You got a LOT accomplished! And I HATE IT when you’ve worked hard on fresh gravel and some DOOFUS screws it up for ya! Grrrr!
We’re tapping Maple Trees now for sap, but it’s slow coming. We think the drought conditions this fall have something to do with it. Rain is predicted this week, so hopefully that will get the sap flowing.
I am starting peppers, kale, spinach and lettuces this week. In another week or so, I should be able to do some seeding in flats in the greenhouse. When temps stay above freezing at night, that’s my signal to get hoppin’! :)
(Seedlings will need cover overnight, but sunny days this time of year mean 80 degrees in the greenhouse, so I have to open it up a bit, too!)
I’m still wondering when we’ll get the remaining 40 inches of SNOW that is our average? The Robins aren’t here yet; they usually bring the last snowfalls with them. ;)
I was tempted to call the county road department to complain, but that would just give snowplow man an excuse to harvest my mailbox every time he comes through next winter.
The robins are taking their time this year. We’ve only seen a few scouts so far. Been seeing huge flocks of grackles passing through for the past week. I expect the robins aren’t far behind them.
I’m hoping to find time to get some lettuce started in the greenhouse this week. A heating mat under the bag of potting soil should be plenty to keep baby lettuces happy at night this time of year.
Eating from the Garden/Pantry/Our Own Hands:
Today I have Crock Pot ‘Bear-I-Yaki’ in the slow cooker. ;)
I use the recipe below from Allrecipes, but I substitute Teriyaka Sauce for the Soy Sauce, and use bear instead of beef.
The bear and the canned tomatoes are from the freezer and garden/pantry.
When the dish is ready to eat, add a packet of Brown Gravy Mix, or 2 Tbsp. of my homemade Brown Gravy Mix to thicken it up a bit. The homemade mix is a LOT more economical that ‘50-cents a packet’ from the grocery store.
‘Bear-I-Yaki’ Recipe:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/23567/slow-cooker-pepper-steak/
Homemade Brown Gravy Mix Recipe:
https://iamhomesteader.com/homemade-brown-gravy/#wprm-recipe-container-131750
Serve over rice, baked potatoes, egg noodles, mashed potatoes or biscuits. Add a small green salad or a fruit salad on the side.
Dinner is served! :)