It’s never too early to plan next year’s garden

Our squares are not even properly tucked in for winter and I am already thinking about next year’s garden.

I want to do more carrots. Carrots are easy and they taste completely different out of the garden. We never had enough at once to really enjoy them as a dish so I think several more squares will get carrots next year.

I want to try beets again as our attempt at beets got smothered by the summer squashes and tomatillo. As much as I love square foot gardening I think some things take up too much room. We have some buckets already to go for the zucchini, crookneck and tomatillo. We can move them around to allow them the space they need, and it they get to grow in Mel’s Mix. And I swear to prune and thin the tomatillo vigorously. We had pounds and pounds of marble size tomatillos, and the poor lady was still making flowers when we decided she was done.

We are also going to try growing potatoes in straw. I will let you know how that goes. Our corn was too much fun so Brian will get his box again. However next year we will properly support them as well as space out the planting. When you plant all at once, they are ripe all at once.
I think we will skip radishes next year. They are fun to grow because they are ready so fast, but we don’t really eat them.

We had fun with the Anaheim’s once we learned to properly roast them to remove the skin. And please learn from my mistake, capsaicin has cumulative effects that you might not expect. Even if the peppers are not hot, if you have more than a couple, use gloves.

I think we are giving up on cilantro. Not that we don’t love cilantro, we just can’t seem to grow it. Please let me know if you have the secret. I am not so sure about broccoli either.

I will defiantly do pickling cuc’s again. However not so many unless I decide they are the ‘neighbor’ gift for Christmas 09’ Although, with all those cuc’s and a husband who will not eat them in salad or plain, I did find a recipe for a cucumber lime aid that was yummy! Here it is:

Auga Fresca de Pepino

3 quarts water

3 cucumbers, peeled and chopped

1/2 C freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 C sugar

Pour 1/2 C of the water and 1 cup of the cucumbers in blender, Blend until cucumbers are pureed then add more cucumbers and water until all cucumbers are pureed.

Using a fine mesh sieve, strain cucumbers into a pitcher to remove seeds and pulp. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Chill before serving over crushed ice. Garnish with a slice of lime.

I am falling in love with my husband.

I am falling in love with my husband all over again. We are both feeling a love and a peace that has been missing for a while now. The decision to adopt has been a difficult one, and has torn us apart in ways we didn’t even realize until we decided that this is what we are going to do. It is such a big decision, not only to add a child to our family, but to do it in this way. You don’t know what you’re getting, but you know it is going to be hard.

We had been talking about adoption for years, and had finally decided that we would not bring a child in our lives. We had decided that Ian was enough, the few weeks he is with us and the little contact we have. We have a great life and why fix what is not broken. And then my biological clock, which had never ticked, rang. Loudly!

It took a while for Brian to hear that this is not something I want but something I NEED. I need to care for a child. I have raised corn and cats, and hopefully one day chickens, but I need to raise a child. And while I love my step son, it’s not enough. While I think our relationship is special, I am not his mom. He has a mom.

Brian on the other hand was thinking that one kid, that breaks his heart with the distance between them, is enough. He worries about having enough money for the things that we enjoy and that are important to us. He worries about having enough time to be a good parent and for our marriage and for those things he likes to do. He worries that a child might come between us.

Somehow he has come to the decision that he will trust me that this is right for us. And that leap of faith in me, in us, has my heart doing loops of love and joy. What an amazing man I married.

Kitchen Cleaner

Here is a recipe for an organic kitchen cleaner that will disinfect, deodorize and cut grease. And its cheep, at least per sprayer full.

Years ago I tried several “Organic Cleaner” recipes but found that they didn’t really work as good as what you can buy at the store. But I didn’t like what you can buy at the store. Either the chemicals bothered me or I felt ripped off paying for what is basically vinegar, or bleach, or ammonia and water.

My favorite cleaner was bleach and water; kills 99.9% of the bad stuff and that smell lets you know it’s clean. After I ruined 2 new shirts in the same week, Brian decided it was time to reconsider.

This is based off of several recipes found in various places on the internet. I have been using this version for a few months now and love it! The oils can be hard to find and expensive, but you only use drops (literally.) It is easy enough even I am willing to mix some up when it is time to refill.

In a large spray bottle place:
2 Cups Water
1 Cup vinegar
10 drops tea tree oil
20 drops (about 1/16 t) your favorite essential oil (see note)
Shake and spray, allow it to sit a couple of minutes on the surface you wish to fully disinfect. Shake before each use.

Note: The 20 drops essential oil are optional, however the vinegar and tea tree oil smell funny. I am currently using Sweet Orange oil and 20 drops are not enough to make it really smell orange, just enough to neutralize the smell.

Team Schiele Q &A

1. What is your occupation right now?
B: Takes Care of Wounded Warriors
M: Nags planners to plan their careers
2. What color are your socks right now?
B: Grey on weekends, green on workdays
M: Its not that cold yet.
3. What are you listening to right now?
Both: typing sounds
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
B: French Fries
M: Pancakes
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Both: Yes
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
B: One of his guys who’s in treatment and just lost his best friend.
M: Kory on the Denos Answering Machine- Zims is going out of business and everything is on sale.
7. How old are you today?
Both: 38
8. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
B: The Tour de France
M: I don’t watch sports on TV.
9. What is your favorite drink?
B: Sonic cherry lime aid
M: Sonic blackberry iced tea (Sonic – the official drink stop of team Schiele.)
10. Have you ever dyed your hair?
B: no, but I had it all cut off once, does that count?
M: Yes it is red right now.
11. Favorite food?
B: Mexican, and a nice grilled steak and beer
M: I have had the flu and saltine crackers rock!
12. What is the last movie you watched?
Both: The love guru, kinda funny, Mike Myers is hilarious
13. Favorite day of the year?
B: My birthday and June 20th and Christmas and the 4th of July.
M: My birthday
14. How do you vent anger?
B: make bugs
M: Clean the house
15. What was your favorite toy as a child?
B: Bike
M: my imagination
16. What is your favorite season?
B: Summer
M: Spring
17. Cherries or Blueberries?
B: Strawberries
M: Cherries
18. Living arrangements?
Both: Married and residing at the Team Schiele World Headquarters
19. When was the last time you cried?
B: I don’t remember
M: yesterday, while worshiping the porcelain god. (Getting over the flue)
20. What is on the floor of your closet?
B: boots and shoes
M: shoes
21. What did you do last night?
Both: watched the love guru see question 12
22. What are you most afraid of?
B: Not getting out of the army
M: Fish
23. Plain, Cheese or Spicy Hamburgers?
B: Swiss or Monterey Jack
M: Cheese
24. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
B: How about a Leica?
M: pearls
25. What is your favorite flower?
B: Mirinda
M: the ones in my garden.

Dont count em before they hatch

Sad news this week for my sustainability/ preparedness/ health plans.

The city council has decided not to peruse the proposed chicken ordinance. It would seem that it is a matter of education and they have crazy ideas about chickens running wild and turning the city into a third world country. Also- bees are considered animals and are not allowed except in agricultural zones.

I will do my best to educate the City Council and hope for a change of heart. Maybe we can hope for Chickens in the spring of 2010 if not spring of 2009.

I suppose I should pick my battles and give up on the bees for now.

For those of you who can use a good chicken laugh, check out Mazola Montana’s chicken controversy.
http://www.newwest.net/city/article/missoulas_urban_chicken_squabble/C8/L8/

This and that in September

We had a great day on Brian’s birthday. We went to the Monet to Picasso exhibit at the U and it was amazing. I love the impressionists and to see the actual brush strokes was so fun. I love how close up all you can see is the brush strokes and dots and as you move away, the details, light and shadow reveal themselves. Brian was impressed by the one Dahli they had. We also tried a sushi place that Brian had wanted to check out. It was yummy but I always think that sushi is overpriced.
As a gift I dyed my hair red. He missed that time when I went crazy and dyed my hair all sorts of colors. He likes it and so do I so I think I will keep it for a while. Andrea is a genius with color!
We also were able to get a tree cut down. It was dead and I didn’t think it would stand through the winter. We had just finished moving two loads of rocks to the front corner project and this guy came up and offered to take it down for a reasonable fee. We helped and kept the wood and now we will have fires for the fall and winter.
I am now finished with pickle fest 2008. I tried out 6 different pickle recipes and we will have a tasting in mid December when the last batch is ready. It is a good thing too as I am almost out of jars. I am hoping we will find one we really like and I will get rid of the other recipes.
It has been so fun to experiment with preserving our harvest. Last year we had enough stuff grow in our garden that we could actually taste a thing or two. This year we have had enough to save a bit. I froze corn on the cob. We tried it on the grill and Brian didn’t like the texture. We will try boiling it to see if it makes a difference. If not I will be glad that I only froze a handful of ears.
We went to the state fair with some friends and I think if we have luck with chickens next year we will be looking into bees. The buzzing, pollinating, honey making kind, not the baseball team. One thing at a time however, we are still waiting for chickens to be legal. We are planning our coop however so I guess you could say we are counting our chickens before they hatch. :)

Happiness runs in a circular motion

I am really into circles. I love bubbles, and at one time was going to become a bubbleologist. Yes, there really is such a thing. And this summer I have seen many threads of my life come full circle.
It started at the beginning of the summer when an old friend I had broken contact with found me. It was fun to see the old friend I loved and the new person she had become. It showed me how much I had changed since I had last spent time with her. I liked what I saw in both of us.
It continued at the reunion of my Mother’s family. I was able to catch up with cousins that I had not talked to in years. I was reminded of so many happy moments from childhood, and the love between myself and grandparents long gone, cousins, aunts and uncles.
Last month both Brian and I attended our 20 year reunions. I have a better understanding of Brian after meeting some of the people who knew him as a he came of age.
I was able to reconnect with not only high school friends, but with memories of myself. I had forgotten the crazy things my friends and I would do to entertain ourselves. I had forgotten the fun and the angst and the craziness.
This life review I have been going through over the last few months, has led Brian and I to start talking about the possibility of adding a new member of Team Schiele. We are considering adoption. Nothing has been decided for sure, but we are talking about starting a new circle.