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Thursday, July 4, 2013

Another Day

Well not up so early today, 6am was the best we could manage. Having gained momentum yesterday we felt we should push on and try to break the back of the log of work before the weekend. Started with some fiddling in the kitchen setting a sourdough bread to rise and feeding the starter. Of course didn't have enough flour on hand and the grinder went on. Kept going with another batch of Sauerkraut, just plain, no seeds and a batch of Kim Chi with the last of the Wong Bok. Used extra red pepper powder (ko choo kah rhoo) to get a bit more heat. Also had a go at the Horseradish picked yesterday. It was a little bit woody as we had left it too long before harvesting but grated well enough and with just a little vinegar as a preservative - it tasted fine with a nice kick.

Grinding Bio Dynamic Wheat

Sour Dough Starter

While that was in progress managed to complete a backup of the laptop files. Try and do this every couple of months or after a major change in documents. In this case it was end of financial year data that was completed. Golden rule here. If you perform a backup you will never have a problem and need to use it.

Now the serious part of the day - Firewood. Supplies had been run down. Chainsaw and wheelbarrows finely tuned we cut and stacked. A pile of old fence posts mostly Ironbark which burns extremely hot, the rest were White Mahogany which needs a hot fire to really respond. Not our preferred option but waste not want not. Then there was a pile of fliches from a little private saw mill nearby that had been resting for some years. The chooks take great interest in all this as there are all sorts of creatures ensconced between fliches that rush out once disturbed.

Main Fire Wood Storage

"The Jura" behind the chimney

Fliches cut and drying

We took a break midpoint for coffee, although no scones today as it is one of our fast days. We are trying to fast two days each week (5:2), not so much to lose weight as to reduce our IGF-1 level. More on that in another blog. Finished cutting and stacking by 2.30.

Another trip to the work property to put out silage. The girls had devoured one feeder completely and almost finished a second but were only picking at the third. Put out one really good bale and the second last of the poorer quality.

Home by 4.30 to call it quits for the day. Having fasted all day and burnt a few calories our fast lapsed a little and we tried a new cheese made some months ago - Blue Vinney (Dorset Blue). A blue veined long ripening cheese. It has an interesting texture. I don't think we got this first try quite right but it does have potential. It was attractive to us because of the long ripening period. Will experiment again.

Normally a fast day (it is really just calorie reduction) for us will end with one meal only i.e. an evening one with usually a stew made with lentils and dried beans (very thick and filling as you don't want to go to bed feeling hungary) and lashings of greens such as silver beet or spinach. As there were a few mussels left over from last night they were added as a side dish. We tried some Kim Chi and then the freshly and finely grated Horseradish as garnishes for the stew. Both worked well. Another satisfying and productive day.

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