Some loveliness.

 

I am really trying to learn as much as possible about fermentation.  This is a delicious way to learn.

 

Fermented peppers keep all of the pepper flavor that the vinegar of pickled peppers covers up.  They also retain more of their nutrition.  One of the main benefits of fermentation is that it makes the nutrients more readily available to the body during digestion. These are jalapeños and mexi-bells.

 

 Sauerkraut!  This has been fermenting for a little over a week.  I tasted it and it is still a bit salty and not sour enough so I am going to leave it for a week or 2 more.  YUM!

This is my second ferment (2f) kombucha.  I flavored the ones on the left with grape juice which is supposed to give lots of fizz.  The ones on the right I used sour cherry and ginger.  I can't wait to taste!  I was so excited to find a use for my cracked crock.  This works out great!  Now if I have a bottle explode, it will be contained.   

I was able to set up a KT (kombucha tea) brewing station.  These are my 2 CWs (continuous brews.)  Under that are the extra bottles.  We use mostly empty Grolsch beer bottles; don't ask me how they got empty. :)  This is the cheapest way we have found to get sturdy flip-top bottles that we are sure aren't contaminated glass.  They help get some great fizz!

 

I have started sprouting seeds now that a lot of our garden has stopped producing.  This is such a great way to get some freshness and nutrition.  It is super easy too!  Here is a good link for info  and a sprouting chart!

 

I have a jar obsession.  I just do.  This was my grandmothers.

And these are just because...

 



 

Kinder Pumpkin Patch Trip

Levi had his Kinder trip to the pumpkin patch.  He had been talking about it for weeks and was so happy to be going!  Micah was also happy because she got to tag along.

 



The best thing about Fall.

You know how there are those special smells that pull you into a time or a feeling?  For some people, Fall cannot happen without breathing in the steam from that first pumpkin spiced whatever.  Some people it is the mellow, earthy smell of cool dirt and rotting leaves.  Others love the stinky heat of a football locker room. 

 

 The best thing about Fall in our house is the smell of fire-roasted green chile.  I have to inhale the smokiness of the charred skins before I can move on into the season.

 

One way we love to celebrate this time is with lots of family of course!  The Mullins Chile Roast of 2014 gave us what we were craving.  The wind was high so we moved the operation indoors.  We are very thankful for the dirty old barn! It wasn't ideal but it sure was convenient.

 

Matt's artwork

 

A busy roaster!

Mouth-watering

 

 

The men did most of the roasting and prepared our tasty lunch of tortillas and fresh-roasted chile.  Oh my gosh!

 

 

Beautiful girl!

Little tootie!!  I love you!



All sorts of games to play in the barn.

Slam dunk Micah!

When these bald heads get together, there is no telling what they will come up with!

This looks like a serious conversation.

We got to try something new this year.  We are used to having our red chile in powder form.  We got some fresh this year and roasted it.  It is sweet and fruity but stills spicy.  It is sooooo good!

 



 

 

The girls did the bagging.  We put up over 200 bags of chile!  It might last us through the year.  If we are conservative!

 



Fuzz

We woke up to a sad thing on Sunday morning.  Matt was driving into town when he saw our dog Fuzz dead on the road.  It was such a shock to us because he NEVER played in the road.  We had to coax him to even walk with us to get the kids from the bus.  Why he went in the road on that morning, we will never know.  But we want to believe that he was doing something heroic like chasing coyotes away from our property.  He was a good dog.

 

There was nothing he loved more than his kids.  We got Fuzz as a puppy when Zaddok turned a year old.  So most of our kiddos don't remember life without him.

 

He was a working dog.  He loved to chase a Frisbee or a ball and would do it as long as you would throw it for him.  His work also included following the chicken and cats around with that crazy "herding" look in his eyes.  

 

His favorite part of the day was always when the bus got home.  He would run to his kids, always looking to me for permission before he took off.  He was a good dog.

Here, his world was complete.

He was always taking care of his kids.  He was a good dog.

 

 

He wanted to be were they were.

 

He did love water.  If the hose ever turned on, he could hear it from anywhere on the property.  He would come running and beg you to let him chase the stream.

 

 

He was always the first one to meet Matt as he pulled in the drive.  He was a good dog.

 

He was just crazy enough for us to get a lot of entertainment from him!

 





It is not often that there is a dog so obedient, so willing to please, so attentive to his family.  He gave us a lot of years of love and fun.  It will take a long time for us to get over losing him. 

 

Goodbye buddy.  You were a good boy.