A beautiful fall day

The weather was just beautiful today here in the hills of East Kentucky. Warm enough to make working outside so nice. I got out and spread some compost on the asparagus and onion bed so I can work it into the soil and then put on the mulch. Maybe tomorrow evening I will get the rest of the compost spread on the herb bed and strawberries and prep them for the mulch as well. I got a lot of cleanup work to do before next Thursday when I have surgery on my elbow. Am thinking that will put the kibosh on my working in the yard and gardens around here. At least this fall. Tomorrow I will be butchering the rest of the dark Cornish and all the old laying flock if Black Australorps. Then I will can the meat and probably freeze some as well. But its now or never to do the butchering as it will be late in November before I could be able to do that stuff and a little too cold for my liking to be outside butchering.
When I was on vacation I stopped in central Kentucky to spend a few days with my friend Rosie and her hubby Sam and she sent me home with a large brown grocery bag of sage leaves to dry. I have those on window screens in the kitchen now but am thinking I will put them in the dehydrator to speed the process so I can get them ground and stored before my surgery. Might be a little hard to crank an herb grinder with one hand. While I was there she taught me to make Oatmeal soup. I was a little apprehensive at first due to the fact that the only way I had ever had oatmeal was as a cereal. It is very economical and so darn good. So for the benefit of some other friends who had ask for the recipe I will post the instructions just as Rosie told me to make the soup. So here is Rosie's German Oatmeal soup:

1 med. onion minced
1 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons of oil
about a quart of water
1 bouillon cube
Swiss cheese
fresh chives
black pepper to taste
2 whole eggs

Put oil or butter in kettle and saute minced onion till it gets golden. Dump in the oatmeal and stir to toast the oatmeal. Add water and bouillon cube and simmer till it thickens a little and the oats are done. Just before serving break the eggs in the soup and stir to break the yolks and mix the eggs into the soup. Similar to egg drop soup. Simmer a few minutes to cook the eggs. Season to taste with pepper. Ladle into serving bowls and shred Swiss cheese on top, sprinkle with chives and enjoy. I know it sounds strange but is so good and filling. I don't eat cheese and I really enjoyed this soup. Thanks Rosie. Great when you want something hot and comforting for dinner.
Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella