Potato Storage

It is a little known fact that it is not a good idea to store potatoes next to onions. There is a chemical reaction that occurs causing the potatoes to go bad with a quickness. I knew about this and tried to keep them separated, but it wasn't enough. So I decided I could not possibly go another day of existence without some form of potato storage.

We had some wood in the garage that would have worked, but we would have to cut it. Then we decided to go to Home Depot to get the price on wood to build it. All you need is a length of 1x4. We decided to make the box 2'x3'.

It was then that I remembered that I would never cut a piece of wood again as long as Home Depot was near and I found an employee to cut the 10' piece of wood in to two 2' pieces and two 3' pieces.

Interestingly, it was the same employee that cut the wood for the compost bin and raised bed. I'm surprised he didn't hide in the back when he saw me...I hope they don't start charging to cut wood.

Using our brad nailer and stapler...we put the sides of the box together and nailed some spare pieces of 1"x1" to the sides as handles. Then we took hardware wire and stapled it to the bottom of the box. Here is the completed box...

Then I took two paper bags and cut them to rest in the bottom.
And fill with potatoes...

You may even be lucky enough to have a potato that looks like a heart...

Or a butt...depending on how you look at things.

City Girl Lessons Learned V1.0

I learned several lessons today as we went out to our property to pull roots in preparation for the 3 acre plot to be disk plowed.

1. Some days...no matter how much you and your significant other love each other...you will want to hurt each other.

2. If the mud is soft enough to stick to your boots...your truck will get stuck in it.

3. Just because it is cloudy and rainy...I can still get heat exhaustion.

4. Ask questions...don't just trust the little old man set up on the side of the road sellling fruit. You may assume he is selling local food. But he may be selling plums from California. Is there a season for plums in South Texas?

5. Just when you think you want to smack your significant other, he offers you half of his chicken salad sandwich because there was not enough bread for both of you to have a sandwich.

6. Chicken salad made with apples tastes sweet when you throw it up.

7. Some days you just can't win.

Confession

I have a confession to make.

I can not wait to turn 40.

I want to reach that point when other peoples' opinions of me really don't matter. Many people can say at various ages that they don't care what other's think. I have not reached that point. I love seeing women in their 40's and 50's who are confident and carry themselves with a certain air. Something that says I have lived life...

It may not be like your life, but it is mine, and it is perfect. Regardless of what it has been in the eyes of others. Regardless of whether it has been anyone elses idea of perfect or not. It has been lived...and that is enough. That it is not about a comparison or being better than someone else. We all are just who we are and that is okay. Period.

I have had my own dreams and goals...and I have either achieved them, or I am busting my ass now to achieve them. But even more than that. It is about achieving those goals because it is something you want. Not as a comparison to someone else or someone else dreams. They just are what they are. My dreams. Not mine because someone else thinks they should be mine. But mine because I have spent hours, and days, and years wanting them and working for them.

Perhaps its not the number per se, maybe it's just the experience or wisdom. Whichever it is, I can't wait.

The Dolphin Tamer and I went to dinner last night and as we were eating dinner, in walked this fabulous group of older women (most likely over 50) all wearing red hats of varying sizes, shapes and levels of outrageousness. I was in heaven and in fact was trying to work out a plan to adopt each and every one of them as my grandmother. I was hoping their fabulousness would wear off on me.

I told DT that I couldn't wait until I was older so that I could wear big, fabulous hats in public. It falls in line with having the confidence and wisdom that I was talking about above. Perhaps I will have reached that level when I can confidently go out in public with an outrageous hat and not be concerned with what the people think.

Pickled Okra

There are few things that can make me weak in the knees: my husband, a new seed catalog, and pickled okra. I have not tasted these yet as they have another week to go. But here is the recipe and I will let you know what we think.

Pickled Okra
by Yvonne Eckert

3 lbs uncut and washed okra pods
1 clove of garlic for each jar
Mustard seeds
6 Peppercorns
6 Small red hot peppers
Dill seed
1 Qt. Water
1 Qt. Distilled Vinegar
1/3 c. Pickling salt
3/4 c. Sugar

Pack okra into hot pint jars. To each pint add one clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon dill seed, 1 peppercorn, 1 small red hot pepper and 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed.

Make brine of water, vinegar, salt and sugar. Heat to a boil. Pour over okra. Close jars and process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Makes 6 pint jars.

Enjoy...

Denim Skirt

Clearly...our life is different from about a year ago. Remember when I told you that Michael Pollan's book "In Defense of Food" changed my life. I was not kidding. Since then I have become more concerned about recycling, eating locally and sustainably, renewable resources, and making a difference in our world.

Speaking of changing the world, I created a skirt for My Maria from a pair of her old jeans. The earth feels better already. I can tell.

The instructions for the skirt can be found here.

Dear Earth...Glad I could help. Love, Melissa

A Day At The Market...

Yesterday, my mom and I went to the Farmer's Market. We try to go to some type of market every week. It's my farm advocacy work. So for about $30 and the satisfaction of knowing that we are supporting local farmers...this is what we came home with...

I love having fresh flowers!! They are so beautiful, and given prices at the grocery store...they really are a steal at $4 a bunch.

The cucumbers were $2 for 3, all of those tomatoes were $4, the potatoes were $2 for about 4; the swiss chard was $2.50; the cushaw squash was $2; the canteloupe was $2 each and the black-eyed peas where $5 (and worth every penny!).

The best way to cook those black-eyed peas is with a piece of salt pork, some onion and 4 cups of chicken stock. Just brown the salt-pork in soup pan, add onions, peas and chicken stock. No need for any other seasoning...DO NOT ADD salt. Now simmer this mixture for about an hour to an hour and half until the peas turn brown. Serve over fresh homemade cornbread.

If you serve this friends or family...you may receive marriage proposals.

You have been warned...

Swatch-ya Doin'?

When I was younger and learning to sew from my step-great-grandmother (long story), she ALWAYS required that I baste stitch EVERYTHING together before I could sew it. This always seemed like poor time management to me. Why would I want to sew it twice? Then one summer I went to visit my grandmother in the valley who decided to sew me some clothes while I was there for two weeks. She did not baste one single stitch. She just laid it down and stitched it together. I was converted!! I wanted to be a rebel like her. However, since we actually lived with my step-great-grandmother (another long story), I had to continue to baste until we moved out. And I never looked back.

It occurs to me that this forced basting is the reason that I don't swatch to check my gauge when I knit. It would also be why I have never progressed beyond scarves and items that don't require exact dimensions. I guess I should have known my day would come where I would have to revisit another one of my issues (why, oh why, does the universe insist on self-improvement?).

I have started working on a blanket that my local yarn store calls the Simon Bebek (SIx MONths to BEcome a BEtter Knitter) blanket. Basically it is a piece-meal blanket with squares that you create using different types of knitting for each square.

Well in order to make sure that the squares are the correct size, you HAVE TO SWATCH. Crap...I have two options forget about this blanket...continue on my scarf-y path and not look back. Or grow up and swatch.

Well, we know I am all about the self-help...so here goes...

This is the pre-washed swatch...coming in at just over 5 inches in length...

And here is the washed and blocked swatch...

So now that I have completed the swatching to check my gauge...I have started the first square which is an Embossed Square. We will see if the swatching paid off...