I Have Nothing Clever To Say

I'm exhausted. 

Okay. 

Oh! I know what would be fun.

If You Trust the NOAA RADAR images

these storms, too, shall pass.

The problem, of course, is that these days you can't trust anyone with a $5,500,000,000 annual budget who's over/under the age of 30.

If it weren't actual thunderstorm & lightning very very frightening out there, I'd be skeptical about this image.

I note that Rocky is on edge.

No. 5? No. 5?

Here you go:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

[My emphases] 

I, myself, have never had to invoke my Fifth Amendment Right against self-incrimination because I have never broken the law. 

Speaking of which we-- Caroline & Mr. Bow Tie, Kat & Tony, The Librarian, Mr. Big Food & I-- went to see a picture show this evening! Neither Mr. Big Food nor I have been to a picture show theater in a long time. I wasn't sure what to expect regarding No. 2. 

After we'd gotten out tickets, we-- everyone except Mr. Bow Tie-- loitered around the entrance awaiting Mr. Bow Tie's arrival. While I loitered, I carefully read every single sign and paid particular attention to The Rules.

I pulled up my pants. I took off my hat. I turned off my cell phone.*

After having made these minor adjustments, when Mr. Bow Tie arrived I was able to just stroll into the theater.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable show. No one messed it up by yelling "Fire!" 

*Tony did have on a questionable T-Shirt. It said, "Freedom." No one at the theater in Starkvegas found No. 1 offensive so he was able to just stroll in, too. 

SNAKE! WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS POST IF PICTURES OF HARMLESS SNAKES SCARE YOU

Miss M and Mr. Big Food arrived home this afternoon-- Kat & Tony were still in the City of Starkvegas, Daughter C and her entourage had departed early this morning. Miss M and Mr. Big Food commenced the kitchen debriefings (what I need to know about their respective days) and we fell back into our routine.

I tied Missy out. Miss M desired to smoke a cigarette on the patio and was moving toward satisfying that desire.

And then, as Miss M tells the story, she screamed, "Holy s&*%! We're all going to die!"

I did not actually hear her scream that, but I did hear a summons, "MOM!"  And I did hear Mr. Big Food call out, "Marica! You gotta see this."

What's a curious person to do? I gotta see it.

It's not a stick.

Thanks to Daughter C for providing the scale.

Here, Miss M brought Missy inside. We are a responsible lot. Better safe than sorry.

We watched it for a while,

tried to take some detailed photos,

and decided that it was a grey rat snake. A good guy.

Until it decided to slither vertically up behind the exterior walls of the bunkhouse.

I ended my evening speckling a mouse-sized hole in Miss M's room. As recent events have warned, you can never be too cautious about the behavior of the underbelly of nature.

My guess is that even a stupid snake can follow up on its desire to not be behind exterior walls. So I'm guessing the damned thing will figure out how to get out. But I'm not a snake.

What do I know?

I wonder what the dogs think,

don't you?

Their routine has been shattered. We didn't even play Frisbee today.

There were all these people and they all, to some degree, loved the dogs, and then, for several hours, it was like it was a few days ago. Kinda quiet.

AND THEN POOF! THERE THEY ALL ARE AGAIN.

And then it's back to normal.

and then

Let's go to town to see a pictures show!

Ye Haw!

 And the dogs will be alone for the better part of the day.

And then we will return home.

~~

The dogs are being tested.

They've done okay so far. Rocky is better than Missy along some dimensions. Missy is better along others.

As a pair of dogs who had no prospects for a good life before they came to the Farm, I think we are doing okay at providing them a better life. The Good Lord knows we are trying.

Vicious Pitt Bull.

Don't Get Me Wrong

they are my favorite people.

But being among my favorites does not absolve them from their chores.

Kat & Mr. Bow Tie tidying up the kitchen. Tony grinning.

Kat tidying up the kitchen. Mr. Bow Tie grinning.

Kat & Mr. Bow Tie tidying up the kitchen. Tony and M having a deep conversation.

Kat & Mr. Bow Tie tidying up the kitchen. Miss M posing.

... .

I've grown soft.

It's time to bring out the Chain Saws.

Belated Welcome!

If I had to whittle my list of favorite people of all time down to five, I'd be happy to report that, tonight, they are all under one roof.

So to speak. It's a stretch to call what some of them are sitting under a "roof." It's lacking in structural integrity.

Dang. It's a metaphysical roof.

 Welcome Kat & Tony!

It's One Thing to Have Less Items, It's Quite Another to Have Less People

AND 

People (pl) A Teacher (sing)

How the heck does this not grate on your ear enough to make you want to scream out loud?

Headline: 

FEWER PEOPLE WANT TO BE TEACHERS

Well, no wonder. If this is what you have to work with. People with no ears. 

Fewer items post here.

Mixed Grill

Grilling all dietary preferences

Something for everyone. 

Chicken marinated in ...  let me see if I can remember. Butter. Oregano. Red wine vinegar. Leftover red French dressing. And some other stuff.

Tofu seasoned with "Slap Ya Mama" seasoning.

Broccoli with garlic, leftover leftover red French dressing, and some other stuff.

Served at ~9:30-- when Kat and Tony arrived-- with a home grown salad.

It's almost 11. Mr. Big Food, Rocky, Missy & I have called it a day. 

Daughter C, Miss M, Kat & Tony are still out there giggling. 

Big Life.

Just Another Day Down on The Farm

 

 

Truth be told, it's not just another day down on The Farm. In less than 10 hours Kat & Tony will be here! Yea!!

Nostalgia

April 15, 2009. Fountain Square, Cincinnati, Ohio.

You are seeing my point.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

[my emphasis]

Reading List (Updated)

You may have heard that some federal government agents of our employees have taken an interest in what United States citizens we-- their employers-- are reading. Here's my partial list, in case anyone's interested.

Good Lord! I missed one!

The Founders' Almanac: A Practical Guide to the Notable Events, Greatest Leaders & Most Eloquent Words of the American Founders, Matthew Spalding, ed., The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C., 2002.

Added: It's worse than I'd feared. It appears I've missed cataloging an entire shelf-- a shelf that contains nothing but crappy old books about US history. 

Hummm. I wonder how I might implement a system of checks and balances into my book cataloging system?

UPDATE: Problem fixed. I wonder how many other crappy old books will speak up an let me know I missed them?

 

Recipe: Italian Rice Casserole

ITALIAN RICE CASSEROLE
Serves 6

½ C onion, chopped
2 Tbsp oil
1 C (4 oz) shredded Italian-style cheese
1 C fresh mushrooms, sliced
¾ C sliced black olives, drained
16 oz stewed tomatoes
1 ½ C boiling water
1 6 oz package long-grain and wild rice mix

Preheat oven to 350o. Heat oil in skillet and sauté onion. Combine with remaining ingredients and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Cover, and bake 1 hour or until rice is tender.

Recipe: Beef and Vegetables in Red Wine Sauce

Served with Italian Rice Casserole

BEEF AND VEGETABLES IN RED WINE SAUCE
Serves 6-8

1 ½ lbs beef bottom round steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tbsp oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch slices
2 stalks celery, cut into ½ inch slices
4 oz fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 bunch green onions, all parts, sliced
3 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
14 ½ oz Italian-style stewed tomatoes (undrained if canned)
1 C beef stock (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)
½ C dry red wine
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crumbled
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
3 C hot cooked noodles

Heat oil in a large skillet and brown beef cubes in 2 batches. Drain off fat. Transfer beef to 3 ½ or 4 quart slow cooker, and add carrots, celery, mushrooms, and green onions. Sprinkle with tapioca. Combine tomatoes with their juice, beef stock, red wine, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and bay leaf, and pour over vegetables and meat. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours, or on high heat setting for 4-5 hours. Discard bay leaf and serve over hot cooked noodle

Recipe Break

How Much Do you Know About Being American?

And now... back to the recipes.

Recipe: Marble Cake

This is an amazing cake.

I recommend a slice with a glass of iced coffee after you've taken your dogs for a run in your pasture, about 9:30ish. And a second slice with several scoops of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream after you've worked in the garden, while you're reading Best of the Web, about 3:30.

MARBLE CAKE
Serves 12-14

2 sticks butter, softened
2 C sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 tsp vanilla
3 C sifted cake flour
3 ¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 C milk
1 C chocolate syrup (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)

Preheat oven to 350o. Cream together butter and sugar, then add egg yolks one at a time, beating well. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, and add alternately to creamed ingredients with milk. Beat egg whites stiff and fold into batter. Pour half the batter into a greased Angel food cake pan. Add chocolate syrup to remaining batter, mix well, and pour over batter in pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Recipe: Collards Cooked with Garlic in Chicken Stock & Vegan Variations

This is a recipe with as many variations as there are varieties of greens and greenies. Mr. Big Food recommends 1C of broth-- whatever kind-- to 1 bunch of greens. Last evening, he used giant red mustard greens and veggie broth. The three of us ate one bunch with none left over.

He served them with the classic Beer Bread.

COLLARDS COOKED WITH GARLIC IN CHICKEN STOCK
¼ C olive oil
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
5 C chicken stock (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)
1 smoked turkey drumstick
5 bunches collard greens, rinsed, trimmed and chopped
Salt, black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, and gently saute until lightly browned. Pour in chicken stock, add turkey leg, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add collard greens to the cooking pot, turn up heat to medium-high, and let greens cook down for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, season with salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook until greens are tender and dark green, 45 to 60 minutes longer. Mix in red pepper flakes (if using).

Recipe: California Red French Dressing

The salad dressing for the next few days.

I see I've mentioned it before with regard to "one of the best chicken salads I've ever had." It is good!

CALIFORNIA RED FRENCH DRESSING
Makes 2 2/3 C


2/3 C red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt
Dash tarragon
2 C salad oil

Blend together all ingredients except oil in large shaker or jar with tight-fitting lid. Add oil slowly and shake to combine. Cover tightly and let dressing stand at room temperature of 2 hours, then refrigerate until ready to use. This keeps in the refrigerator, tightly sealed, for up to 2 weeks.

Morning in Mid-May

They're in there somewhere!

Rocky!

Look out!

"Notable Residents"

I've just downloaded the photos Mr. Big Food took while in Italia. He's recovering from the time change, and catching up on his Farm chores today, so I do not want to disturb him, but if I'm not mistaken,

this is the Hall at the University of Pauda where one of Pauda's "notable residents," Galileo Galilei-- as Chair of Mathematics from 1592-1610-- lectured.

If I'm right about the location, this is also the Hall where Mr. Big Food recently lectured.

That's cool, don't you think? A few days ago, Mr. Big Food was standing where Galileo had stood. He looked at many of the same things Galileo had looked at. (Not, of course, the projector screen.)  His voice, his thoughts, filled the Hall just as Galileo's had.

And today, Mr Big Food cut the grass on the gun range, baked Beer Bread for Vegan Monday, and played Frisbee with the dogs and the rest of us humans, and made a marble pound cake. 

Until right now, I've never wondered about Galileo's personal life. I suspect Mr. Big Food's is far better. For one thing Mr. Big Food can count on clean water.

Oh. Wait. 

It's Vegan Night!

Butter crunch lettuce, red lettuce, monstrosity spinach, radishes, onions, garden cress, broccoli raab, and mushrooms

with California red French dressing on the side. Yes. You can eat the flowers.

Also a vegan variation of Collards Cooked with Garlic and Chicken Broth which, duh, substitutes veggie broth for chicken broth and this evening, giant red mustard greens for collards.

Served with Beer Bread, a quick bread which is awesome. Mr. Big Food made 1/2 the recipe and we ate 3/4 of the loaf!

I'm the BEST!

I was told so repeatedly today by my daughters, who are, by the way, the best! They gave me a half a bushel and three buckets full of gifts!

All wrapped up in hearts & flowers!

Before I continue chronicling My Day, I should report that Mr. Big Food is happy to be back on the Farm-- a joint where, thanks to Miss M, arriving home on Mother's Day means you are treated to home baked water crackers, good cheese, and champagne.

And now back to My Day and My Gifts from My Daughters. 

This floral creamer's posture reminds me of Rocky. You think he's going to lower his head and charge you, but instead, he's  just going to pour some sweet cream in your coffee. Rocky just rolls over.

Three buckets full of water hose nozzles,  and-- importantly-- a hose splitter. Oh. And some garden gloves and an indoor watering can.

A half bushel basket full of assorted garden stuff-- rain gauge (good, mine is broken), soil testers kit, pruning shears, shears to cut herbs, plant tags & markers for the herb garden-- and not cheap frizbees.

A cactus

A set of Holland Pottery Cabbage Leaf bowls and two coordinating "bowls" that we've voted represent rutabagas but are all willing to be convinced are something else entirely

Miss M and I found the Holland cabbage bowls in Starkvegas on Friday at the Goodwill/Salvation Army Store. I admired them. To my mind, every self respecting farm should have cabbage pottery.  She bought them for me as an early Mother's Day gift. 

After I'd finished opening my delightfully wrapped gifts,

and Mr. Big Food had settled back into Life on the Farm to which he's accustomed

we all sat around while Miss M read from another early gift she picked up at the Goodwill/Salvation Army Store.

Solomon M. Skolnick; MJF Books, New York; 2005

 Impressive. Daughter C knows her history.  :-)

The kids worked out the details of how to incorporate these mostly easy and circular questions into The Unified Theory of Everything Trivia Game. It's easy. Open the book to a random page. Ask a question.

And then-- if life wasn't good enough-- we pulled some frizbees from the bushel basket and called the dogs. 

And then-- we had Chinese Food that Daughter C and Mr. Bow Tie delivered from Starkvegas because it's Mother's Day and I love Chinese Food. 

~~

I would be remiss if I did not share the cards. And Kat's Gift which is being framed.

The insides are personal, but here are the outsides:

  

I'm the Best. You want to go argue with Caroline, Katherine & Margaret? Have at it.

A Recipe of Sorts | Simply Delicious Part 2: I Cooked!

As I joked earlier this week-- this week, when Mr. Big Food has been off and about jetting from here to there-- we like to starve to death when he's not feeding us. 

Miss M and Michael occupied the kitchen Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday Miss M & I nibbled through supper. Thursday, I cooked! Friday I had leftovers from lunch at Thai Siam. Tonight I had Pioneer Mix pancakes. I'm not exactly sure what Miss M had for supper last night or tonight. I do note that the box of Junior Mints is empty. And not a one went on my bowl of ice cream. But I digress.

As the days have worn on , the novelty of cooking for ourselves has worn thin.

Nevertheless, Thursday I cooked! And if I do say so myself, it was danged good-- and a testament to what you can whip up when you have a garden, some imagination, a decent store of basics, and the idea of cooking for yourself is beginning to wear thin.

Pasta. Sauteed Veggies & Herbs in Sauce. Browned Seasoned Chicken Tenders.

Seems Just Right

Miss M and I talked about this. We are committed to committing the Bill of Rights to Memory.

Kettle's on the Boil

When Miss M and I left the farm at about 11am the water was back on. Sure, the pressure wasn't up to snuff, but that's to be expected.

When we returned we still had water, of a certain sort.

Boiled water for washing dishes and such

When I inquired about the water situation at about 4:45pm-- ours was looking a little brownish-- the nice lady at the Small Town Mississippi City Offices asked where I lived. Sure enough, this part of the county is under a Boiled Water Advisory.

Now, wouldn't you know that last week I proclaimed we needed to use some of our bottled water before it got stale. (It does that, you know.) So we have all been diligently using bottled water to make coffee and to boil pasta and whatnot. 

Not to worry. We've got plenty. And Miss M is going to go visit Daughter C in Starkvegas tomorrow-- Miss M prefers to wash her hair in clear water-- so she can pick up some more gallons after she does the one load of laundry Mr. Big Food asked me to do in his absence. (That's okay, isn't it, C?)

You can never have too many gallons of water on hand. 

The nice lady at the City Offices told me the boiled water advisory should be lifted by Wednesday. That's good, because Kat & Tony arrive Thursday and they like water. 

Meanwhile... . Did I mention that Nigel's house burnt to the ground about a week ago?