy to put the lid on and shake it vigorously.  No leaks and works perfect!  I also use one for my quick pickled red onions and have taken stuff to work for lunch in a jar with one of these lids.

They work great for being reusable and not having to deal with rings and lids (save those for canning).

 

CRAWFISH BARGAINS

We have always enjoyed a good crawfish boil.  I'm not sure if it's the crawfish (which are wonderful) though, we kind of feel it's more the fellowship and camaraderie of a gathering of friends and family...

Once we have the farm set up for family and friend gatherings, one thing we'd like to do is host a wonderful crawfish boil like above.

Unfortunately, not sure how many of you have followed it, but there is a huge shortage this year.  The sustained drought and warmer temperatures are affecting the production of crawfish.  In fact, here in Houston, there are several 'crawfish centric' restaurants that have now gone out of business.  We're hopeful it will bounce back with a Summer of good rain.

The stores that have stocked up on crawfish boil merchandise are starting to mark them down since no one is buying. We figured we'd pick up a few things? 

 

So, for future Seda Bolsa Farm Crawfish Boils, here are some items I picked up on steep clearance.  Two packages of plastic bibs (a dozen in each), some sturdy plastic plates (12 total) and three sets of seafood tools.  They are usually scattered around the table so people can use them as needed.

Also found these two tablecloths that are vinyl so they are washable.  It might be a fun gathering of friends and family, but it can be messy, ha!

Remember the wine crates that I've found?  I save them because I know there will be a good use for them.  So I was thinking, how about holiday hosting boxes?  We figured they would be cool stored on a shelf and each one could contain items for hosting different gatherings.  All the stuff for a crawfish/crab boil in one.  All the stuff for a something else in another.

Working on that next!

ALMOST TOO HOT TO MOW

 So you probably saw that Saturday we had an appointment so this weekend we had to switch the farm visit to Sunday.  Drove out yesterday.  Should have gotten a 'before' photo but the grass was crazy tall.

Not the best mowing job I've ever done...but at least it's normal again.  For now anyway, ha.

A bit messy with the extra grass clippings but this time next week or the week after, it will be gone, blown away in the wind or decomposed into the grass.

Check this out:

TWO HOURS (and nine minutes!) and I drove 8.1 miles!  I think that might be a new record, ha.  It's because in many spots, I had to mow an area once with the deck up so I could get through the grass without getting bogged down, then I had to mow over it again with the mower deck down (set at 3 inches, up from 2.5) and then in some places I drover it all just to disperse the clipping a bit.

I REALLY needed to work in the orchard area, I did mow parts but it's out of control.  But it was just TOO oppressively hot and I'm not risking my health for an aesthetic gain, ha.  It'll be there next week, ha.

Check this out:

Here is the temp when we decided to call it a day.  95° with a feels like of 111°.  Yikes!  It's going to be a long, hot Summer, that's for sure!  Hoping for a little less rain, we're good for a little while anyway.

GOOD FOOD AND HOBART SATURDAY

Switching things around today as we have another important appointment.  We're going on that today and tomorrow will be the farm visit.  So here on Saturday, is what we usually post on Sunday.  Tomorrow will be mowing.  Here is some good food and of course Hobart.

The other night we had some grilled salmon over a bed of brown rice, corn and jalapeños.  The salmon was topped with some of our leftover homemade bbq sauce.  A large salad on the side and it was a perfect meal.

Is there any cat in the world that WON'T sleep in a box?  We received a package in the mail, put the box on the floor and in about 1 minute, it was occupied.  And of course, there it sat for several days until he lost interest in it. Because...

#notspoiled

RETAIL THERAPY IS GOOD FOR THE HEART

Recently, 2nd Man and I enjoyed a fun day out shopping after an appointment.  It was mostly window shopping and daydreaming but we found a few fun things.

Love these signs.   Yes, we will have bees again and these will go by my desk at the farm to remind me.

We are suckers for candles and accessories.  We found these and figured probably if we only had one, it would be somewhere else when we needed it most.  This doubles our odds of finding it, ha.  A candle snuffer and a wick dipper.  We already have a wick trimmer that we regularly use, so these will have a place in the candle storage drawer.

2nd Man saw these and fell in love with them.  I must admit, I love them too!  Heavy glass carafes, with honeycomb design all around them and a bee motif in a circle right in the middle.

And these...wait, am I'm sensing a bee theme on this shopping trip?  Funny how that worked out, ha!

Sometimes, a little retail therapy is a good thing.