Please, Not Again

Spring can be a wonderful time of the year. The world comes alive after the long, cold, dreary winter. Crocus and daffodils burst forth into bloom, letting us know that summer cannot be far off.

Last year a late season frost wiped out our peach and nectarine crop. The unusually wet summer did in all the apples, pears, grapes and persimmons. We have been hoping and praying that this year would be better. Unfortunately the weather guessers are calling for below freezing temperatures and the chance of snow in a few days.

The miniature daffodils have been blooming as well as their larger relatives.

I have been able to keep vases full of cut flowers all over the house.

The pear trees are starting to bloom in the orchard.

The peach trees in the orchard are ready to burst forth any day now.

We have two weeping cherry trees and this one is almost blooming. The one in front of the house has blossoms on it.

The lovely blossom is on what Mike calls his "patio peach". This peach tree is growing in a large container on the back deck.

The patio peach is covered in flowers. We are thinking of how to protect it from the cold temperatures that are coming. Like all the other peach trees is bore no fruit last summer.

Looking down the street, all the neighbor's Bradford pear trees are in bloom. Hard to believe that snow is actually possible again in a little over 48 hours.

In the meantime, we wait and hope that the weather changes and our peach and nectarine crops are not wiped out for a second year. Please, not again.

Oven Roasted Corned Beef

A few years ago I was looking for something different to do with corned beef on St. Patrick's Day and I found this recipe. The first time I tried it I fell in love with it. The second time I had it, Mike and I worked together on it and changed the recipe some. This year we modified the recipe a little bit more and I think that maybe, just maybe, we have achieved perfection.

Grind up the contents of the seasoning packet. You will add paprika, thyme, granulated garlic and granulated onion to the crushed seasonings.

Rub the seasoning mixture over the meaty sides of the corned beef.

Flip the corned beef over and rub granulated garlic into the fat side.

Pull the foil up around the meat but do not seal it yet.

After 2 hours you will need to seal the foil.

When it is done it is simply wonderful. The entire house will have a wonderful aroma.

Slice it up!

I served it with braised carrots and honey butter flavored biscuits. It was so very good. The leftovers make incredible corned beef hash.


Oven Roasted Corned Beef

A flat cut corned beef, we used one that was 3.62 pounds
Seasoning packet from the corned beef
1 1/2 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp granulated garlic, plus extra for the fat side

13"x9" roasting pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Rinse the meat and pat dry with paper towel. Place in foil lined pan fat side down.

Crush the seasonings in the packet that came with the meat. Add the granulated onion, thyme, paprika and 1 tsp garlic. Mix well and run onto the meat back and sides.

Flip the meat over and sprinkle the fat side with the extra granulated garlic.

Pull the foil up around the meat but do not seal it.

Roast at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Then turn the heat down to 250 degrees and roast 1 more hour.

After the first 2 hours, pull the meat out and tightly seal the foil around the meat. Put it back in the oven and continue roasting it at 250 degrees for another 4 1/2 hours.

Grilled Venison Ham Mike's Way

When I met Mike I had no idea all the great things he could do. He is an awesome cook as he has demonstrated to me time and time again. We will never have a bad meal in this house.

We decided to have the preacher who married us, his wife and daughter over for supper one night. Mike thought that a venison ham done his way, on the grill was just the ticket. So we went with that idea.

Mike took a large sheet of heavy-duty foil, placed bacon on it, then the venison ham on the bacon. He sprinkled it liberally with original Old Bay seasoning.

Once seasoned he covered it in bacon.

He wrapped it,

And sealed it up tightly.

Then he flipped it over and wrapped it again so the juices would not leak out and cause a flare up on the grill.

At 7:42 a.m.he placed the venison ham on the grill to be cooked using indirect heat. Supper was scheduled for 6:30

Due to windy conditions Mike had to cook the venison a little longer than planned but the finished product was worth the additional wait.

Just look at this!

Oh man, what a great meal this was!

My Woman Cave, Part 2

Now that the shed is in place its time to start working on the inside. I am hoping that we can have it finished before the sweltering heat of the summer sets in. In order to do that we have been keeping Lowes in business.

We have gathered together staple guns and staples for the insulation. Drill bits and boxes so Mike can add and wire additional outlets so I can plug in my sewing machine and treadmill.

We picked up a 4-foot fluorescent light to hang over the sewing area so I'll have more light. I have carried out screwdrivers, pliers and hammers.

Each time we got to Lowes we pick up another roll of insulation. Once Mike has the wiring done I will get started on that task. I am excited about getting this done.

Last summer Mike bought me some crocks for my homemade pickles. This one had a hairline crack in it and leaks so I need to re-purpose it. I have decided to clean it up and put some tall silk roses in it.

As I walked back to the house I counted my steps. Its 52 normal strides from the back deck stairs to the shed.