The outdoor temperature will reach 10C today, not our usual fare for December. The little bit of snow on the ground, that has hung on for the last week, was almost all gone by 9:00 a.m.
This morning Attila and I went for a stroll. We were enjoying the fresh air, the trees, the sky. Suddenly our olfactory glands were assaulted as we walked by a large newish house. The culprit, someone in that house was doing laundry. The dryer vent was spewing out heavily scented chemicals. We don’t use chemicals, or scented products, and so are unused to such foul odours. We hurried by the stink, and it took a while for the headache it gave me to clear. We call the aisle in the grocery store that displays laundry detergent and other heavily scented cleaning products “the stink aisle”.
We ran out to buy a few supplies on Friday. Ham was on sale, so it was time to purchase enough for a winter’s worth of split pea soup. Attila doesn’t use a lot in a batch of his Split Pea Soup, even a little livens up the taste. While we were there we found cranberries still on sale for $4.00 a pound, so we bought enough to can another batch and a half of Cranberry Sauce. By evening seven jars of Cranberry Sauce were lined up on the counter, cooling. This morning I checked them and two of them did not seal. I will keep them in the refrigerator. In the winter we roast a few turkeys with which we enjoy Cranberry Sauce. Cranberry sauce is also very nice with chicken.
For the last few weeks my breakfasts have consisted of two Candied Jalapeño Cheese Muffins. With only two breakfasts left waiting for me in the freezer it is time to consider what kind of muffin to make next. When Attila snapped up some romaine lettuce on our supply run, the muffin decision was made. Another batch of salad dressing would be needed, which would necessitate opening a jar of Cowboy Candy. I use the brine for my salad dressing. The drained candied jalapeño and onions are used to make muffins.
I am still considering how to use Chow Chow in my muffins, we have a lot of Chow Chow sitting on the shelf. It was made with green tomatoes, and we had a lot of green tomatoes the year the Chow Chow was canned.
Yesterday I sampled 2022s cucumber pickles. My oh my, they are the best dill pickles I have ever tasted. And they are crunchy, a first in my pickle making career. I have never used commercial chemicals to bring a crunch to my pickles. The only change to my recipe has been to include one wild grape leaf in each jar, the pickles are crisp, and the flavour is enhanced. Attila is babying the volunteer grape vines in our back yard. They don’t bear fruit, but the leaves are precious.
We are having a quiet weekend. I love weekends. Attila is here. Ginger loves it when we sit together in the living room, he loves his people. This morning he was sitting on the floor next to where Attila was sitting, waiting for attention. Attention was not forthcoming. He got up and planted himself between Attila and I, gazing up at Attila with intense anticipation. Attila always responds in the correct manner. Ginger loves a good belly rub.
Worldly
Weather
Updated on Sat, Dec 9 at 10:36 AM
9 °C
FEELS LIKE 7
Overcast
Wind 10 SE km/h
Humidity 79%
Visibility 19 km
Sunrise 7:31 AM
Wind gust 16 km/h
Pressure 101.5 kPa
Ceiling 9100 m
Sunset 4:28 PM
Quote
“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.”
Andre Gide
1869 – 1951
Apparently, in this digital age, being loved for what you are not is a highly sought after position.
I always try to get unscented soaps, I don’t react so badly as to get a headache, but I don’t like the chemical assault just the same.
Joan, we use unscented soap too. Dryer sheets, dish detergent, and laundry soap are heavily scented. I remember sitting my office at the back of our house in the little city, and suddenly, as I was working, feeling very high. It happened again later that week. The window was open, it was the neighbours clean laundry being hung to dry in the backyard next door. I could hardly believe the reaction I was having. But sure enough, every time she hung laundry and the window was open I was high. You really have to wonder what they are using in these products.
We made it all the way to 14C/57F today! It was so warm that DH went out with short sleeves. But it was abruptly cut off around sunset as a very thin line of thunderstorms came through. I see the forecast is calling for about 7C/45F next weekend, also well above normal temps.
How odd that a grape leaf might have made your pickles crunchy. Good thing it’s not something often used for that, as I’m allergic to grape leaves.
Both our dogs, the girl and the boy, absolutely love my DH. I settle for second best – but I’m the one they come to for comfort or when they need help.
Teri, wow, 14C, very balmy for mid December! I wonder if we will have a white Christmas.
The grape leaves contain a tannin that does the job. Official sites say you don’t need this if you cut off the ends, but I have found that claim to be false. I diligently cut the ends off my cucumbers to make pickles, and until the addition of grape leaves they were never crisp. We didn’t mind that of course, not enough to add chemicals to make them crisp. But the grape leaves are very effective, and they enhance the taste as well.
You household sounds like our household, I am the one Ginger approaches when he needs something or feels uncomfortable. It was the same with Mist, she trusted me for the practical side of life.