Today my peppers were done so they are in a jar with a desiccant and in the pantry.  I also made my mustard today, one beer mustard and one herb mustard which is really good.  Tomorrow I am making horseradish mustard and a honey mustard.

      I went to lunch with my old co-workers today.  I am so happy to be retired.   I also started a huge pot of diet cabbage soup.    I have gained back 13 pounds and this is a fairly easy way to lose 10 pounds.  It gets old eating it twice again but it won't kill me and hopefully will kickstart my weight loss again.  After keeping that 100 pounds off for over a year these last 2 surgeries and not exercising regularly I back slid.  Won't last long since I know I can get it off.   So thats all today.

Prep of the day

 

   Today I diced 5 pounds of assorted bell peppers and have them in the dehydrator.    I was seriously low and they had them on sale.    I also worked on my garden soil mixing in some compost and getting my barrels ready for when I can start planting.  I am itching to get my plants in the ground.

   Tonight I have camera club.  I am going to be made the secretary/treasurer which I didn't want but got pressured into.   Should be an interesting class though.  My mustard never arrived so didn't make my mustard.

   I hate when I order something and they say it will be there on a certain day and it isn't.   Since it is going to be a beer mustard we went and tasted some small samples of beer to see which would be better.  Going to do a nice porter and I am thinking a pale ale would be good in one.  

   Well that's all.   Next I have to bulk buy some onions and get them in the dehydrator as we are almost out.   I would like to do about 10 pounds.

   No particular reason for the bird shot except I took that last year and won some awards for it.    The bird is the Lesser Yellowlegs.

   So I got my potatoes and strawberries finished but not the oatmeal.   Instead of making up bags today we went to one of our local breweries.  On Sunday a bunch of brewers get together and share their latest drinks and critique them.  I brought one of my 3 year old meads called a methleglin.  I had cinnamon, clove and madagasgar bourbon vanilla beans in it.   Now I tried it when it was a year old and although it was pretty good when I tried some Sunday it had aged to perfection so I decided it was time to get the experts opinion on it since it was the 2nd mead I made.   Everyone loved it.  One guy whose opinion I really respect said it was the best thing he had tasted that day.  So I feel pretty good about that.  When you put a lot of thought and work into a product it is great when it turns out.  

   Then I went to another brewery in town to talk to the brewer about the mustard I am making for the bock fest.  I am going to make a beer mustard and wanted to see if he had any beer he wanted me to use but I would like a porter so I guess I will just buy one.   I am going to make a hot mustard, a herb mustard and horseradish mustard.

   Today so far I have only made another Echinacea tincture since I am low.  Echinacea is good for colds and also just to boost the immune system.   I am going to start another purple cone flower bed this year since my old one got choked out by the wild orange lilies and my catnip.  Word of warning.  Plant your catnip somewhere where you can contain it.  It is hard to get rid of.   I also made a Calendula tincture.   Here is good video on the benefits of it and it is a great plant to put in your garden for pest control https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALeT9mLuJ7o

   We are expected rain for most of the week.  I really wanted some warmer weather for my composter.  I have duel barrel composter and one side is close to being ready to add to my planting soil but some warm weather would help finish it off.   Can't hurry mother nature though.   It is now officially Spring.   Soon I be hitting the woods in search of moral mushrooms and hope no one has found my favorite spots to gather them. Today I really need the old guy to clean out on of our gutters is blocked.  So that is my plan today except getting our pork loin ready to be cooked for supper.

     Remember, being prepared is the smartest thing you can do.