3/20/2020
(Above: I took this picture of rapini and arugula flowers first thing after venturing outdoors this morning.)
Active Summary: This day began with a morningly regimen of calisthenics, writing, and a beef pasture check with Padre. Afterward, I wrote for about 40 more minutes before re-creating/completing signs for Master Blend, cleaning Jacobhouse, and preparing a pot of soup for lunch (consisted of my gathering ingredients from the garden and then preparing / placing ingredients in the pot). At one point while waiting for some of the vegetables to sauté, I tended to a Master Blend customer, and then while waiting for the whole soup to simmer for ~ 30 minutes, I set about moving the Frensel lens from the freezer room to a workbench in the haybarn where I began to cut furring strips for stabilizing the lens’ frame. On returning to Jacobhouse, I added the last few ingredients to the soup and proceeded to eat lunch with Padre and Madre at the studio.
(5:37 PM Update:) Afternoon activities began with a beef sale at 2:30 PM and then another at 3:30 PM. Next, I helped with a couple cattle-related activities (feeding/checking), disposing of a large amount of cardboard via flame, and moving manure bags from the front of Jacobhouse* to the garden’s west side. This was ensued by two more beef orders which came in at 5:15 PM. Now, I’m back within the air-conditioned Jacobhouse typing up this entry.
TIL: Today I learned why people – despite knowing Master Blend ground beef to be a superior and competitively-priced product – do not stop by more often. It all comes down to convenience. Often, people do not want to go grocery shopping at all, much less make a second stop for only one portion of their diet. I gathered this from a conversation I had with one of the folks who stopped by today. According to what the lady said, she typically purchases store-bought beef for everyday use while saving Master Blend beef for special occasions. I wondered (aloud) if our beef was priced that much more expensively than store-bought, to which she quickly answered, “No, but I usually just get the normal stuff with my groceries.” I’m not sure how to remedy this quandary, but at least it is out in the open now.
Commentary: One obvious highlight for today is the number of beef sales that I have made. However, with inventory management and sales running through my head for much of the time I’ve been writing this entry, I think I would rather mention lunch as today’s primary highlight. Originally, I intended it to be a soup comprised of Sandwich Isle Salsify, onion, snap peas, greens (rapini/arugula/kale), & sirloin cooked in a combination of chicken broth and coconut cream. At the end, however, I determined it needed a carbohydrate source, so I decided to utilized some Pad-Thai noodles acquired from Oldhouse. I placed them into the pot to soak in the simmering soup for about 10 minutes, and lo, when I removed the lid, there was no more soup. Instead, the majority of the mixture had been absorbed into the noodles while the remainder coated them as a creamy and savory sauce. It was an unexpected albeit absolutely delectable transformation.
Here are some additional pictures I took throughout the day:
Final Note: I plan for tomorrow morning to be one comprised primarily of leisure. I will, however, still tend to the vital activities found in the morning regimen and to any Master Blend beef sales that may pop up.
*Someone – either Padre, Wag, or both – moved the bags to the Jacobhouse earlier. It was a welcome surprise.