The cool is coming we hope

The cooler weather is headed our way we hope. It has been another one of those unbearable days with heat and humidity. If this winter is as cold as it has been hot we are in for a good one. I have stayed in most of the day. I just go out and feed the chickens and critters and come back in. I do check the meat birds several times a day to make sure they have plenty of water. It is getting pretty dry here. I noticed that some of the grass in the yard is turning brown from the heat and lack of rain. But rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow with temps dropping into the 80's. That will be such relief for us all here in the east.
Later this evening after the sun goes down a bit we are going to try and get some more metal fence post in to support the wire trellis that is supporting the grape vines. The vines are loaded with grape clusters and some of them have pulled the wire down to where the grapes are touching the ground. Well I am sure this would not have been as big a problem if we had gotten the grape vines pruned this spring, but that didn't happen and they are very thick. I have some metal T post that have the little nibs on the sides to support wire, an when those are drove into the ground very close to the now supporting wire I can just wire the trellis to the T post and have extra support.
The lettuce and cucumbers that I planted a week or so ago in the edge of the onion bed have all come up and look pretty good. I did put straw over the top of the seeds as soon as I sowed then, so I have lil plants coming up thru the straw which is good.
My herb bed is getting over grown and needs a lot of things cut back in there. I still yet have more herbs in there that need to be dried as well. The marjoram and savory are 2 that I can think of right off that need to be harvested and dried. Maybe I can do that this evening before we get rain or it gets too dark.
A while back when I made beet pickles one of my nice readers had ask for the recipe that I use for my beet pickles. I had not forgotten, I just kept forgetting to bring my idiot book in from the summer kitchen that had the recipe in it. So for the farm girl and any others that wish to know, here is my method. Do keep in mind that this is my way of doing beets, and the USDA would have kittens if they knew I didn't water bath pickles. But rest assured the beets have enough acid from the vinegar to preserve them just fine. So enjoy.

Beet Pickles

3 quarts of beets, cooked, peeled and sliced to you liking

Pickling solution:
2 cups of cane sugar
3 1/2 cups of vinegar
1 1/2 cups of water

Bring this liquid to a boil and let simmer for a few minutes. Have the beets cooked, peeled and sliced as you like and in the jars. Pour this boiling liquid over the beets in the jars and seal with hot lids and bands. This amount of liquid will cover about 3 quarts of beets, so multiply as needed for the amount of beets you have. And if you like your beet pickles a lil spicier just add a cinnamon stick or 3 to the liquid while it is heating and remove before pouring over pickles. The USDA guidelines say to water bath both pints and quarts for 30 minutes in a water bath. Do this at your discretion. Although I do not water bath any pickles. They are ready to eat in a few days.

So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella