Back on track

Honeybunch and I made moss terrariums this past weekend, and re-potted all of our warm weather plants that will need to come inside over the winter.  I'm not sure how successfully the moss and succulents will live together in the long run... but I think it's a beautiful combination.

I'm planning on giving these as Christmas presents, as well as using them as decorations at the wedding.

 I love the different textures and colors of all the different species, I think they're a beautiful way to bring some living green woodland spirit into the house as the days grow short!

These past few weeks have been filled with major slacking on the local eating thing.  Without the thrill of fresh, warm tomatoes from the vine and bright colored crispy things coming in from the CSA, my cooking creativity has been lagging and so has my motivation to keep things fresh and unprocessed.  Last night, I made vegetarian sloppy joes from soy sausage, a box of spices, and canned tomato paste from Whole Foods.  Yup, it was a low point.  We ate it with our homemade bread, but still...

But I'm trying to get back on track!  I love the apples, squash and salad greens we're getting now that the weather is crisp... and we have an abundant supply of eggs now that everyone is laying (except for Bambi.  She hasn't laid one of her lovely green eggs since Cerberus died.  I know she's just molting, but I like to believe that it's grief).  The dark leafy greens should keep coming until our CSA ends, and roasted root veggies are mighty fine.  So, I'm going to aim for making a soup, a loaf of bread, and quiche each week at a minimum.  These three things will keep the two of us well-fed during the work week and will help prevent the kind of slippage that I've been guilty of lately. The challenge will be putting enough creativity and imagination into the recipes to keep it interesting as the tender fresh goodies of summer go away and the sturdier fruits and veggies take over. 

Any suggestions???

Wedding plans update

Things are moving along so smoothly that I hesitate to even speak on it, fearing that I may jinx myself. 

The hardest parts of the planning phase of the wedding preparation have been so easy for us so far, it's ridiculous.  This checklist is more for my own planning and organization than for your entertainment, but if you care, please do go on and read :)

Fiance?  Check!  Only the most wonderful man in the Universe, that's all.

Date? 10/8/11

Venue? Beautiful Civil War Era farm with a farmhouse, cottage, writer's studio and bank barn, halfway between his folks and mine, in the middle of 83 acres, with enough beds to sleep all of our immediate family comfortably.  Perfection.

Guestlist?  A work in progress.  We're limited in how many folks we can invite, and that's making this task a bit trickier than expected.  But we're confident that we'll work it out.

Invites?  I bought a big box of printable blank cards, Honeybunch will be doing the design.  I've started a wedding website at http://www.mywedding.com/ where guests will get the nittygritty details and RSVP. 

Dress?  Oh hell yes.  Being custom-made for me by an AMAZING seamstress and designer from Etsy.com, http://www.etsy.com/shop/ellanacouture.  Let me just say it is gorgeous, green, and very much my style.

Officiant?  Our dear TreeMan will be marrying us :)

Music? Almost there... hoping to secure a contract with the fantastic hand drummers we want, but need to try to get them down in price a bit.  We're close though!  And a friend has agreed to play her violin for the ceremony, just need to pick a piece of music.

Menu and cake? Planned out as previously discussed, with quantities of most of the items required estimated.  I'm hoping to recruit my friend who formerly ran a catering business to help me finesse the details.

Booze?  Homemade wines and meads, bottled and served in big galvanized metal tubs of ice.

Chafing dishes and Sterno?  BJ's Club, baby.  We're not worrying about being too classy with this part.

Rental place for tent, tables, tablecovers, chairs, wine glasses, and utensils? Check, and they're close to the farm, too.

Dinner dishes, bowls, water glasses, and candleholders? A major deal on Craigslist secured 120 place settings of these.

Floral design? We're working with a talented designer friend to nail down our ideas... which aren't very "floral" at all but instead involve wheat, pussywillow, sage, and feathers!

Centerpeices? So easy.  Jack-o-lanterns carved with celtic knots, and bowls of autumn fruits. Voila. We'll be making our own escort cards, table numbers and seating cards. 

Lighting?  I have my eye on a 50 ft string of lit up paper lanterns, and lots of fairy lights.  We're going to make hanging candle and LED lanterns from recycled glass jars and wire.  The firepit will illuminate the dancing area.  Lots of candles on the tables, too.

Favors?  Another great Etsy find: birdseed hearts! http://www.etsy.com/listing/59627891/100-bird-seed-heart-wedding-favors-free

After we secure the drummers, finish the guestlist, and figure out what Honeybunch wants to wear, then recruitment for voluntary help amongst our friends and family happens, and finally the purchase, borrowing, or creation of the physical things we need.  Somewhere in there we have to plan our ceremony, write our vows, and figure out who is going to take care of our critters while we're away that whole week.  The day or two beforehand will be chaotic as we set up the space, prep the food and fret over the weather... but it will be fun, too!

I think there are several reasons why this is all going so smoothly.  The fact that I'm a Type A neurotic who makes tons of lists and likes to get things done nearly a year ahead of time helps.  The fact that we know what we want, and we want the same things is helpful.  Another factor is that we both have awesome families who are being 100% supportive of whatever we want, and making no demands on us at all.  Another major one is that my father unexpectedly offered to help pay for the event, and while we're simple folk and doing things as inexpensively as possible, that help is what is really making it possible for us to rent the farm for a full week like we wanted to, and to hire the drummers we adore so much.  If we were doing this on our own, we'd probably have ended up in our backyard.  It's really nice to be able to have the resources we need to create the wedding we really want.

And finally, we're banking on the fact that our families and friends are awesome, and will want to help us pull this whole DIY thing off.  We are blessed that we are surrounded by so many creative, skilled, and generous people... which is why we want to throw a kickass party, too!!!!

October wanes

This season is going by way too fast for my comfort.  Already I'm seeing my breath as I leave the hospital in the morning, the sun just barely peeking up over the horizon.  I see very little daylight anymore.  The hour or so of light between when I leave work and when I fall asleep has been pale, and dampened by heavy fog this past week.  When I arise, the sun is setting and the world is dark once again.  This is just a warmup for the long dark of a winter working night shift.

Our greens have sprouted, and seem to be doing well in the cool damp soil.  I finally did plant the garlic and green manure, but I fear the chickens managed to find their way into the fenced garden plot and have probably consumed all of the green manure seed that I broadcast there.  Oh well.  It all turns into food eventually, one way or the other. 

I haven't been preserving the harvest the way I should be.  I need to make applesauce, fruit leather, and can some pears in light syrup... but the motivation and time have been lacking.  Tomorrow evening a few lovely likeminded ladies will be coming over for a "Salsa Swap" that has morphed into an all out canned and homemade goodies swap and potluck.  I'm excited to try everyone else's recipes and to learn something new. 

Our Sucky Fish died.  You know, the kind that goes around the tank eating algae.  I can't remember the actual name of the species... I always just called him Sucky Fish.  He'd been acting rather morose, and we thought that maybe he needed a girlfriend... but no, he died.  So this time around we'll be getting two, hoping that the pleasure of each other's company will help extend their lifespans.  Poor little Sucky Fish. 

My sister's birthday party was a wild success.  Many jack o' lanterns were carved, many glasses of wine poured, many high-calorie bits of decadence consumed.  It was awesome, and the last guests left around 4:30am. 

I am super excited at the idea of spending this weekend at home, with no plans for either Saturday or Sunday.  This is revolutionary.  Honeybunch and I have not had a weekend that has not involved a festival, camping trip, party, or road trip SINCE MAY.  That is absurd.  Originally we had plans to go to an event in D.C on Saturday... we even have tickets... but earlier this week I threw a little tantrum about how I feel the need to have a weekend when I don't have to be "on" all the time... a weekend free of performance, hostessing, and sleeping on the ground.  Honeybunch sensed the fraying of my rope, and has worked very hard to clear us of our obligations this weekend so we can stay home and relax.  I am so psyched.  I might even read a book!!!

Doing it Alone

When I read some of the blogs of women (and a few men, too) who are out there making the homesteading dream a reality, I am astounded by their strength, and by the fact that they are doing it alone.  Now I'm not the old-fashioned type who thinks that a man is necessary for anything to be accomplished... but I do know how hard it would be to be doing it full-time without the help and encouragement of another person on a daily basis. 

I thank my lucky stars that I have Honeybunch around... especially on those rare occasions when I'm sick, or injured, or just plain exhausted from a long night of work... when it's raining outside and the chickens are roosting in the fig tree instead of the coop, or the box of harvested tomatoes is starting to go soft, or the trash needs to be taken out, and my body can hardly carry me to the kitchen sink for a glass of water.  I know that I COULD do it, and would because you do things you don't want to especially when little critter lives are on the line... but I sure as hell wouldn't want to. 

I'm largely in charge of the kitchen and garden endeavors around here, because I want to be and I think I'm good at it.  I could probably handle that part of it by myself.  But when it comes to hooking the chicken coop up with solar panels to run their light and water heater, I'm lost.  Honeybunch has a unique set of skills that are quite honestly beyond me.  He is the puzzle piece that I was missing, without which I was sure my dream of self reliance would never really happen.  It was only after we met and discovered our common goals that I seriously started to consider the possibility of getting off the grid and out of the conventional food system.  The idea was always too overwhelming to think of doing alone. 

So here's to the ladies and gents out there making it happen for themselves.  You inspire me daily to get my sorry butt out of bed, to carry those 50 lb sacks of chicken feed by myself, to stretch and try a new skill even if it scares me.  Thank you!

Autumn party menus

It's been getting down into the 40s at night here lately, and the chill in the air is making me crave hearty, hot meals.  Now that turning the oven on means getting the chill out of the house, I'm feeling inspired to bake for the first time in months as well.  Last night I stayed up late baking a kale and parmesan quiche and a curried pumpkin soup, and made a new favorite in our house: fresh cut french fries with malt vinegar.  I'm trying to justify it by saying that putting on a few extra pounds will help insulate us during the winter ahead, which I have a feeling will be a very bitter cold one.

I'm throwing a Halloween themed potluck bonfire party for my sister's birthday tomorrow night.  To me, a party is made firstly by the people who attend, and secondly by the food.  The weather is forecasted as clear and cool, and this means the menu is calling for vegetarian chili and cornbread.  I'm going to whip up some cupcakes in these very cool Halloween-y cupcake papers by Martha Stewart http://www.fancyflours.com/site/7100-MS-GB-1.html , and serve an alcoholic punch out of a hollowed out pumpkin.  I'm going to try a punch that calls for 1 part cider, 1 part rum, and 2 parts ginger ale... hopefully it turns out to be tasty.  Honeybunch will be whipping up a batch of his beloved taco dip, and I'll bake some challah to serve warm with fresh butter. 

In other food news, we've pretty much settled on the menu for our wedding.  We plan to serve either mushroom or pumpkin soup, freshly baked bread, cheese ravioli with garlic spinach and tomatoes or butternut squash sauce, green salad, roasted root veggies and brussel sprouts, and a variety of cheeses.  My mom is baking our pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream frosting, as well as some delightful little sweet things like baklava bites and blackberry sage cookies.  We'll be serving a variety of our homemade wines and beers, as well as hot apple cider and tea and coffee.   The rest of the planning is coming along nicely, and I'm happily surprised at how smoothly it's all going. 

Other than party planning, my life goes on much the same... work is stressful but rewarding, the festival season is finally over and the camping gear put away for the year, the chickens are popping out eggs and the cats are doing things they're not supposed to. 

Grapes everywhere!

*note, there are lovely pictures to accompany this post, but Blogger is being stupid and won't allow me to post them.  I will edit and add them when it is behaving itself.*

This past weekend was a busy, messy one. 

We picked Concord and Niagara grapes at a vineyard/orchard, where the insects swarmed us and our hands became so very sticky.

After having dinner with Honeybunch's folks, we went to a county fair a few towns away to oogle bunnies, chickens, goats, sheep, and gigantic mythical-looking draft horses.  It took all my self control to not come home with a Lionhead bunny rabbit in a cardboard box.  We put our cold fingers deep into the wool of some beautiful black-faced sheep, and ate fried pierogies (yes, we washed our hands in between).  We didn't get home until after midnight... and upon waking Sunday morning found that we had four gigantic bags of grapes to deal with. 

We washed, destemmed, and crushed them all.  Crushing grapes by hand is a very uncomfortable affair... the acid in them burns your hands after a while.  So Honeybunch came up with a creative solution.  He got a paint mixer attached for his drill and whizzed 'em up in the fermentation bucket.  It worked quite nicely, and this morning I pitched the yeasts into the buckets of soon to be Niagara and Concord wines.

A word on Concord wine:  I'm not a huge fan of the varieties I've tasted, including the ones we've made ourselves.  It's either too dry for me, or if sweetened, it tastes like cheap table wine.  However, we brew it specifically to mix with other wines to create new varieties.  One of the wines that has gotten rave reviews from us and our foodie friends is a mix of our spiced honey wine and the dry concord we made last season.  It adds a deep, rich "red" flavor to an otherwise sweet white mead... When mixed together, bottled, and allowed to mature, it becomes a complex and full-bodied off-dry wine that everyone seems to enjoy.

Some of the Concord grapes I reserved to make grape jelly.  It turned out simply delicious, a perfect replica of the purple sweetness I enjoyed on sandwiches as a kid.  I used the Ball Blue Book pectin-added grape jelly recipe.  In the future, I'll probably use a recipe calling for no-sugar-added pectin and sweeten it to taste, because I was quite honestly horrified at the amount of sugar this liquid pectin recipe called for.  However, it gelled nicely and tastes wonderful, so no regrets, right??   I doubled this recipe and ended up with just shy of 8 pints.

4 cups of concord grape juice prepared for jelly
(grapes washed, destemmed, crushed, add about 1/4 cup of water per quart of pulp, cook until soft, then strained through cheesecloth for hours until all the juice has dripped out.  I'm impatient and only let it drip for a few hours, squeezing the bag every so often, but that can make the jelly cloudy *though mine has always turned out clear anyways.* Measure your juice after all of this has been done and adjust the quantities in the recipe as needed)

7 cups sugar
1 packet liquid pectin

Place the juice in a nonreactive pot, add the sugar, stirring to dissolve.  Bring to a rapid boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Add the pectin, stir, and boil hard for 1 minute.  Pour the hot jelly into your hot prepared jars, remove air bubbles, wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes for half-pints (I used pint jars and processed for 15 minutes). 

It took about 16 hours for the gel to set properly, so don't panic if the jars cool and it still looks runny.. check again in the morning!