Farm Friday

We've had unseasonably warm weather this past week - we've set record highs. Earlier this week I even got outside and washed some of our windows! The forecast is for some below-freezing temperatures but Christmas is supposed to warm - in the 70s. Great for the gardens, not so good for the earth.

Cooking with my favorite cookbook

I've kept busy this week, filling orders and checking things off my to do list. Here's a quick summary of some of the things I've been up to:

• Cooked several different recipes to use up the extra cauliflower we had (good enough for us but not good enough to sell). My new favorite cookbook (not including my own) is The Easy Vegan Cookbook by Kathy Kester. It has lots of easy and creative ways to cook vegetables and includes many gluten-free, oil-free, and soy-free options.
• Got our refrigerator repaired. As suspected it was just the fan but it was a little more complicated than a basic fan replacement. Apparently there was a design flaw and the bracket had to be replaced, too.
• Fixed a bench that has a hinged top. One of the hinges had bent and pulled out two of the screws. It wasn't a difficult fix, just one I had put off for weeks because I have to contort myself a bit to make the repair and it's hard on my back.
• Made a new salve, one for bumps and bruises. It's made with arnica, St. John's wort, and plantain, among other things.
• Organized my office so it makes more sense. Moved the printer to it's own table as it was taking up too much space on my desk.
• Went into the jail to do a Christmas craft with some of the female inmates. My women's group has been going into the jail to do monthly craft projects for the last 10 years. We also do a brief devotional or Bible study with them as well, but the main component is the craft. 
• Returned a couple of items to LL Bean that didn't function properly. I love their very generous return policy. Unlike many companies, they actually stand behind everything they sell.
• Continued my purging of things that I don't want, need, or use. Starting to feel lighter already.

Have a great week!