I guess I’m getting old. No comments please! 🙂 When I leave home for a week, it seems to take forever to get the routine going again. One thing is that when I cook, I plan so that one meal kinda leads into another. If I’m making chicken spaghetti tomorrow, then we have roasted chicken tonight and I use the leftovers for tomorrow’s spaghetti. If I’m having posole tomorrow, we have roast pork tonight and use the leftovers for the posole. I came home Tuesday night with no menu done for the week, we ate out Tuesday night so yesterday I made out the menu for the rest of this week and next week, then went to the grocery store and . . the food/meals will be back to normal soon.
Hatch chili peppers are arriving in the grocery stores. I think I like those things almost as much as I like Dr. Pepper! I got a few yesterday just for eating and will probably get 25 or 30 pounds of them this weekend and can them. Then I’ll have my home canned Hatch chili peppers instead of having to buy all those little cans through the year.
Let’s see . . what else is going on around here. While I was gone, a 7′ snake got tangled up in the bird netting over the strawberries and died . . all woven in and out of the netting. That was a huge snake!
My old laptop was on its last leg so Vince, aka Mr. Bargain Hunter, found a new laptop for me. It had lots of this and lots of that . . it’s all Greek to me but I wanted to be able to run Photoshop, EQ, the internet, and Word all at the same time without it dragging so he found a good one at a good price but I just didn’t like it. I didn’t tell him I didn’t like it . . figuring I’d get used to it but the keyboard felt cheap and . . well, I just don’t adjust so well to change and I wanted my old Toshiba back. I used the computer for a day or two before going to Chad’s, took it with me and while there, it began having a hard time connecting to the internet. When I got back, I told Vince about the problem. He called them and went through all kinds of steps for about 2 hours on the phone and they decided something that helps it connect to the internet is bad so they’re giving us a refund and we’re sending it back. The computer guy at work told Vince to get a Toshiba . . that makes me happy so now we’re looking for a computer again. I told Vince I want to touch it and feel it first . . I don’t want to order one. We’ll see how that goes.
The baby calves are gone. The mama cows are so sad. I could make a mountain of cheese if I could milk those girls but they’re not used to being milked and they’re so distraught about their babies being gone, I’m not about to try it. They’d surely feel better if they didn’t have quite so much milk though!
Vince got the garden all tilled up while I was gone. I need to look at my list and see when to start planting. All that’s left is the okra and I won’t be sad to see it go. I’ve had enough of it and have canned about 40 pints and maybe a dozen quarts so that’s enough to get us through til next year’s crop. My fall tomatoes never got planted because of the grasshoppers. They’re still growing in the little cups where they’re shielded by screen. Since we’re going to be late getting them planted, Vince thinks he can rig up some kind of “greenhouse” setup around them so any early frost won’t get them.
Enough rambling . . you get the picture . . nothing exciting or blog worthy happening around here right now.
debra says
I used to love driving around New Mexico when it was chili roasting time. Hatch has a fun festival.
marion morgan says
We are in the process of buying a new computer and, like you, the keyboard is of great importance to me. I like the standard size not the little, flat piddeldiddy size. My husband and the salesmen don’t seem to understand my issues. Anyway everything is ordered so we’ll see how it goes when it comes in. My computer is VERY important to me.
Stephani Siekierski says
But it was fun hearing from you anyway. Besides the 7′ snake was certainly newsworthy. I know how you feel about your laptop and keyboard. I just retired from my own business at home medical transcribing x20 years. I tried out every keyboard before changing mine out. If it didn’t feel close to a Selectric typewriter, it just didn’t pass the test. Gotta feel right! Can’t believe your son built the boat you showed. That’s outright amazing! Outranked by your granddaughter, of course.
Dora, the quilter says
I understand how hard it is to get into the swing of things after being gone. However, at the moment, even being gone for *one* day throws me off.
Yes, at the moment there is Hatch chili roasting in every grocery store parking lot in New Mexico. I never thought about canning them. Most of us freeze them.
And as a result of recent changes to the laws, in NM they can no longer be called Hatch chilis if they were grown in some other state or country and just driven through Hatch. (I guess other states can call any of them Hatch chili.)
Sandra Neel Hutchins says
Those snakes are exactly why I buy my strawberries already picked!
Sophie says
Hatch chiles in New Mexico are sold and then roasted for you. Even in the city of Santa Fe, there are farmers set up along the street with their chiles and roasters. Even the grocery chains have a roasting set up in the parking lot, so after you buy your 25 pound bag or box, you take them outside and someone will roast them. I have been waiting for the weekend, when I have enough time to bring them home, peel and seed them and freeze them … but following your excellent example and canning them might be better.
Rose says
Awww I love catching up with your goings on each day, so to me there’s plenty happening and I love reading about it 🙂 Maybe I’m just nosey?? Our weekend is just a matter of hours away, the sun is shining, spring bulbs are flowering everywhere and life is good 🙂 Hope all stays good with you too!
Debbie Rhodes says
Maybe that is my problem I am in a rut because I haven’t been anywhere in quite some time… need a trip to stir things up!!
Ranch Wife says
I am addicted to green chile! I used the last of it last week so time to visit the farm and stock back up. I haven’t ever canned it. I might have to try that. I just bring it home hot out of the roaster and plop them in baggies. They say if you leave the skin on, it preserves the flavor better.
I’m a creature of habit. Change is hard. I hear that happens when you get old. I didn’t think we were there yet. When I need to replace something, I want the same thing I had, but more often than not, they don’t make it anymore. Sigh.
Peg says
It’s all blog-worthy Judy! Especially this: your comment about canning Hatch green chilies. I don’t suppose you’d care to elaborate on how you do that, would you? I’d LOVE to be able to can about 50 pounds of them. I never thought of doing that – everyone I know roasts 50-100 lbs, peels ’em, and freezes ’em. But we don’t have freezer space for that sort of thing … canning could solve that problem! Thanks in advance … just in case. 😉
Linda Kay says
How do you can them? I’m like Peg and don’t have room in my freezer either.
Lynne in Hawaii says
Judy, my DH Bob has contact information for a place (The New Mexico Connection) where we order 27oz cans of Hatch green chili’s and we just received an order from them of 10 lbs of frozen, roasted chili’s. We use a large can when we make green chili stew and beats using the little cans hands down! We have to order it ‘cuz ain’t large cans anywhere on this island! Contact us and will give you the information.
Penny says
Oh, Judy I think I must be nosy, also but I just love reading your blog no matter what’s going on!! I really am a displaced city girl stuck on a horse ranch so sometimes reading your blog and what you did helps me survive most of the stuff I don’t like about “country living.” In fact, my daughter, who just like her dad loves horses & country living, runs the horse ranch now & generally introduces or refers to me as her “city mom” so please just continue writing all about your country living. Penny in So CA
Susan Fields says
In my humble opinion everything you write is blog worthy….