11/1/19
(Above: A Belgian Blue cow stands vigilantly beside her newborn calf. )
Active Summary: This morning’s activities began with a customary ride around the beef pasture with Padre. We both deemed the weather to be a tad chilly, so after our ride, I decided to venture to Old-house and start some soup for lunch. We had no broth available, so I made my own using vegetables (more in TIL), and this was followed by my making dumplings for that broth out of noodle dough, pork, garlic, green onion, cheddar, and queso panela. After I had prepared the broth and the dumplings, I returned to Jacobhouse where I tended the garden for a brief time before venturing inside to write. Morning activities concluded with the weekly cleaning of my abode.
(5:13 PM Update:) After virtually attending the Blizzcon opening ceremony*, I ventured out to the farm and helped out by checking the calves in the barn and field. Two of the little ones ended up needing treatment, but neither case was serious. Now, after posting the Flashback Friday for the week, I plan on returning to the outdoors to perhaps help Padre on his studio and to ride around the beefers. I must also find/take some pictures to include with this entry.
TIL: Today I learned how to make vegetable broth. In a pot, I heated two quarts of water, and as it heated, I chopped up a number of vegetables** and sautéed them in the cast iron skillet, adding some spices*** as I did so. After everything in the skillet was suitably softened, I dumped the vegetables into the simmering water. I allowed the resultant mixture to continue simmering for about 45 minutes. To extract the stock, I simply strained the pot’s contents into another pot.
Commentary: Today, I wrote while a cool gentle breeze passed through Jacobhouse, carrying with it the sounds of bovines, avians, insects, and in a few cases, people. Though peaceful, the newly arrived cool weather enlivened me well-past the point of drowsiness I often associate with warmer weather. I should also note that Brimage (the ‘retired’ contractor) paid a visit to Jacobhouse again today, and it was gratifying to see how much he – a builder for much of his life – approved of what had transpired since his last visit.
Final Note: Due to my morning soup & dumpling extravaganza, I was unable to get around to procuring seeds today. Fortunately, that seems like a perfect task for tomorrow when on I’m on the way over to the Harbison Farmer’s market.
*Was very enjoyable to watch and showed off at least a couple games I look forward to playing in the future.
**3 carrots, 1 onion, 1 zucchini, 1 summer squash, 2 small red potatoes… all chopped roughly.
***1.5-2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp red pepper. Olive oil amount for sauteing was 2 tbsp.