Letters From New England

Preserving fresh herbs...

Wednesday
June 29, 2011

 Hi,

This is for you, BD, and anyone else who is interested:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4804379_freeze-dry-herbs.html

http://gardening.about.com/od/vegetablepatch/a/DryingHerbs.htm

http://www.nj.com/homegarden/entertaining/index.ssf/2010/09/fresh_herbs_save_them_by_dryin.html

http://herbs.lovetoknow.com/Freezing_Fresh_Herbs

I hope I find the information and need to start saving some of these goodies because I love fresh herbs in my food.   

 Good luck!

Peace,
Kay

Quick catch up...

Tuesday
June 28, 2011

 Hi,

It's been untypically slow at work for a few weeks. Not sure why since the census is up, but I have been finding myself with empty pockets of time lately. Maybe I'm just working more efficiently. :)

Shelby and I have been accepted as vendors for a Pagan Pride Festival at the Bradley Palmer State Park in September. I've never been to the park or the festival, but any chance to sell my jewelry works for me! We are borrowing a canopy from where she works and buying two folding tables (also from where she works). We will share a space this time and see how it goes. The good thing about the tables is that we can use them over and over again if we register to participate in school or church fairs year round. Now, I must get busy making stuff because a lot of my current inventory is in a local gift shop.

I started reading The Passage a couple of weeks ago. The plot is odd, but the writing and story line keep me reading. It's a BIG book (nearly 800 pgs) and I borrowed it from the library. Since I only read at night, I will probably have to renew it a couple of times. Has anyone read it? Just wondering if it is worth plugging away at. You know... so many books, so little time and all. 

After what seems like weeks and weeks of rain, we have had a couple of fair, dry, sunny days in a row. Maybe the mold between my toes will finally dry out. A very rainy spring, that's for sure. After the snowy winter we had, I can't imagine there will be a water shortage any time this summer. 

 In another effort to be a bit more eco-friendly, I am buying an outdoor clothesline. I don't dry my clothes in a dryer now, but I'd love to hang my sheets outside again. They smell so damned good when they've been dried in the sun and air. I'll have childhood flashbacks, I'm sure. Barb was excited when I told her about it and offered to pay half (which I won't accept). Right now, she drapes a few items here and there on the railings. I'd (seriously) love to just go back to the 50's...sigh.

 Hey, if anyone has had any experience with harvesting and drying/freezing fresh herbs, I'd appreciate an email with what has worked for you. My herbs are getting leggy and it's time to start snipping, but I'm not finding a lot of help online. I have chives, parsley, basil, thyme, sage, winter savory and oregano. One place said to snip and chop, then put in ice cube trays with water and freeze. When you need a bit of oregano, just pop the cube into the pot. Some places said to blanch first, then freeze on a plate and bag. Some said to hang by the stems until they dry, then crumble and put in jars with a good seal. I am trying that with some parsley, but it looks to me like it is just turning yellow/brown and dying, not drying.

Emma got strep throat the last week of school and spent the first day of summer vacation in the ER because of an allergic reaction to amoxycillin. Scared the bejeezus out of me when I saw her picture on Facebook. Hooked up to an oxygen sensor, her eyes swollen shut. She started to have a hard time breathing about 15 minutes after taking the med, then the swelling came on. Not a good way to start the summer!  

Well, I need to get to the market, so... adios amigos.

Peace,

Kay

 

 

Summer Solstice...

Sunday

June 19, 2011

Hi,

I went to my first Midsummer Festival yesterday.  It was interesting and I had a good time.  Lots of fun people and great pot luck food. :)

That gift shop that took a bunch of my jewelry a few months ago also took all of the coiled wire bracelets and earrings that I had left over from my vendor sale.  I haven't been back out since I drop.  ped them off (a month ago) and I need to get out there to pick up the inventory list.  And, she might have money for me...which would be a good thing.

Barb bought a new car yesterday.  I love it...it's a silver Nissan Sentra (little spoiler over the trunk).  So cute...nice interior.  Almost made me wish I'd done the same, but I love my Fit.  I got lost looking for the house the festival was at yesterday.  What should have taken about 30 min took over an hr.  I'd filled my gas tank on the way home from work the night before and when we left the festival yesterday, even after all of that driving TO the festival, my gas tank was still on FULL.  Yes!

I had the WORST case of stomach flu last wkend.  It started Fri after work and I had a relapse on Tuesday night.  Ended up calling my dr on Wed evening for some anti-nausea meds.  I lost SEVEN LBS in 5 days...all fluids and it's probably back now that I can eat.  I have never been that sick in my life.  Who vomits for 4 days?  Sheesh... awful.  Had chills, fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea.  Really nasty.  Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.  (haha... I originally typed enema there...Freudian slip?)

My Celestine Prophecy book discussion group is great.  We are still on the first insight because we talk and share so much every week, but it's interesting and I'm enjoying it a lot.

So, my grandkids are out of school again already.  Emma is starting HIGH SCHOOL in the fall.  WTH? How did I become old enough to have grandchildren in high school?  I DO have a most yucky birthday coming up in the fall, but still... we're talking GRANDCHILD IN HIGH SCHOOL here.

Speaking of yucky birthday. A co-worker has given me 3 days in his White Mtn condo in North Conway for FREE in October.  I am taking my other 60th birthday school chums with me for a getaway.  Some shopping, drinking eating and merry making.  I think we deserve it.  Hahahaaa... All 3 of us were single moms for a long time too, so...yes, we deserve a little treat while we still have all of our faculties. :)

It was beautiful here today.  70 something, dry and a nice breeze.  It's a little chilly tonight...perfect for sleeping.  Supposed to be like this fr a couple more days.  We've had a lot of rain this spring and we had a LOT of snow last winter, so I don't imagine that a drought is in our future. 

I broke down (after 2 yrs here) and finally (FINALLY) cleaned the little porch off of my kitchen.  I wish I'd done it the first summer I was here now that I've had a chance to use it.  It's very private because of all of the trees around the house.  It took me all of one Saturday to wash down (by hand) all of the siding and the floor.  I've touched up some of the paint and planted a bunch of herbs, bought some flowers, replaced the torn, filthy screen in the door.  The door still needs to be "de-rusted" and painted, but I'll get to it.  I love sitting out there with a cup of coffee and a book.  If I knew how to create an album with a bunch of pictures, I'd share the before and after shots.  I should check into that.

Linda and I went to Rietta Ranch this morning...local flea market (also called tag sales in some parts of the country). I picked up a couple of handmade soaps and one vendor had a bunch of stuff from Tom's of Maine...natural hygiene products.  I got a soap, a toothpaste and a deoderant.  This is the first time I've been in a couple of years, even though it's open every Sunday from April - October and about 10 minutes from my house.  It's huge and generally packed.  I grabbed a flyer for a weekly Farmer's Market in Barre.  That's closer to 30 minutes away, but there are none near here.  Plus, Barre is a pretty cool little town, so I may meander that way a few times over the summer.

Well, looks like it's my bedtime already.  Back to the daily grind tomorrow. 

Peace,

Kay