7.11.09

It was quite hot and humid today, I was thankful for the cool of the house. I'm often planning for when things are much different and I think the cool of the airconditioner will be something I miss greatly, second only to refrigeration and running water. The latter I hope to still have.

I cut most of my hair off today. I'm not sure why and I don't really like it but it will grow back and it is interesting to have it different. It was past my rear and now it's just barely past my shoulder. besides not liking how it looks I'm lazy and very used to tying it in a knot when I'm to hot. Now I have to have a clip or something. It should be long enough again for knot tying by next summer tho :)

I've helped another friend set up an etsy store http://sleepingdragon.etsy.com/ He's a neighbor and metal artist.

His bookends on my shelf

I've been twitting (I think that's what it's called) and altho it feels a bit odd it has increased the shop and item views. I'm OzarkGypsyArt there.

I've been working on getting ready to set up at our Farmers Market. Getting teas and herbs bagged up and ready. Still waiting on the muslin bags, I need to check on that, they're very late. I dug out my old folding tables and giving them some new paint. Gathering baskets for display and sheets for table cloths. I'm making a chalkboard sign from an old frame and piece of wood. I need to hunt up our folding chairs and de-spider them and give them a good air out. Hopefully I'll make enough for a good market umbrella or canopy, nothing fancy but sturdy and easy to use. Hopefully it will all be worth the fee at least but I feel like I'll do pretty well. There are quite a few more vendors this year but not one herbal vendor. I probably won't be selling soaps, there were at least 3 soap sellers already. But when it cools down a bit I'll take the candles and see how they do.

Herc is doing wonderfully and whatever it was seems to have gone it's way and he's gaining weight and feeling quite lively :) :)

Fox Redford is doing very well too and fitting right in. He's still young and hasn't matured enough to father any chicks. I need to calculate and see if chicks would have time to be big enough to survive the winter. We may wait until spring.

I hope everyone is doing wonderfully :)

For the love of Tortillas

When I was a little girl we lived many years in Texas, often near the border of Mexico. That's where my mother learned to make tortillas, which became our main food staple throughout most of my childhood. They were our main bread, we ate them with almost every meal and sometimes they were the meal.
My mother would make a huge batch, 60 or more tortillas at a time, all those little balls resting under towels for their turn to be rolled out and cooked.

The first tortillas were always the best. My younger sister and I were almost always hungry and my mother would usually give us fresh hot tortillas. I loved those sacred first tortillas, there was something very special about them to me.

Now I make them myself and I still love them just as much. The simple basic recipe is perfect because it's so very versatile. As it is, the tortillas can go with anything, sweet, spicy, sour or bland, they fit right in. Over the years I've experimented by adding different things and discovered hundreds of different ways you can make them.

To the basic recipe some of our favorites adds are ...

cinnamon and sugar
garlic, onion and cayenne
garlic, some Italian herbs and ground parmesan
cayenne, chili powder and onion
sun dried tomato paste
chopped dried herbs
chopped dried spinach
chopped black olives


You can substitute up to half the flour with ...

corn flour (ground cornmeal)
oat flour (ground oatmeal)
whole wheat flour

(up to half because if the flour is too dense it won't cook properly)


You can make them as thin as you like or make them a bit thick for a heartier flat bread. I often make them double thick for that purpose.

You can make the tortillas into chips by cooking as usual, then brush with a little vegetable or olive oil, cut into wedges, sprinkle with things you like (the add list above works well) and bake for a few minutes in the oven until they're crisp. Our favorites for chips are parmesan chips, cinnamon-sugar chips and chips from the corn version.

Here's my mothers recipe and the only one I've ever used ...

Tortillas
4 c flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
4 T shortening (I have also used margarine and it worked fine)
1¼ c water
flour for rolling

Kneed together with hands working the dough well. Form 12 palm sized balls and set aside. Prepare a rolling surface and roll each ball out round and thin. In a large, dry skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, cook on both sides until done. Cool each tortilla seperately. Makes 1 dozen.


Now you guys experiment and share your favorites and what you come up with :)

7.9.9

It's a bit hotter today but not to bad. High 80's and will likely reach low 90's by afternoon but with average humidity. Normal July summer weather I would say :)

Herc is doing so much better ! He's not completely fine but getting there quickly. I'm so glad, we were very worried about him. He's growing faster than any creature I've ever known. He's went from a little cuddly panda bear to a giant cuddly Yeti :)

The tomatoes have been strangely slow to ripen this year and I lost all but two of the heirloom tomatoes. My beloved white sage and patchouli didn't make it either but most everything else is doing well. The roma tomatoes have tons of fruit and the little heirloom yellow pear tomatoes have quite a few.

Next year i may try to plant a lot of a few things to sell and trade at market instead of a little bit of many things which just feed us for a few months each year.

Yesterday we were given a beautiful Rhode Island Red Rooster, we've named him Fox Redford and he's very sweet. I hope to get the garden fenced in soon so that he and Juniper can have the run of it during the day. Until I get a greenhouse built which I'll share with them as well.

First tho we have to get the rest of the goat pen fenced in, which is going slowly but at least it's going. Ruby and Matilda are about 5 months and look like small cows with their healthy fat four stomachs. They should be ready to have a date by October, if they're mature enough. Ruby has the maturity now, I hope Matilda catches up. Both are very smart and sweet and I can milk both now :) Of course I don't milk them, they have no milk. but we practice often so they'll be quite used to it.

And now I'm to go get more blackberries :)

7.5.9

A strange day.

It's been wonderful as far as weather, only in the 70's all day, in July ! But for some reason I've been to tired the last few days. Sleeping fine, just tired and not feeling as I should. I'm also a bit worried about Herc but I'll keep treating him and making prayers.

The other day I started a twitter, which is an odd thing but I have seen a very large boost in views on my websites and etsy shops. I hope it leads to sales.

I've closed the herbal shop for now while I'm waiting on backordered muslin bags. I also closed the shop i opened for a friend. A bummer but I'm sure it's best.

There seems to be an odd vibe in the air making people uncomfortable. That's the best way I can explain it because they don't seem anxious or angry, just uncomfortable. People seem uncomfortable with themselves, their situations, where they are, where they're going and with most everyone else around them. I'm sure it will all work itself out tho :)

I started seeing the numbers again last week and they've continued but it happens so often now that it begins to seem quite normal. Nik sees them too and feels the same.

Speaking of Nik :) He had an eye appointment last week and he has 20/20 vision :) :) The doctor said he may eventually need glasses for reading but for now he needs nothing but to rest his eyes from time to time. I was very glad to hear that :)

Also last week we got a big wooden cable spool which I'm going to turn into a nice picnic table. I hope to get a few more large and several small to paint and use as outdoor furniture and goat gyms.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend and may we all be blessed with peace and balance.

Night Mother

Firefly Night

Some nights the flireflies outnumbered the stars.

Planting Rituals

I think the mere act of planting is ritual. Carefully tilling the soil, burying each tiny new life in it's own little womb, beads of sweat falling down in offering, nourishing with Mothers milk (water), the sacrifice and joy of aching muscles, sun warmed skin, tired eyes.

Those simple acts all part of forgotten sacred ritual.

But I do also make prayers. Prayers of thanks, mainly.

My favorite gardening ritual comes in the deep of summer tho, when the plants are all up and healthy, the nights rise hot and humid and the rain falls straight down in big fat drops. Then I sneak out in the quiet of darkness and dance wildly among the plants and the earth and the rain, with only the wildfolk watching :)

Juli April 08