Works in Progress

We have so many projects that we want to get done around the house. Some are on a list of "we would like to do,,," and some we have actually started.

One of our projects is this bed. It runs along the front walk. Last year Mike had someone dig the juniper bushes out. Now I want to get rid of all the rocks and make a flower bed.

Another project is this tree. It has gotten so large over the years that it blocks our view of the driveway and is encroaching on the front walk. It needs a new home.

Weeds. They are an ongoing, never ending task around the house. You spray, they die. But then there are the areas that you cannot spray, for example where all our irises are. So I need to get out and pull these buggers.

After a couple of days I got some of the rocks moved out of the bed. What I need now is for Mike to make me a yard screen so I can put shovel fulls of rocks and dirt in and keep the rocks separate. Once I have all the rocks out Mike will use them to make a splash pan at the yard hydrant.

We did get the cedar tree removed and it has been replanted down the street at a neighbor's house. Of course now the rock wall needs to be rebuilt/completed,,,geez.

Here is the start of an ongoing project. We decided to get a jump start on the garden and started a lot of our plants indoors. Of course once they get bigger I will have to transplant them all outdoors.

Spring in The Orchard

Many weeks ago,,,maybe many, many weeks ago I made my last blog post. In one I had talked about how the orchard was starting to bloom and how we were afraid of another killing frost like we had in the spring of 2013.

Thankfully the killing frost was not as bad as it could have been. Yes, the trees suffered some damage and we lost some of the early fruit sets, but overall it was not as bad as it could have been.

By March 31st, the peach tree on the back deck, or the patio peach as Mike calls it was covered in the most beautiful blooms.

the weeping cherry in the front flower bed was putting on a show for us. Check out how small the pansies are under the tree. This was taken on April 1st.

The pear trees in the orchard did not want to be outdone by the weeping cherry.

In the afternoon I would walk out to the orchard and look at all the colors on the trees.

The pansies in the front flower bed made a leap in growth in the 3 days since the previous photo.

One of the last trees to bloom were the apples. They put out some lovely blossoms also.

This photo of the front pansies was taken on April 23rd. The pansies have continued to grow and are looking incredible now.

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.

My Woman Cave, Part 1

A couple of years ago a whole thing got started about "Man Caves". It was their place to hang out, their place to shoot pool or play air hockey and watch sports. Some man caves were featured in magazines because they were so incredible.

Mike has his version of a man cave, its his office. He has all kinds of personal stuff in there and he spends a lot of time in his office. I am allowed to sit in a very comfortable chair and use my computer, but that is it.

I had complained that I had no where to work on sewing projects, or make wreaths, or arrange silk flowers or put my treadmill.

After a lot of discussion we decided that I needed a woman cave where I could work on my stuff and be able to use my treadmill. So, rather than add onto the house we bought me a shed. A 12' x 28' shed with 2 windows and 2 sets of double doors.

Mike knew exactly where he wanted the shed to go. This was a fairly level area of the yard and close to the yard hydrant and a power box was nearby to connect to.

The guys showed up on a Friday with the shed and then backed it up to where it was going to be placed. You can see the black garden hose, right past that is the yard hydrant and to the left of that near the tree is the power connection.

The guys started working on unloading the shed.

They got one end on the ground and then propped up the other with cinder blocks so they could get the trailer out from under the shed.

While they were working on the shed Mike and I decided that I should light the burn pile which had a lot of yard waste and our Christmas tree on it. There was a lot of smoke and I am really glad that no one called the fire department.

After awhile they got the shed off the trailer and started on getting it level and properly supported. As I looked at this picture I realized that I got the tip of my neighbor's dog's tail in it. That is what that odd black thing is, the tip of Abigail's tail.

While I was clearing out for the shed I found this piece of,,,,whatever. I asked Mike about it and he told me it was made with pressure treated wood and had been used for storing buckets of chicken feed on. We are going to put legs on it and set it against the back of my shed so I can use it as a planting table. And with the yard hydrant nearby that will be great for playing in the dirt.

When you open the double doors on the end of the shed this is the view. We will put a Formica counter top on the workbench. This will be my sewing and craft area. Mike said he has a stereo system that he will install for me so I have tunes while I play. We will replace the single bulb light fixture with a 4-foot florescent fixture so I have lots of light.

When you open the side doors and look towards my future sewing & craft area this is what you see. I am going to put up insulation in the entire shed and then we will either put up sheetrock or paneling to finish it off. Thus making it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Either way I will still get to hear the rain on the tin roof. We are also going to put a small refrigerator in here against the partial wall so I don't have to hike to the house when I want some water or a diet coke.

As you stand near the partial wall at the small end and look to the larger side you can see the loft area. It goes around 3 walls. All our seasonal decorations will be placed up there. I am not sure yet what the workbench on this end of the shed will be used for.

When you back up to the work bench on the large end you can see I have a lot of space to work with and my treadmill will fit nicely in here.

As work progresses on the inside of the shed I will make additional posts. I am very excited that soon I will have my own place to play and will be able to start working out again.