Harvest Finale

Our intentions for an extended fall garden have all but unraveled.  Most of our brassica seedlings were mown off by an interloping groundhog.  In protest, the survivors refused to grow taller than 2 inches.  The next wave of seeds empathized with their masticated comrades and simply didn't sprout.  Though our spring peas did fairly well, the fall peas wallowed in the soil and decided they preferred their subterranean posts better than the airy sunshine above.  We never did get the turnips, kale, or chard seeded…oops.  The faster summer flew by, the more distant our fall garden pursuits became.  What we expected to be a multi-species autumnal smorgasbord dwindled to a humble vegetable platter.  But I’m not complaining…

Smashed Potatoes: A Fall Favorite

The change of season has me yearning for the comforting dishes that cool temperatures bring:  braises, stews, soups, and root vegetables.  This week, in honor of autumn, I whipped out one of our favorite potato recipes – Creamy Garlic-Dill Smashed Potatoes.  My husband starts to drool at the mere mention of them.  This dish is a perennial go-to that accompanies almost any main course.  For this go around, I served it with pan-fried flounder filets, ginger-pear chutney, and sautéed summer squash.  These potatoes are simple to make and oh so delicious to eat!  Happy Fall!!

Creamy Garlic-Dill Smashed Potatoes

Serves 4, but the recipe easily multiplies for a crowd

1.5 lbs. organic yellow/golden potatoes

3 T. organic sour cream

3 T. organic butter

Garlic Powder, to taste (start with ½ tsp.)

1 tsp. Dried Dill

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a medium pot, bring salted water to boil.

2. After scrubbing your potatoes, cut them into uniform bite-sized pieces leaving the skins on.

3. Boil potatoes until fork-tender.  Drain in a colander.

4. Meanwhile, in the same pot (but off heat), add the sour cream and butter.  Stir until melted and mixed.

5. Add potatoes, stirring gently with a wooden spoon to coat them.

6. Add dill and garlic powder.  Stir gently to incorporate.  Adjust seasonings to taste. 

7. Salt & Pepper to taste

You’re right; I never actually “smashed” the potatoes.  Between the hot potato starch and luscious additions, there’s no need!  The light stirring will render the potatoes both delightfully chunky with a creamy finish.  The skins (which harbor a solid component of the potato’s vitamin & mineral content) will be enfolded in the tasty mixture.  Besides making your tongue explode with rich tanginess, the sour cream and butter aid the body’s ability to digest the fiber content in the meal.  Who knew health could be so delicious?!

Frequently Asked Questions

Weldon and I are very aware that our homestead lifestyle raises a variety of questions for most people.  We’re also aware that we’re never actually asked a good number of these questions.  We get it!  We’re two unabashed nerds with corporate and creative backgrounds who have chosen to farm in rural Kentucky within 10 miles of our families.  We raise much of our food, learn old-timey skills, drive older vehicles, wear second-hand clothes, live fairly frugally, and travel as often as possible.  Hmmm.  Out-of-the-box only begins to describe us.  Why on Earth do we not have a clothes dryer or television?   Why do we make our own mayonnaise and cook with lard?  Why are we taking down old houses and barns in order to build our dream home – calling a metal shop building home in the mean time?  Why does our farming look so different from other farming?  All good questions!

I've been compiling a bounty of information in response to these frequently asked (and unasked) questions.  The topics touch on some of the most important tenants in our life.  In the coming months, I intend to post these excerpts as permanent pages on the blog for your reference and amusement.  You’ll be able to click on each topic along the menu bar at the top of the blog’s home page.  Each page will have photos and expand the scope of my regular weekly posts to include our more in-depth research, resources, and personal thoughts.  Whether you’re intrigued by our quirkiness or blazing your own unconventional path, I hope these pages get your wheels turning.

 

This week I've added TWO NEW PAGES:  The Food – a tasty background and overview of our framework for healthful eating and The Library – an evolving list of the invaluable sources for information and inspiration we've found along the way.  Our love of food and learning are two key elements (perhaps the foundational pair) that keep Weldon and I eagerly homesteading.

I look forward to your comments and questions!

September Stroll

Afternoon Commute

I came home from work yesterday itching to get outside and enjoy the quintessential September day.  This month is one of my absolute favorites because of weather like this.  I knew it would be the perfect specimen of a day when I left earlier in the morning. As I swung the front door open the air had given me a refreshing wave of chills. I had fought with the heavy dew and the golden morning glow of the sun just to see out my windshield.  Then into the time warp of the school building I went...never to see sunlight again until 3 p.m.  As my wheels swung back into my gravel driveway I had my heart set on a walk.  I figured I'd go check on our ancient pear trees and determine if Saturday would be a pear canning day.  Like a little kid I crept into the house (certain that my husband was taking a needed nap).  I tiptoed to get my grubby jeans, decided to forego a change of top, grabbed my camera, and slipped on my chore clogs.  Then I carefully closed the screen door behind me wishing in vain that it didn't creak so vehemently every time it moved an inch.  Oh well...I was off into the wide world to see what I could see...

Cleaning: the Long & Short of It

It’s probably unwise for a woman living south of the Mason-Dixon Line to admit it, but I’m not religious when it comes to cleaning my home.  On the spectrum from Clean Jean to Messy Jessie, I prefer to be Sane Jane -- Jean’s artistic, active, and somewhat less-kept sister.  Because I’m not a fan of clutter or filth, I do the basic once over on a fairly regular basis.  But suffice it to say my home has a love-hate relationship with the white glove test.  I've observed that most creative homesteads accept a certain level of disarray in order to focus on living their convictions while maintaining sanity.  This notion has always provided me with calming validation.  As with so much in life, it’s all about balance.  Most people who know me recognize that I’m not a stickler for domestic customs.  Despite this truth, I can’t ignore that our home needs a proper scrubbing after both winter’s hibernation and summer’s flurry of activity.  As much as I like to clean to the beat of my own drum, I generally follow suit when it comes to Spring and Fall Cleaning.  On a recent Saturday Weldon and I put Cinderella to shame with our zealous energy to get our house back to spic ‘n span.  As a shout-out to my thoroughly modern husband, he was neither bribed nor threatened into participating in this event. We turned on some peppy tunes and each chose a weapon of choice (rag, bucket, vacuum, spray bottle). We moved furniture, washed baseboards, vacuumed every stitch, wiped every surface, and even did the little To Do’s that have hovered in limbo for months.  I don’t mean to brag or rub it in, but it gives me great satisfaction to know that not only is my house clean (for now), but we did the work without using toxic chemicals.  It’s neither as difficult nor as pricey as it may sound.  I’m sure there are plenty of Clean Jean’s posting their whiz-bang tips for a perpetually spotless abode, but below I've offered my personal nitty gritty on Sane Jane house cleaning. 

The Teacher Type

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”  -- Socrates

If Socrates were alive today I’d give his toga-wearing frame a huge bear hug, look him straight in the eyes, and thank him profusely for acknowledging this truth.  Then I’d ask him how in the world he said so many quote-worthy things that we still reference thousands of years later.

With the exception of one moment of weakness in elementary school when I said the words, “I want to be a teacher,” (out of adoration for Mrs. Most-Awesome-Teacher-Ever) I was otherwise convinced that the field was not for me.  I loved school but there seemed to be a mismatch between me and the profession.  I wasn't a softy-type nurturing personality that could warmly embrace snot-nosed little ones or repeat the basics of multiplication for the eleven-thousandth time.  Likewise, the idea of working with upper level students made me roll my eyes because, as everyone knows, aliens remove teenage brains and don’t return them until much later in life.  When I began setting my sites on viable career paths I objected to the entire field of education under the guise that I didn't have the patience for it.  The only thing I even hesitated to consider was a position on a collegiate level…but I think I was only intrigued by that because Indiana Jones was a college professor by day and an adventuring intellectual by night.  So, pretty much teaching was out. 

Ten years later, look at me…I’m working with middle school students five days a week!

A Birthday to Remember

A friend of ours made this astonishing cake.
Those veggies are FROSTING!

I love birthdays.  Yours, mine, ours, theirs…it doesn't matter; birthdays are one of my favorite things.  I like the idea that for one day in the year an individual can be loved on, feasted with, sung to, and given gifts.  Every one is worth that.  Of course, I realize that for some the loving may come from a pet, the feast may be a candy bar, the song may be on the radio, and the gifts may be green traffic lights and a pretty sunset; but, if that person acknowledges these things on their birthday, it is still a special day.  I think birthdays give each one of us an opportunity for reflection and hope.  Unlike New Year’s Day, when everyone around us is encouraged to acknowledge the annual passage of time, a birthday is personal, private even.  Only you have lived the exact moments of your days past and will experience the fullness of your days to come.  Only you know the wish that you make when the candles are blown out (or your head hits the pillow that night).