September 1, 2006

esterday was a more productive day around here.. Well at least it felt like it over the day prior, though they were probably equally the same amount of work.

Got the watering system pulled from the garden and everything rolled up, got some of the Fall tilling of the garden done before I ran out of fuel in the hand rototiller. Harvested snow pea seed, counted the volunteer pumpkins (7) which are turning orange. Also harvested the "Kuttiger" carrot seed. Looked at what else I ought to harvest as it is getting colder and colder at night. We just got done with harvesting the snow pea seed when it started to downpour and thunder. We took refuge in the greenhouse where we started shucking pea seed.

After the half hearted monsoon, more logs arrived from the back 40 and we started to cut and peel them and got another course put on the root cellar. 

It is starting to look like something now!! WooHoo!! It is tall enough now that I can no longer help lift up the logs, but once they are up, I get to sit on them to keep them level for the cutting of the notches and to peel them. I feel in haste to get this cellar done as all of us feel like winter will come early this year. "Teenager" sweared he smelled snow in the air yesterday afternoon, he is rarely wrong about that sort of thing. Peeling logs by ones self is actually kinda nice in a way.. you can reflect on things and get lost in your thoughts.. it is also nice knowing that perhaps one day someone may come across this root cellar in wonderment as we do when we when we come across an old one out in the bush and wonder how long it has been there and who built it and when it was used last (or if there is a bear in there!!). As I started peeling logs on site, where they were already placed to save time when I had extra help... my mind wandered as I was dropping bark and pitch resin down the outsides, which will be backfilled with dirt.. and envisioned a anthropologist 1,000 years from now excavating the site and trying to explain why half the logs were peeled 100 feet away and the other ones were peeled on site. I had to giggle at myself. It got to 2C/35F last night and it is a wee bit chilly.. we are definitely cleaning out the woodstove pipes today so we can light a fire soon. The wood and kindling is all in preparedness in the sling on the front porch. September 1st is traditionally our first frost of the Fall (if not before...).

I made Gingered Pork, rice and our English shell peas for dinner last night.. it was very very yummy.

Ginger Pork
1 pound boneless pork loin, cubed (I have to use 2 pounds here)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (1 cup)
some olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth or if you want more 'gravy', add up to 2 cups
2 tablespoons soy sauce
onion (any way, shape or form or variety)
1 clove garlic, minced (or if you are like us.. 6 cloves!!)
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I popped out to the greenhouse during another thunderstorm and grabbed some out of my pot of ginger (which is featured in the Summer 2006 issue of DTTR on how to grow your own ginger at home)

DIRECTIONS: Heat oil in a large (cast iron). When hot, add pork cubes and brown quickly and then sprinkle flour on the meat and 'stir'. In same skillet add the rest of the ingredients. Stir together. Bring all to a boil. Then lower heat, cover and let simmer until pork is tender. Or you can put all into a covered casserole and then bake in a oven at 350F for a couple hours if you have other things to do.

Bake something today!!