It seems they have improved the local music festival for the better. I wasn’t convinced last year when they started taking “donations”, but they have proven themselves this year with a stellar lineup. There were a few bands I would have liked to have seen, but we weren’t able to make it for them. However, we did get to see Robert Cray last night (we caught two other bands before the Cray set, but I don’t remember their names). I wouldn’t classify myself as a Robert Cray fan, but I do like good guitar and blues, so I figured it would be worth it to see him. And, it was. The guy is legendary. I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in store for next year.
the chihuahua incident
Jake and Brian went to Mayhem Fest today, so I was left to my own devices. I spent the afternoon making salsa and sauerkraut. Don’t worry–I also took a nap.
The sauerkraut took a little longer than expected (probably because my helper was at a concert), so I fed the dogs before making my own supper (normally they eat after we eat). After eating, Lizzy went out and came back in and then it was Alice’s turn. I was preparing a sandwich for my supper (not just any sandwich, but an antipasti sandwich), when I saw a chihuahua running through the yard and straight to the dog area. I ran outside to see Alice, with all of her hackles up, sniffing the chihuahua. She probably feared that we got another puppy (that didn’t work out so well last time). I quickly brought her in and then went back outside to try to capture the dog. Animals on the loose always make me nervous since we live so close to Goucher Street. But, the dog wasn’t having any of that and he ran down the street (well not the actual street, but through the yards) and out of sight.
Next I let Buster out and continued to make my sandwich. Soon after, I heard him barking. The dog was back. And the barking certainly wasn’t deterring him from approaching Buster. I mentioned to our visitor that this might not be a good idea, but he continued to proceed. I wrestled Buster back into the house and then headed outside again. The dog raced down the street again. This time, however, I heard some people talking at the end of the street. I heard them say something about the dog up the street barking at this other dog. I was hoping they were the owners because I didn’t see the chihuahua after that.
And, while we didn’t see the dog again, it had a profound effect on Buster. He kept going outside only to sniff around the yard and not do his business. This only went on for a few hours. It’s so much fun living with an insane dog. Let me count the ways…
for the freezer
I’m trying to put more things in the freezer this year than in past years. Today, I made up a batch of cooked salsa. Actually, I did a double batch but still only got 3 jam jars’ worth. It’s not like we eat that much salsa, but I was expecting a little more–that stuff really cooks down!
Today was also sauerkraut day. Volume-wise, this is the most I’ve ever made, so it will surely last until next season. Two of the heads of cabbage, I picked today. I’m not sure if that’s what made the difference, but I noticed that this year’s sauerkraut was a lot juicier than the two batches I made last year. Since it looks like I’m committed to sauerkraut-making, I should probably look into one of those cabbage grater thingys. In the past I always cut it by hand, but it’s hard to get it thin enough doing it that way. I tried using the food processor today, but the slicing blade made the pieces too big and the shredding blade made them too small. Plus it was a pain cutting small enough pieces that the food processor intake could handle, anyway.
A future goal of mine is to can stuff (like salsa and sauerkraut, for example). However, we don’t really have a place to store a bunch of jars in our house so I’ll stick to freezing for now (I have a large freezer dedicated to such things). But, it would be nice…
weird science
Last year, I added making sauerkraut to my repertoire. Tonight, I was scanning an article on what to do with with Mason jars (as Brian’s mom gave me a ton of them in the spring) and “making vinegar” was one of the options. So, guess what I’m going to do? Right–make vinegar. Last year, I made two batches of wine that turned out sweeter than I like so I’m going to see how those wines taste as vinegar. Waste not, want not. I need to order some vinegar starter and then I’ll be ready to go!
Speaking of sauerkraut, I have one head of cabbage from the CSA and three from my garden, so I guess I’m making sauerkraut this weekend. Because, really, what could you possibly do with four heads of cabbage besides make sauerkraut? This year, I’m going to try shredding it in my food processor. I don’t know if that will be any quicker than doing it by hand (given the large amount that needs to be shredded), but it should turn out thinner anyway.
We have been eating our veggies this summer, for sure. I’ve been freezing some stuff for future use (I did a couple of bags of green beans yesterday), but it won’t be anywhere near as much as I would like to have put back. I really need to start canning. It would be so great to get through most of the winter without having to buy crappy produce from the grocery store. Maybe in a couple of years…
frostburg
Jake was away again this weekend so we took a bike trip to Frostburg, Maryland to visit Brian’s grandmother. The ride was nice–it was the best of both worlds–highways and country roads. Brian’s grandmother treated us to lunch at the local diner. After lunch, we went back to her house and sat on the patio and talked. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon.