Weekending

Hello beautiful weather!  And I'm not only talking about the sunshine.  It rained Thursday and Friday and my garden is loving it.  Hooray for rain!  Then, Saturday and Sunday it was sunny and in the upper 60's and then 70's which meant my little seeds began sprouting.  And quite happily I might add.  Well, at least I think they seem happy.  Seeds are sprouting, plants are growing, and fruit trees and bushes are getting ready to bloom.  All is well in the garden.

Jay was even able to get one of my new raised beds completed.  I will fill it with soil and compost tomorrow and it will be set to plant in a couple of weeks.  One down, one to go!

Coop Girls - oh those girls.  So, they are back in full egg production again.  I have no idea why it slowed briefly but they are now back on track and laying around a dozen per day.

They are so funny about water.  We've started filling their outdoor waterers again (now that they don't freeze every night) and for whatever reason, those outdoor waterers dish out the BEST water.  They watch me fill them and then mob me to get the first drink as soon as the waterers are hung.  *spoiler alert - it's the same exact water as the indoor water....*

Jackson - that cat.  His newest "trick" is to go around the house and try to open things.  Drawers, cupboards, anything that he can tap at or pull.  Well I made him quite the happy boy.  I saw him doing this throughout the day (it's his only activity some days in between naps) so I put two of his favorite toys in one of the empty soft bins that is on his route.  I can't even describe how excited he was when he successfully pulled that bin open and spotted his pink mouse and his green cricket.  He did a double take and then leapt in the air and attempted to land in the bin (he's not graceful - it didn't work).  He started batting and jumping and carrying on.  It's the little things, isn't it?

Oliver - he's doing well.  A bit bummed about the rain this week but it was only a couple days so all is well now that his buns are in the sun.  He gets a little cranky on soapmaking days (not his favorite days of the week because he doesn't get much attention).  It will get better when the temps are consistently in the 70's during the day to allow for all-day deck time for him.  If he gets deck time I am forgiven for the lack of attention.

In The Kitchen - well, I've finally stopped making so much bread.  I feel better not eating flour multiple days of the week, I must say.  I have cut it back to once a week.  That seems to be the best for us.

I've been enjoying the Celestial Seasonings "zinger" teas.  I am currently drinking the raspberry zinger variety.  Hibiscus is one of the main ingredients and so incredibly good for you.  I brew it cold and leave it in the fridge so I can enjoy a cup all week.  I don't usually make the switch to iced tea for another few weeks but it just sounded good.

I made chocolate-strawberry "nice cream" (non-dairy) as a special treat this weekend and it was sooooo good.  I'll share the recipe this week.  I also tossed a bunch of odds and ends veggies that are getting close to that fateful no-longer-good stage, on a parchment lined baking sheet and roasted them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30-40 minutes.  After they were roasted I poured them into a dutch oven, topped them with some water, added a bay leaf, and simmered the concoction for 2 hours to make a nice batch of homemade vegetable stock. 

On Saturday we had oatmeal and berries for breakfast.  Pretty standard.  I had a big delicious salad with hummus for lunch, and Jay had naan "pizza" in the air fryer and we both had an apple dipped in honey-roasted peanut butter as a snack.  Dinner was grilled chicken for him with homefries and steamed broccoli, and I had barley with steamed vegetables and black beans.

Sunday was oatmeal with berries for breakfast for me and Jay had eggs and toast.  Lunch was another big delicious salad for me and Jay wasn't hungry because he ate his breakfast kind of late.  Chocolate-Strawberry Nice Cream was our special fruit treat (strawberries and bananas).  Dinner was burgers - meat for Jay and black bean for me.  I made air fryer fresh french fries, steamed broccoli and beets as the sides.  I made up another batch of the black bean burgers for the freezer because I can use these anytime I'm not sure what I want for lunch or dinner.


I'm hoping you had a wonderful weekend as well!  Do tell - did you do anything fun or productive?  Cook anything delicious?  Read a great book?


Link Love:
Have you ever searched Taste Atlas for signature dishes in cities or countries around the world?  It can become a tad addictive....

When was the last time you made bread in your rice cooker?  Never?  Yup, that's my answer too.  Intriguing, however.... (Food52)

I understand that you've likely been inundated with enough about the current pandemic, but I thought this write-up in the NY Times was quite informative.  (NYTimes)

Are you one of the many who ran out of yeast?  Beth shared a yeast-free pizza dough recipe on her site. (BudgetBytes)

Is kombucha healthy or not-healthy?  This is a question I go back and forth over myself.  I haven't had any in over a year because I'm just not sure.  So, I have tea instead.  Here's a take on it with some interesting points including a reminder of the potential impact on teeth. (FoodRevolution)

A handy guide for the kitchen of interchangeable ingredients by none other than the incredible Mark Bittman. (Heated)

Weekendingwas originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)