Monday, October 09, 2006

I think I need a bigger couch...
The sun was streaming through the window and I just couldn't resist. Dh Bill leaves for work at 3:30am and so by 9:30, I feel like I've been up half a day- which I guess I have! Evabeth found me first and then Bekah and then Abe... Believe it or not, I think we all actually dozed. Like four cats in the sun. That's one thing off my list- and one thing I wouldn't mind doing again!
That's 200+ pounds of wheat. Darcie was asking about it and so I thought I'd share a little bit. I drive about an hour away to pick it up- after I've already ordered it. I store the grain in those 5 gallon buckets in that cubby over the cellar stairs- Bill made me a very nice lazy susan that will hold all 3 buckets. ( I need to finish the drywall and paint those walls, don't I? I don't think it would be a big project...hmmm.) The drawers in my kitchen hold the wheat that I use, on a daily basis, and the leftover flour that I have already ground. Along with all the other stuff I bake with. The drawers are right under my long counter where I do all my mixing and so it is very convenient to not have to drag everything out and then put it all back- I just open the drawer, pop off the lids and I'm in business. Close the drawers and I'm done. I also bought cornmeal- which my wheat mill does not grind happily, and dark rye- which is simmering for a few days to make rye bread, the cocoa was a steal at only $3 for 2 pounds- and since I bought 20 pounds of cake flour- I see a few chocolate cakes in our future. The rest is rolled barley- like oats, barley malt- it's kinda floury but sweet and you'll never be the same once you add it to your chocolate chip cookies, and oats and some goodies for my folks. (Tapioca and lemon chips-like chocolate chips, only lemon. Doesn't that sound good in sugar cookies? My Mom does cookie ministry. giggle. She cheers people up with cookies- It would work for me, how about you?) Oh, and there are 2 different kinds of wheat there, Hard and soft. Hard is for bread and the soft is for cookies, and biscuits and such- no gluten in the soft and that makes for very flat bread! That's what the hard looks like- the soft is... not so hard! Aren't I just the Little Red Hen? But I'd share with my bread, honest.

11 comments:

Sheila said...

An adorable picture of y'all sleeping. So, who snapped the picture??

Lemon drop cookies sound fantastic!!!

Hedgehog said...

Wow was that an education!

Melanie said...

Busy Lady!!!

Pamela (Peni) Teel said...

That's like shelves full of home-canned tomatoes. I don't suppose it will last the winter, but it has to lend some sense of security.

YUMMMMMMMM - I can smell that bread a-risen already. Add a little of that cocoa to your rye bread while you're at it.

What sweet nappers!!! Go for another.

Sarah said...

Will you mail me a fresh loaf of whoel wheat bread on a weekly basis? How long will all of that last you?

Miss you!

Love, Sarah

Darcie said...

You know...farmer girl here never even knew the difference from hard and soft wheat! Thank you!!! I hope that you had help carrying that all in!

About the nap picture: I do see Eva...and Bekah...and Abe the Babe, too. But if you were under all of them...who would have snapped the pic? ;-) I really don't think that you ever sleep.

Beo said...

An inspiring testmanet to home food production! What grain mill do you use, do you recommend it and how much was it?

Anonymous said...

Wish you lived closer. We farm hard red winter wheat..lots of it. What kind of grinder do you use. I'm to the point where I need to invest in a bigger one.

dot said...

You are such a busy lady, you make me tired ready of your activities.

Cher said...

hurray for a group nap...love the post on flour and such.

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

Your couch looks like the perfect size to me! We once went on a family vacation - a camper on the back of a pick-up...from Mass. to FL... with 6 kids, 2 parents and 1 mother-in-law. I was only 3, but my older sister was 13 at the time and to this day she says that it was the best vacation she has ever had!!! Kids are like puppies - they like the cuddle factor!

Cheers!

Evelyn