Rain Rain...... YAY!!!

I remember as a child wishing for warm, sunny, dry days to play in. 
Heck I remember ten years ago being sad when there was rain during the weekend.
I remember agreeing with people that it is wonderful that we've had so many sunny, dry days for weeks.

And now.....

When the rain comes I wish to go out and dance in it!  Especially during gardening season.

And now I'm sitting here and listening to the thunderstorms that are happening and I can't help but smile that my little plants are happy as well.  Mainly because there has been a two week drought, which is not good at all being so early in the gardening season.

But with my onions, garlic, turnips, cabbages, spinach, endive, lettuce, and calendula growing from seeds I recently planted, the need for rain is great.  I hope this does not reflect the weather to come.

Now that I'm sitting, enjoying hearing the rain beat down on the roof, watching the lightning and comforting the cat when the thunder sounds loud, I have come full circle in understanding the necessity for rainy days, which are as necessary as sunny and dry days.

That, and, it's always fun dancing in the rain.

How Much Can Change In A Week.

It's amazing to think how much things change in a week.

In my last post I was happy to have finally figured out how to get back on this forum.  I could continue documenting the ups and downs of my homesteading experiences.  And also to be open to express ideas and concerns as I venture into this "new" way of life.

But the events of this past week, with the bombing at the Boston Marathon, the explosion of the plant in Waco, Texas, and now the active pursuit of the bombing suspects on the news, it just makes you realize how precious life is.  How all of these people who were part of all of these events had no idea they were going to happen to them at this time last week. 

How much can change in one week.

But as much as these horrible things make you question life in general, I also have to say I've been moved beyond anything in seeing how many heroes have come out to help people.  How courageous our first responders and law enforcement are.  And how so many people around the world even have been sending prayers and good energies towards the victims of these tragedies, as well as the city as a whole.  And living near the city of Boston I can say this, that we here those prayers and are thankful for them.

And here I would like to offer my own healing prayers and energies to the victims of the bombings, the plant explosion, and now the wounded and killed in pursuit of the two bombers.  And also my prayers of hope that the feeling and energy that comes out of this week does not go into anger and revenge, but towards the growth of the loving and healing energy that everyone seems to be sending our way.

Thank you! 

REALLY RESTED!!! And Slightly Stupid....

Actually there has been only one reason that I haven't written for so long.

Once I changed my page layout, I didn't think about how to relog back into my blog.

So yes my friends, your computer illiterate blogger that is typing right now spent the better part of a few months trying to figure out how to relog back into her blog. 

*face meet palm of hand*

Though I will say this, it wasn't like I was sitting at the computer the whole time.  There was taxes to finish (FINALLY!), gardens to start planting, pilgrim garb to wear once more, more cold and snowy winter days to sit by a fire and wish for spring. 

And overall making plans for new things.  Like keeping a gardening journal for the first time.  New recipes to try (how does bacon cheddar puffs sound?) New stores to check out (like my love affair I have with Tractor Supply!)  And, of course, many more homesteading epiphanies and shenanigans to tell about.

And now, to change my layout again.  This time, with an apparent log in button.   

Rested and Ready!

It's been a while, but it was a rest needed and well worth it.

And I thought since I was coming back after a while I would do a little revamping.  It's fun redecorating!

So what has been happening?

Many different things.  Now I'm on my three month "vacation" from the Plantation.  And with that I have been doing the yearly "catching up on all the things I couldn't do during the pilgrim season at home" clean and purge.  I still have to clean the windows though.  Saving the best for last I guess.

So here's a quick catch up on what's going on now.

1.) Taxes!

Yep, it's that time of year again!  And this time I have a plan!

Well I did have a plan.  Till I got a lazy the past few weeks.  So now the plan has been delayed a bit.  But for the most part I have a plan.

What is this plan?

Get my taxes done! Duh! 

Hopefully by the end of February.

2.) Work at Coggeshall Farm Museum!

Though I'm on hiatus from the Plantation, I still have plenty of work and fun times at Coggeshall!  And with it the ups and downs that come with farming in the winter.

Up: Harvesting December lettuce!
Down: 0 degree weather.














Up: Cute lambs! (hence the photo above!)
Down: Frozen pipes.
Up: Wood fired stove!
Down: IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

Now there was a few very sad things that did happen at Coggeshall that did not involve the cold.  We did have two lambs born the season.  But one did not make it.  The one pictured above though, who is called Anne, (which is my middle name! So guess who found her!) is healthy and thriving and jumping around with her mother.  ADORABLE!  So go to Coggeshall Farm Museum and check her out!

The other really sad thing was that Filpail, one of our two Devon cows, gave birth to a still born calf last week.  Constance, as of a few days ago, still had not given birth, though she is very much pregnant right now.  But we were all saddened about this darker side of farming.  The recognition of life and death, and the constancy of it.

The other, not so dark side of it, is that we now have to milk both day and night for Filpail.  And is she giving!  Averaging about 12 cups a go.  And that in turn gave me about two cups of cream.  And that, in turn, after 15 minutes of shaking a jar, I made the butter in the container below!

The difference in color was amazing!  It's almost orange!  Though it doesn't show in this pic very well.  But still compared to the stick butter on top, it's certainly more yellow.  And this during the winter!

And I also got some good supply of buttermilk from it.  So you have to take the good with the bad.

3) Pilgrim Hall.

I've been volunteering as well at Pilgrim Hall and helping to set up the new temporary exhibit called "'I've Been There': Souvenir's of Pilgrim Plymouth".  Go and check it out.  Pilgrim Hall Museum is now reopened, having been closed in January. 

4.) Stomach Bug!

I thought I had escaped it all.  I thought I was safe.  I thought I was invincible!

Nope.

This past week I have been dealing with one heck of a stomach bug.  I would not wish this on my enemies' loved ones.  It has been terrible!  To say the least.  I went to the doctor a few days ago, confirmed that it was a virus, confirmed there was nothing that could be done.  And there I sat, a weepy nauseated mess, I guess the doctor felt some sympathy and gave me a prescription for a drug that would relax my stomach and help me to eat a little.

And it has helped, and I have been getting better.  But still..... UGH!

5.) New England Weather.

Probably the reason I finally succumbed to the many viruses that were going around is the crazy weather that has been happening.  The week before last I was dealing with terribly cold temperatures while I carried buckets of water and tried to pitchfork frozen cow dung. 

Then it warmed up enough to snow.  And yes it sounds counter intuitive, but there we are.

So this is what it looked like at the beginning of last week.

This is what it looked like three days ago!  And it was warm!

So warm that these guys are already appearing.  Barely into February and we're seeing ROBINS!  Go figure.

6.) Happy Imbolc/Groundhog Day/St Brigit's Day!

Happy, well, all of the above!

Now I really have to get everything done.  Only one month left....

Taking Some Time Off

Fall is a time for change.  The land gets ready to rest itself, getting ready for the changes that will occur in the spring.  It is also a time for completion.  And there are many things I need to complete now.  Complete and move on.

So, though it sounds cryptic and far fetched, I have had several things come up in my life that are going to be large changes.  And there are things going on that I didn't expect to come up.  But these changes are good in a way.  It's helping me make the changes I need to.  And it's also making me prioritize my life.  And realize what I want to do.

And it has made me realize that I need to take a break from blogging.  It's not that I think that I will stop blogging forever.  I mean there are so many more homesteading antics out there.  Just taking some time off from feeling the need to keep updating the blog.  With everything that is happening there is so little time in the day. And though I know none of my readers would give me grief if I took some time from writing, I'm more doing it for myself.  Kind of like a declarative statement to myself just as much as for all of you.

But I'll be back before you know it, with many more homesteading adventures!

The Perfect Pilgrim Picnic Creation



So today was an exciting day.

 

Today was the invention of the open-faced turkey fricassee sop of onion sandwich!!!!

 

The what?!?

 

The open-faced turkey fricas....... alright.  Lets start from the beginning.

 

So today I made two of my favorite pilgrim foods in one meal, sops of onions and turkey fricassee.  You probably have heard me talk about these foods in previous posts about the wonders of pilgrim food. And they are yummy!!!  But combine them together with some cheate bread and they are become something beyond yummy.

 

So how is this wonderful concoction made?  Well first I will have to instruct you on how to make turkey fricassee and sops of onions.

 

Turkey Fricassee

 

2 Cups cooked Turkey meat

2 Eggs

4 Tbl Butter

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

2 Tbl Vinegar

Handful of Parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Shred turkey meat into bite size pieces.  Then melt some butter in a hot pan.  If this is a well seasoned cast iron pan over a bed of hot coals it will be even better.  But a non-stick pan on a gas burner is fine as well.  Once the butter is melted put the turkey pieces in the pan and brown them.

While the pieces brown make the fricassee sauce.  Combine the two eggs with the nutmeg, parsley, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Then, when the turkey is browned, take the pan off the heat and stir in the fricassee sauce till it coats all the pieces.

Make sure to put in a bowl and wait till it cools a little before devouring the deliciousness.  Can't taste it if your mouth is burned.

And it tastes much better if you eat it with your fingers.

 

Sops of Onions

 

2 Large or 4 Small Onions

4 Tbl Butter

Few Splashes of Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Slice the onions.  Melt the butter in a nice hot pan.  (If you want soft onions you can heat the butter slowly and cook the onions slowly in it.  They do become wonderfully sweet this way.  But if you are like me you can have the pan be hotter and have more blackened onions. YUM!) 

Put onions in melted butter with salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. Then sit back and smell the wonderfulness that is frying onions in butter with vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Then have random people come into your house and remark on how wonderful it smells in your house. Then tell them to get out of your house, that it's not a living history museum!

Once the onions are cooked place them on toasted pieces of bread.  Or bread fried in butter.  I probably should have put more butter and bread up on the ingredients list.  But now that you know I don't think I have to.

 

So there you have it.  Now that you have made these two wonderful dishes they will look something like this.

 



Well, maybe not all in the same bowl, or sitting on a wooden stump where you chop wood every day.  But still as goodly!

And now to combine them into the wonderful open faced sandwich!

If you are able to get wonderful cheate bread, then by all means please do.  But even a crusty sourdough, or a crunchy baguette will do the trick with this.

Take the bread and slice it in relatively thick slices but thin enough that you can still get this full concoction in your mouth without hurting your jaw.  I can not be held responsible for jaw hurtage with this sandwich.

Then put on a layer of sops of onions.  Like shown on the piece of bread in front.

On top of that layer add a layer of turkey fricassee.  Like with the two pieces in the back.

Then, without hurting your jaw, unless you are Goodwife Eaton, take a HUGE bite!  Then try not to faint from the incredibleness that is an open-face turkey fricassee sop of onion sandwich.

And there is so many different additions to make this wonderful creation even more extraordinary.  These are some pilgrim housewife suggestions.

Fry the bread in butter and garlic.
Add sage and thyme and smallage to the fricassee sauce to make it taste more like stuffing.  If you don't have smallage get some big smallage (aka lovage).  If you don't have either, use celery.  But that's not so 17th century of you!
Melt some cheese over it.  What kind of cheese?  DUTCH CHEESE!!!
Make a sauce of cranberries to put on top. 
BACON!  Enough said.

And if you have copious amounts of cooking time on your hands you can take some flour and butter and milk and spices and raisins and boil a bag pudding from it.  Goes very well with this open-faced.... well what was just made.

See?  Mistress Standish's two handed approach allows for the ultimate in Pilgrim Picnic goodness.


On a side note, I would like to dedicate this open-faced wonderment to John Howland, for spending the day surveying land on Cape Cod.  Without him not coming home to eat his dinner I made for him we would not have created this beautiful culinary masterpiece.  (Hope you are feeling better!)

It's Decorative CORN Season!!!

That's right! 

What is more festive in fall then decorative gourds?

DECORATIVE CORN!!!

And here to "model" this new corn couture is my fellow pilgrims of New Plimoth.  Just goes to show that even though we are thousands of miles away from civilized London, we can still find away to make a fashion statement.

And here is Mistress Bradford (AKA Fennel Beard!) styling the latest in Native Corn hat accessories. 

The flashes of reds and yellows from this staff of life add a true blast of color, while adding height and volume to what could be just a drab, floppy, wool hat.

This addition to the corn collection shows that feathers are now a thing of the past for Pilgrims this season.  Now it's Native Corn.

And here is Mistress Alden showing the more sultry side of Native Corn decortage. 

The contrasts of color and the deep color of the husks both emphasize the versatile usage of this gift from God.  For it was God who was able to have our men actually find some during their exploration in the wilderness of Cape Cod.  In fact that pretty much was all they found that was useful.

This style certainly shows that Native Corn is "more precious than silver."

And for you pilgrim men out there, don't think that the corn fashion is only for the women. 

As Goodman Howland is showing here, the Native Corn can be just as versatile for a man's ensemble as well.  See how the contrasting colors of the corn makes the color of the suit just POP!

 It's almost as good as the use and versatility of the manpron.  It seems that Goodman Howland is quite the trendsetter in up and coming male fashions.

And such a convenient style when trading up by the Kennebec.  Allows all those natives to know that you are ready to trade good corn for that beaver, which is something English men crave greatly.

And even works well in the back, just in case you have chased your mastiff into the woods and have to stay the night in a tree to escape the lions.  At least you won't go hungry, or you could knock the lions out by throwing the corn at them. 

Or, if you perish, at least you look good doing it.

And here is Goodwife Howland, not modeling ANY of the corn fashions today.  But is taking a moment to show the "My Poppet and Me!" collection which is done by Goodwife Eaton.  When she's not busy building all the houses in New Plimoth, or chopping wood, she is creating her own empire of poppets that look like pilgrims.  So now you can have a poppet that looks like you, if you are a pilgrim, and have some of that Native corn to pay for the extra accessories.  Like a hat.  See Goodwife Eaton for details.

Wow, modeling the latest fashions in corn, and in poppets, can be quite exhausting.

Nighty night Mistress Alden!