Doggies--gotta luv 'em

So it's been a very wet week with rain nearly everyday since Wednesday evening. But that's good for the crops and hay and I would much rather have it wet than go through the drought we have had in the last decade.

One thing I get to do every week for our CSA customers is bake bread. I absolutely love it! The house smells great, I get to experiment with different recipes and some of the outcomes are well, rather unexpected.
The picture above is one of the loaves that a customer was supposed to receive this past Saturday. I had made Challah (Jewish sabbath bread). It was outstanding, if I do say so myself! Fragrant, chewy, a soft crumb, ahh lovely. Then the dogs came in for the night....
Normally they are not left alone and thus, don't get in trouble for say, eating things they aren't supposed to get OFF THE COUNTER. However, Thursday evening, something went amiss.

It had been pouring rain while Lyn and I did chores and we were soaked. I was changing into dry clothes in the bedroom, Lyn was getting a dry jacket as he needed to go out again. The dogs were left alone for maybe 3 minutes max--and boy did they enjoy the Challah! This is why I do not bake on Friday for Saturday delivery. So Friday I made more bread and all were happy, especially the chickens as they got to finish what the dogs began. I love the dogs, I really do, but Thursday I was thinking non-loving thoughts towards them.

Oh well, it's just bread. Have a great week!

Market season is here!

Well here we are at the end of a very long week but a very good week. And we managed to get to 2 markets today! Lyn went to Rapid City and had a good day, for opening day, while I manned the Chadron market, also having a good day. It is so fulfilling to see people appreciate our produce when we work so hard to give them the best we can grow. Lyn also delivered our customers their first CSA packages. YUM! NOTHING like fresh spinach! (We just have to keep Popeye out of the garden :D.)
Every year I learn more about preparing for market before the opening day of the season. This year was no exception. Now that we do two markets on the same day, we have to have duplicates of certain items. A thought that didn't really hit me until about 5:00 this morning as I was packing salad greens for Lyn to take to Rapid. We have a special container we have used for lettuces in the past, now we need 2 of them. Thus, I was running through our local department store at 6:45 with a big plastic box, trying to get Nichole to work on time at 7:00. There was only ONE aisle open...and the clerk and customer were CHATTING about?? ARGGGGH We pulled up at the hardware store at 7 o'clock exactly. Then I rushed home, fed chickens and calves, changed clothes (darn calves--messy little buggers keep using my jeans as their napkins), ate some breakfast and back to town. Good grief it's no wonder I sleep so well.
A thought to leave you with:
To be a success, one must begin.
Donna