A familiar sight. :) When I woke up this morning, it really felt like autumn at 4 degrees Celcius. The dogs and I had a great walk up the mountain. They are so obedient, I love this pack. All I say is "Everybody stop" and they stop, then "Everybody sit" and they sit. It's nearly sweater-weather for Jack!
I took this photo last autumn right after I made Jack a hoodie. My hands were still really bothering me so I couldn't knit him anything, but Alex had an old sweater that didn't fit him anymore and I altered it to fit Jack. He'll be wearing this on walks in the morning now until I knit him a sweater, which I started yesterday and will post about on the weekend! :)
Two hours later the sun was out and it was 27 degrees!! I was wearing a sundress the whole day!
I harvested my potatoes today!! I got a varying size-assortment of 40 potatoes!! :) I was conservative in the spring when I planted the seed potatoes because I really didn't know what to expect, so next spring I'm going to amp it up and and maybe get some more garbage bins, they're not expensive at all. I have two bins, I have the potato bag that Dianna sent me as a gift...and maybe 8 more bins and we should be set for the winter at least! Now I have to figure out how to store them without a root cellar and a potential mouse problem in the basement!
The garden cleanup continued today. I had two dead tomato plants, sigh. So I had room to move the 3 Roma tomato containers into Tomato Land where they'll get more sun. Nice to see some red cherry tomatoes in all that green!
Last night I made a Coq Au Vin from my "Snow Country Cooking" cookbook. I usually make mine in the slow cooker with de-boned chicken breast. But this was more authentic, using the whole chicken and the addition of turnip, which gave a nice flavour.
I planted 3 more pots of lettuce today too. I probably should have done that a week or so ago but I've been busy in cheese land! We still have a few pots left before the slugs get to all of them. Tonight will be a BIG chicken Cesar salad!! What's been on the menu for you all out there? I'm always looking for dinner ideas! :)
Your container garden has provided well for you. I have yet to dig my potatoes up. I'm putting off until after next week I think. Maybe. I don't have a basement or a cellar. Hence the cellar on the wish list. I store them in my utility room (cooler room) until winter, and some times I use another refrigerator. The lettuce looks great!
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh. Are you SURE Jack likes his hoodie?? That face!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the potato harvest. Not large but you've got some nice looking spuds there.
I've been making broth by simmering a turkey carcass for a couple of days. Just a few minutes ago strained it and am now waiting for it to cool (the broth) to put into containers for the freezer. When I work with food like that for a couple of days (I think it's the smell of it permeating the house -- a great smell but almost overwhelming sometimes), I lose my appetite. Having said that, I made blueberry pancakes and bacon for breakfast, and wasn't even hungry at lunch time so we just had fruit smoothies with lots of good stuff in them, and now having to think about dinner, I'm not yet hungry again. So I'm thinking it's gonna be a cottage cheese salad made with fresh veggies from the garden. Not too exciting, but that's what it'll be!
Hi Kristina :) We have the basement but we did have mice a few winters back so I'm a little worried. We have an old trunk that we use for assorted "stuff" in the living room, we may bring that down to the basement as use that as a root cellar for now.
ReplyDeleteLOL Mama Pea! I think Jack was more annoyed at the fact that I was making him post for pictures hee hee. He loves that thing. When we say "Okay Jack, time to put on your hoodie!" his tail wages and he sits right in front of us!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy about the taters! My firsts!!! I can't wait to taste them. I have to come up with something to make with potatoes tomorrow. We'll likely try them just boiled at first to see how they taste on their own.
I know exactly what you mean! After I cut up the chicken for the Coq Au Vin, I made a chicken broth with the carcass and it was simmering 24 hours and honestly, my appetite wasn't very hearty either. I love cottage cheese and I still want to make yours, I have your recipe bookmarked. I used to have it on lettuce with some tomatoes, yum!
Those potatoes look good, I haven't had a good crop in a while and didn't try this year. Mice will eat them under ground here and storage is a problem. Maybe you can make a box with screen over some openings to let air in.
ReplyDeleteCute cat and dog! Oh and that coq au vin looks delicious! It would be fitting for a day like we have now, all cool and damp.
ReplyDeleteThat photo with Jack wearing his hoodie. OH MY GOSH... SO CUTE! I want to reach through the screen and rub his ears.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great potato harvest. You have such an amazing garden.
I've never eaten coq au vin. It does look delicious!
Looks very good Rain. And your potato harvest is delightful. Well done!
ReplyDeleteHello Rain! First of all love the new picture of you on your blog. You look wonderful. And your potato crop is fantastic but now you're in trouble. Once you get garden success you just want to keep doing it over and over and over....
ReplyDeleteYour garden was such a success and look at all your beautiful potatoes! Now that may be something I could grow that the deer couldn't get to! LOL! I have never made Coq Au Vin (?) but it looks delicious and great for a cool Fall supper if we ever get to 'cool' here! LOL! Butter crunch and red oak leaf lettuce are my favorites. Time to plant spinach and other cold weather crops!
ReplyDeleteJack looks so cute in his 'sweater'! I need to make some for Annie as she gets really cold in the Winter.
Hi Rain, Jack in his sweater is so cute! Those sad eyes like Coco! Must be the spaniel part in them. Why does he need a sweater? I bought a sweater for Coco but rarely use it unless it is bitter cold but then I doubt if we are out as long as you are. Your potato harvest is amazing! Lettuce looks wonderful. Mine germinates but doesn't grow much! Next year!!! Nancy
ReplyDeleteI love that first photograph - a trio of such sweet little noggins! I had knit a very lovey alpaca sweater for Pepperoni, which he managed to take off (I watched - he backed out of it!) and then shredded. I have a nice fleece jacket for Lovey, who needs the warmth as soon as the temps drop below 55*F. Which it has every single night for the past week and a half! I have baba ganoush and a zucchini corn pie on the menu for this weekend. I might - if I can work up the nerve - smoke a duck!
ReplyDeleteSusan - You're gonna need a REALLY BIG pipe to smoke that duck in.
ReplyDeleteEeee! I love dogs in sweaters. Great re-purposing of an old sweater too! The coq au vin looks delish!
ReplyDeleteThanks Gill :) I think that we'll likely eat most of these potatoes up before the end of September! Next year I'll have to plan to plant a lot more so I'll have a year to figure out the storage situation. At least the root veggies do well here! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Guillaume, thanks :) I love all types of stews on cool and damp days, we are certainly getting more of those lately.
ReplyDeleteHi Martha :)) The Coq au Vin is really delicious! There are easier ways to make it, I usually just toss it all into a slow cooker, it makes the house smell so good! Jack is my little cute fella...I rub his ears all the time and he goes into a kind of daze, I guess it feels really good lol!
ReplyDeleteThanks TB :) Now I wish I'd planted more taters!!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Donna :)) Oh thank you! I try to take a new photo every year, and it always involves Jack these days lol! And you're right...I think I have the gardening bug! At least for the crops that worked! I am in trouble lol...
ReplyDeleteHi Sam :)) I think you could grow potatoes in bins for sure! Some people even use tires to do it. I bought the cheapest garbage bins I could find, if I remember correctly they were $12 each. After I planted the seed potatoes, I put a little chicken wire on the top until the plants started to grow. I don't have a deer problem here though, but you could easily make some kind of cover as they grow too. It was fun to dump the bin and harvest them! I dumped the dirt all on a tarp, it is back in the bin for next year now.
ReplyDeleteI am loving the buttercrunch! I have to plan my winter garden soon. I'm going to start some winter veggies in the next week or so and I have to build my cold frames for the winter. This will be fun to see if I can grow veggies in the snow lol! Oh, I want to see photos of Annie in her sweater!!
Hi Nancy :) I make Jack sweaters because he really doesn't have too much hair on him, his belly is bare actually! He starts to shiver when it gets close to freezing and since he's 11 years old I want him to be comfy. Sometimes it gets to -20 when I take the dogs out. If it's colder than that, I leave Jack at home and he "goes" quickly out in the yard. The huskies are fine, that's their season and they love it! But Jack needs a bit of help...and he needs boots to keep his little toes from freezing! The girls have hairy feet lol, but it keeps them warm. I'm SO happy about the potatoes! I need more!!! Alex said "we'll eat half of those tonight" lol...we eat a lot of potatoes! I have a lot of "Next year"'s for my crops too! Lousy summer for everyone!
ReplyDeleteHi Susan :)) I LOVE my pack of pups! They are all so good together. Oh gosh...I think some dogs are suited for sweaters and others are definitely not lol...I know, it's been cold here too. It's 15C right now and won't get any warmer, sigh. Indoor day for me, but I am making cheese so it's not a loss :) Cheese-making-addict here. Oooh...smoke a duck? I WANT TO SEE PICTURES!!! How will you achieve that? How amazing!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Mama Pea, lol...even grinding it up will require lots of pipe room. Hee hee...
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn :)) Thanks! Alex is very happy we passed down his sweater to our little hound dog! :)
ReplyDeleteHello there! It is always fun to visit a new friend's blog and see what's going on. Sounds like your weather is about 6 weeks ahead of ours. Your furry friends are delightful and I'll just bet that they are a lot of company. I love that you make your own cheese, that is one thing that I have never tried . . . I love cheese and I imagine that like everything else fresh and homemade is better :) Have a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteYour newest follower, Connie :)
Nice taters! Jack looks a bit "awe Ma do I have to wear it in front of the other pups?" Good job on the hoodie. Yummy cooking going on. Girl I think you've got it!
ReplyDeleteYour dogs are fantastic. Not only are they very cute but so obedient too!
ReplyDeleteHi Connie :)) Well, honestly our weather is six weeks ahead of us too lol...usually it's still pretty hot until end of September! The cheese making is a new thing that I started in June and I'm really loving it! Thanks for dropping by!
ReplyDeleteHi Goatldi :)) Love me taters! :) We're having some tonight, I can't wait to try them. Ha ha ha...Jack does have that face hee hee...he's so easy though, he gets a little grumpy but I think he loves to pose for the camera. Thanks for you sweet comment! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks John! They are all rescues and we worked really hard to train them and to get them to trust us and know they will never be harmed. It has really paid off. They're wonderful! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute and lovely bunch that you have trained well. Well done indeed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Blogoratti! :)
ReplyDeleteI love Jack's hoodie! Great idea. And your potatoes are beautiful. I didn't plant potatoes this year and we really miss them. Tomatoes and lettuce looking good too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Leigh :)) We had some potatoes tonight, oh were they good! Kind of different in texture, we really liked them! I hope the Romas and regular tomatoes turn red!!!
ReplyDeleteOh dear Jack looks funny in Alex's sweater haha
ReplyDeletei too loved learning about their obedience as they truly sound very nice pack of lovely pets!
I envy with your harvest of potatoes!!!!!
It reminded me when mom used to try for potatoes but our land did not sound suitable for potatoes and green chilies .
they look great.
This is 1:30 noon lunch time and your dish is making me jump on it lol ,so delicious looking .
you are all rounder Rain i must say ,wonderful lady with so many talents really :)
I like taking my dogs out with me on walks too. Not just because it's fun to do that with them, but also because they keep me from walking up on hogs, bears, mountain lions, etc.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you got a good many potatoes. That's one of my absolute favorite foods, but the doctor is after me to stop eating potatoes because of the carbohydrates. If I did everything he said, I'd stave to death.
Hi Baili :)) Thank you, our "pack" is great. They all get along so well. They each have their little problems but nothing too big for us to deal with! Too bad your earth doesn't work well for potatoes. It's going to be hard for me to buy them now. But next year I'll definitely be planting a lot more! We had some last night and they were so creamy and delicious! I really appreciate your comment! :))
ReplyDeleteHi Harry :)) Well, maybe (likely?) to my detriment, I don't listen to doctors, unless they find something odd or out of the ordinary. I know what my body needs! And in the past, I've been so misdiagnosed with ailments and had to find ways to fix myself, so my trust in the medical field is not very strong. The potatoes were delicious! They'll be gone in a week or so I fear! :)
ReplyDeleteyum yum yum, lots of healthy food!
ReplyDeleteI am back in the land of the living and am trying to catch up with all the bloggings that have been happening! I wish our three would walk together and listen. We are not quite there yet. We have the senior, the giant puppy and the neophyte and no one listens when we are all together. That's why we walk everyone separately. Some nights if I have to do it by myself I am out for about 3 hours! Little wonder why I have no time...
ReplyDeleteYour potatoes!!!! We harvested about 40 as well. Lots of ones on the smaller side...not sure why. But we have eaten them all now so I get to dream about next year.
Going to slowly catch up over the next few weeks....
Hi Tammie Lee :) Yes! the healthy food, especially from the garden, is even more delicious!
ReplyDeleteDianna! You're baaaaack! :) At first I couldn't walk Charlie with the other two, she was way too dominant. But we conceded to prong collars. They work WONDERFULLY and the dogs really obey. Charlie still pulls like mad, but I can at least walk the three together without fear of being tripped, trampled or stampeded lol...
ReplyDeleteOur potatoes will be gone by week end, no doubt! I want to make sure I plant much more next season!!