Saturday, March 7, 2015

Dirt Worship, Sun Worship, And Dumplings

Well, I did it. I spent a goodly portion of my afternoon doing just what I said I wanted to do which was to weed and trim and kneel in the dirt and listen to my book. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. The sun felt wonderful and I even had to shuck my long-sleeved shirt for a tank top. My arugula is bolting and I've heard that if you snap that part off, the plant will put out more leaves but I am not convinced this is true. I am trying it, though, and snapped off a bunch of about-to-flower stalks. The peas have a few inches on them and the potatoes are poking their dark, dusty green leaves up out of the hay under which Mr. Moon planted them. It will be lovely to have peas and potatoes and the onions and shallots are coming on but I will SO miss being able to ask my husband whether he wants his greens cooked or in a salad. We are so spoiled in that regard.

I found where those sneaky ducks have been laying their eggs today. In the hen house but in a corner that they've been covering up. If one of the hens hadn't laid an egg on top of theirs, I never would have found it because they bury their eggs in the straw. I keep wondering if this is an attempt at keeping them warm for possible sitting and hatching which is of course impossible since Willy and Lilly are both girl ducks. Well, everyone has a dream. I dug around and found six eggs, brought them in the house and cleaned them up a bit. For reasons unknown to me, duck eggs are, on the whole, poopier than chicken eggs. I am absolutely drowning in eggs, even though I give them away with abandon and yet, I am thinking how much I would adore it if one of my hens got broody and decided to hatch a clutch this spring. I've even been thinking about going out and buying a few peeps because there is nothing as joyful as baby chicks running about and it is so much fun to watch them grow and become who they are.
If I did THAT I could possibly start selling eggs although I'm sure there are rules and regulations concerning that activity and I don't have the desire to deal with THAT shit.

Anyway, it's been a very nice day and one I will look back on in a few months quite fondly as the weeds completely overtake whatever is left of the garden after the bugs have their way with it and the heat is too much to bear to go out and work in it.
To everything there is a season as the Bible so aptly points out and winter is certainly my favorite garden season and that's at least one thing to like about the season of socks.

Time for me to go finish laundry and cook our supper. I think I'm going to try to make dumplings the way Mr. Moon likes them with the leftover chicken from last night. As I have said before, I was raised on yankee dumplings which are easy as hell to make and I think delicious but he likes those flat, noodley ones that he was raised on. My chicken and dumplings are far from traditional, no matter how I make the dumplings in that the broth has cooked carrots and green beans and all sorts of yummy vegetables in it that I feel quite certain his mama and grandmama did not put in their pots when they made the dish.
Ah well.
He'll eat them anyway. And then there's leftover pie.

Saturday night. A supper to eat with a spoon. A garden cleared of weeds and potatoes coming up.

I hope all our dreams are sweet.

Love...Ms. Moon

P.S.



8 comments:

  1. Dumplings. Dumplings. I can't think of anything else.

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  2. Ducks are very good mamas, they bury the eggs to keep them fresh, then when they have enough they sit, and all the eggs start at the same time...so cool! I used to wonder why they buried their eggs too...

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  3. Your dumplings sound interesting...the ones I ate as a kid were little blobs of Bisquick...I have made Matzo balls, and they were like hockey pucks, but that's another story. I hope the dumplings were enjoyable.

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  4. Just made chicken and dumplings today for a family reunion. Out of 6 kids I must have been the only one paying attention when mama made them. Flour, water and crisco, rolled flat and thin, put in the broth with cooked chicken. My favorite. CJ

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  5. Chicken and dumplings is our favorite comfort food. One Grandma always made the puffy bisquick kind, the other the slippery flat ones. We're partial to the slippery ones. I might have to make some today :)
    I can't wait for warmer weather to dig around in the dirt. Just thinking about your garden makes me happy.
    And yes, little baby chicks would be delightful!

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  6. We have had so few nice days. we got a day and a half of sun but now it's back to overcast and rain. I can't believe that we haven't planted anything since last spring and doesn't look like we're going to get much planted this spring. still don't have a single raised bed built. and the few nice days we get have to be spent on fixing the leaks in the shop because until we do that, we can't really arrange it the way we want. good thing there is a small market here that sells organic produce. btw, I love chicken and dumplings but have never made them.

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  7. Denise- Dumplings are delicious and their name is silly.

    Big Mamabird- Exactly what I figured. These eggs are definitely not fertile though, poor ducks. I mean, they have sex all the time but it's gay sex so, well. There you go.

    e- They were enjoyable but not stellar.

    CJ- I am so glad you paid attention!

    Mel- I like the fluffy ones. I'm making those next time. Plus, they are a hell of a lot easier to make.
    Dirt! Chicks! Spring! Hurray!

    Ellen Abbott- Your weather has been the pits this year. I am so sorry. We've had lots of rain but it's been interspersed with lovely warm days of sun. If you do decide to make chicken and dumplings, just go buy some of those frozen ones. They're great and also effortless.

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  8. I love dumplings. Haven't had them in YEARS. I used to buy a canned brand of chicken and dumplings called Sweet Sue, from Alabama, and my god it was good. Nothing like homemade, though, I'm sure.

    Take a picture of your potatoes when they grow. I'm not sure I've ever seen a potato plant. I don't even know what they look like.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.