“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
My goals for 2018
Goal #1 – Write Like No One is Reading.
“Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” ~ Barbara Kingsolver
Goal #2 – Slow Down
If I wasn’t at the beach walking Lucy this week then I was sitting on the couch hooking rugs. I’ve probably gained some weight too with all this loafing around. Also, I am running out of mini-series to watch during my time here in captivity. Also, I am wondering if anyone of you know where I can purchase this green dish scrubber with the suction base. I LOVE IT!!! And I must have one. Or 10.
Goal #3 – Shop Small
No one is selling sea shells down at the beach and no Girl Scouts have knocked on the door selling cookies and since ordering a coaxial cable from Amazon doesn’t count as shopping small….. I have nothing new to report.
Goal # 4 – Have a Designated Meal Prep Day
Trader Joe’s is da bomb! Food prep goal on hold until the end of March.
Goal #5 – Install a Vegetable Garden
All the seeds have been ordered, I have all the garden tools I need {or at least I think I do, we’ll see if I need to rent a tiller} and so I’m just in a holding pattern right now. In other news… I came across sunchokes on the internet this past week. Do you grow them? Should I be growing them? And if I did, what do they taste like and how would I use them in a recipe? Inquiring minds want to know.
Goal #6 – Clear Land for a Chicken Coop and Future Raised Garden Bed Area
Lucy! We are so close to your baby chick order arriving. Only 5 weeks to go. Hang in there you sweet little chicken mama. They’ll be here soon.
Goal #7 – Grow 500 Pounds of Vegetables
Yesterday, in response to the Do You Wash Clothes Before Wearing Them? post Donna from VA asked “How can someone who spends so much time digging in dirt be so germ-o-phobic?” Which made me giggle out loud a bit.
I guess in my mind, there is a HUGE difference between a backyard or garden full of dirt and a bunch of unknown and totally unidentifiable chemicals on new, unwashed clothing that are rubbing against my skin. In general, I don’t go around town picking up handfuls of dirt from random lots and rubbing them all over myself. I dig in my own yard or my neighbors yard and I’m pretty confident the ground hasn’t been drenched in chemicals. 🙂
Goal #8 – Hook 100 Rugs
26 down, 74 to go. This past week I hooked three medium sized mats and 2 small little crow mats but only listed the tulip rug in my Etsy shop as the others are duplicates. I only have a few more things left in my project bag and I am really hoping I don’t run out of things to hook before the road trip! I just can’t sit in a car and look out the window… and with 40+ hours of driving I am going to want to keep my hands busy when it’s not my turn to drive {which will be most of the time, as I loathe driving}. I can’t leave Lucy alone in our tiny 600 square foot apartment {as per our rental agreement} so other than taking Lucy for her daily walks…. I don’t have much else to do besides hook and lookup random things on the internet these days.
I know it’s only been two weeks here in the apartment, but I can honestly say apartment life is not for me. I need a yard and dirt to play in and to not hear the person above me cough.
Goal #9 – Make a Set of Dolls
I plan to make a set {or two} of primitive dolls maybe even attempt some hooked ones, later this year after gardening season is over. I have a feeling I am going to need a good 5-6 months of solid winter projects to keep me busy once the temps drop. Which honestly, is something I am very much looking forward to. Down time. And the mindset of being “all in” when the season is right. I miss the days when I would wear myself out and be so sick of gardening, that by the time October rolled around I didn’t want to even think about planting or harvesting until early spring. I am SO OVER the whole puttering around bit of the last few years. I’m not even sure if that makes sense to anyone, but that’s how I feel. Work hard, play hard, complete the project and move on to the next one.
Goal #10 – Make a Sampler, Frame it and Hang it on the Wall
I plan to make a frame for the sampler I finished later this fall when I get some down time. There is a small space at the bottom of the stairs at our new place that will be the perfect spot for two small samplers. I have a few extra pieces of linen in storage so once we get unpacked, I think I’ll draw out a different design and set it aside for winter.
Goal #11 – Visit 22 Bakeries
We haven’t visited any new bakeries yet this year but The Girl and I plan to hit up several on our trip east. The boys will be driving the moving truck and probably be snacking on barf.tas.tic food from gas stations while The Girl and I stretch our legs at bake shops along the way. Potential stops on our list include:
- Wild Crumb Bakery – Bozeman, MT
- Bernice’s Bakery – Missoula, MT
- Nichole’s Fine Pastry – Fargo, ND
- Sandy’s Donuts – Fargo, ND
- Clasen’s Bakery – Middleton, WI
- Kramarczuk East European Deli – Minneapolis, MN
We are still looking for bakery/ sweet shop suggestions in the following places:
- Off I-90 between Ellensburg and Spokane
- Off I-90 between Cleveland and Syracuse
Goal #12 – Start a Collection
Wooden spoons and butter molds are on my list but with having Lucy by my side 24/7 these days I won’t get a chance to do any collecting for a few more weeks.
Goal #13 – Read {or listen to} 26 Books
I am currently #12 on the wait list for Sister’s First and #2 for Lab Girl and I just downloaded Furiously Happy to my phone for free thanks to overdrive. I’ve already listened to Furiously Happy, but I thought The Girl might like it so I downloaded the book for our road trip.
Books I’ve read or listened to so far this year:
- A Secret Gift
- Bad Days in History
- New England Farmgirl
- Founding Gardeners
- The Bookshop Around the Corner
- The Bassoon King
Goal #14 – Try 12 New Canning Recipes
Does anyone have a good recipe for spiced pears? You know, like the old fashioned kind with cinnamon? I’ve canned pears and pear jam before but never spiced pears. I’m thinking they might be nice to have on hand this winter to serve with ice cream and gingerbread. If you have a recipe you love, please leave a comment or a link below.
Goal #15 – Secret {for now} Holiday Project
I thought I’d be able to get a jump start on this project but so far I haven’t had time to get any hands on research done. I am hoping to make some progress on this goal next week though. I’ll keep you posted.
How about YOU? Did you set any goals for 2018? How are they coming along?
~Mavis
Read About My 2018 Goals HERE.
Sarah says
Ikea sells those dish brushes! Super cheap too
Mavis Butterfield says
Wahooo! Thanks everyone.
Susan says
Those brushes last FOREVER too — like, years of daily use.
Jane says
The scrubber looks like one I found at Ikea 🙂
Also, check out The Shelbourne Hotel on Amazon. There are two seasons and I really enjoyed it!
Silke says
Hi Mavis, the dish scrubber is from IKEA
Mel says
It looks like Amazon has similar dish brushes.
My goals are also on hold, but I’m working on a massive spring cleaning to prep for my goal of painting this summer. I hadn’t initially planned a goal about reducing waste, but in the process of spring cleaning, I ended up making some more eco-friendly cleaning supplies. I made a set of cloth paper towels, and I turned some old hand towels into a reusable Swiffer mop pad. I also used a tutorial online to remove the cap from the Swiffer mop liquid cartridge so I can refill it instead of replacing it. Next up, reusable dusters.
Mim says
Re bakeries: if you get back to Vermont in your travels, be sure to go to the King Arthur (Flour) Bakery, Store, and School. In Norwich, VT, right across the Connecticut River from Hanover, NH (home of Dartmouth College).
Food is marvelous and the store is full of wonderful baking tools, supplies, books, free samples (!), exotic flours, baking mixes, etc etc. You can also check them out online – kingarthurflour.com.
Mavis Butterfield says
The Girl and I have been there for lunch and it was fantastic! I plan on heading there to stock up on flours once we get settles. I LOVE that place and would love to take a cooking class there.
Angela W says
Mavis and Mim,
I am SO dang excited! You inspired me to look up this website. I use their products but never knew they offered classes. My sister is about 75 min away from the cooking school. I am going to visit her later this month. I signed up for one of their classes for 4 days long! I am absolutely giddy!!!! Thank you! Thank you for this awesome suggestion. Can’t wait !!!
Mavis Butterfield says
AWESOME!!! If you get lunch in their cafe the brie and apple sandwich is excellent!!! Have fun.
Mrs. C. says
Mavis, I took a one week professional bread baking course there. Fantastic!
Em says
Thanks for this tip.
Marsha says
Sunchokes are great, and really easy to grow. Put them where they can spread. Tastes like a nutty potato. We like them roasted. We eat them November through March. I harvest the largest roots, and leave the smaller ones to grow. I have them planted so they shade the bedrooms during the hottest part of the summer. They do a great job, as they get pretty tall!
Julie P says
I got one exactly the same from ike here in U.K.
Julie P says
IKEA sorry pressed send before I checked
Aileen says
Re sunchokes Mavis – here in Ireland we refer to them as Jerusalem Artichokes – careful where you sow the tubers as they spread like raspberries. There are only so many ways of using them & I soon tired of them popping over where I did not want them. I would recommend plating the tubers in large pots in order to contain them similar to mint!
Cecile H says
Good Morning Mavis! Spiced pears where a staple in our house growing up, we had pear trees on our property and a house full of kids to feed! Mom made a typical syrup, sugar and water and in each quart jar she placed two cinnamon sticks and 5-8 whole cloves, that’s it! They where the best! Often since we didn’t have allot growing up, we would have vanilla ice cream with pears, mom would reduce the syrup and pour it over top, when we didn’t have ice cream pears where all we had. Mom put everything up for winter, tomatoes, chili sauce, pears, corn, peas, carrots, peppers, relish, ketchup, gooseberry jam, strawberries, strawberry jam, peach jam, pear jam, cucumber jelly, dill pickles, sweet pickles, Bread and butter pickles, gherkins, mustard pickles, sweet pickled beets, canned beets…you name it we put it up! All of us kids had a job to do, mom and dad would put the old grinder on the picnic table with the grinder over a huge bowl and one would be cutting onions while the other doing peppers and cucumbers for relishes while us kids would grind, or wash the veggies in a big bucket on our patio…those are the memories kids now a day rarely have!
Mavis Butterfield says
That is it? All I do is add cinnamon? Wow. That I can do! Thanks Cecile H!
Carolina says
and cloves….don’t forget the cloves!
Katie says
You HAVE to go to Bernice’s in Missoula!! Then, walk down to the Big Dipper for ice cream. Head back to the Higgins St bridge and watch he surfers, or hike up to the M and work it all off. Missoula is the best!
Margery says
Currently binge watching doc Martin on Netflix.
Nancy D says
Yes!!!! We LOVE Doc Martin! We enjoy listening to the TED talks also. So encouraging and enlightening.
Diana says
I love sun chokes! I have them planted in a dedicated bed so they can’t spread to other areas. You plant them once and you are done, my kind of plant. They grow large, over six feet and look like sunflowers. Just leave a few chokes in the ground for the next year. I love make soup with sun chokes and other veggies and using the immersion blender to make it creamy. I also roast them with beets, carrots, onions, and peppers to serve as a side dish.
UpstateNYer says
Just wondering, what did you do with your first batch of chicks you posted about here? Did you leave them with Mrs. Hb?
Carolina says
YES, and she wrote a post about it a while back. I think having to get rid of the chicks, thanks to the HOA, may have been “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Valerie Barbeau says
Sunchokes are great but they run like crazy! They are fart inducing as well….
5he flowers are pretty. They will grow great in the cold climate of the East.
Barbara says
When you go through Minneapolis/St Paul, consider checking out Trung Nam French Bakery, 739 University Ave. W in St Paul. Incredibly delicious croissants, baguettes and French rolls. And grab banh mi sandwiches for the road! They are located just off i94, so easy access as you are driving east.
Tammy says
I make spiced apple wedges and peaches, but haven’t done pears. I hot pack the apples, and heat the apples/peaches right in the syrup. I add some cinnamon sticks, cloves, and vanilla beans to the syrup. As the syrup simmers and I pack the apples, the flavor intensifies. Then I pour the syrup over the apples or peaches, and strain out the spices. I will remove the vanilla bean paste and add that back to the syrup. It’s a nice light, spicy flavor.
Rose says
Just to add to the above sunchokes comments… you need a good vegetable brush to clean them because they are quite knobbly, if you know what I mean. To me they taste like a cross between a potato and an artichoke heart… I love em.
They are indeed tall and invasive… but beautiful too.
I can’t grow them because my yard is too shady, but my CSA has the most magnificent row of them every year. Very picture worthy.
Tracey says
Im not sure how you are going across Indiana but this bakery is yummy.
https://risenroll.com/locations/
Sarah says
Try the 509 Bake House in Cle Elum before you leave the state. Only open Friday through Sunday. Close at 4 on Friday and Sat. And 2 on Sunday. The owners are great people and help in the community. But i warn you the food with put pounds on you backside.
Marie says
As an addendum, have you thought of propane for heating & cooking? How about pulling weeds for Mrs HB so you are “connecting” with the soil? Turn off the TV! It will drive you crazy….
Mable says
You must try the free intro (a week, I think) to Acorn.TV. All British, Canadian and Australian shows. Try Dr. Finlay and the series (not the movie versions) Murdoch Mysteries. Wonderful!!
Susan Webster says
Just a thought…you might see if there is a Doggy Day Care in your area on days when you feel you need a Mother’s Day Out! Check the reviews and
go for a visit. Both of you might enjoy the change of scenery.
Barb says
Try a sunchoke before you plant any. I planted them, they grew quite well, I found out I hated them–after preparing them a number of ways, and then had a heck of a time getting rid of the plants.
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
Sunchokes are great- I think they taste like a cross between a potato and artichoke. And they have beautiful tall flowers that look like sunflowers. BUT only grow them in a container. They are almost impossible to entirely dig up and are super invasive. See YouTube for videos confirming this. I think you’re going to really like them but just do them in a tub or container of sorts.
Also some people nickname them fartichokes because they are said to cause gas. But so do beans and brassicas so in my opinion, it’s not an issue. But thought I’d pass that alone all the same.
Jo says
Sun chokes are soooo invasive. They will go everywhere and will choke out other natives if they get into a natural area. To me they aren’t worth the work and risk.
It sounds like you may be moving into the country so this downtime would be a great time to do some research on native plants for your new area that are good for wildlife/nature. Avoid the invasive non-natives if you can. Audubon has some great native plant info.
Brenda says
Jerusalem artichoke aka sunchokes are a food for the apocalypse. Between the DIRT/CLAY cleaning and if they are small it takes a lot of effort to eat them. And if you make a mistake and want to clear them out be prepared to do it for a couple years. One more thing ..strong wind will topple the 8 ft nightmare! Keep away from this invasive plant!
Mick says
Most of my canning recipes are just doing things the way Grandma and Mom did it – as we put up all.the.foods together. Spiced pears were a special treat. Grandma didn’t have candy at her house – unless she made it herself, except chocolate chips and . . . “red hots” cinnamon candies during canning season. She would add about a small handful to each quart of pears (along with the simple syrup). The pears would turn pink – and were fun during the holidays! Typing it out – it seems odd, but everyone loves them. She would do it with applesauce, too – but I only like it with the pears. Let us know if you try it!
Patty P says
When you’re coming through NY on I90 (the Thruway), there is a diner off of exit 41 (Waterloo) that is a favorite of ours to stop at as a treat…the Magee Diner. They have a serious cow theme. It’s literally right of the Thruway…turn right and it’s before the stoplight on the left. I’d love to meet up with you when you were coming through if you gave me the heads up! We’re about 25 minutes south of the Thruway.
There is also a Dunkin Donuts right off of exit 34 (I know you wrote about enjoying DD a few years back).
I was thinking about you on Friday when the Noreaster came through and dumped 18 inches on us. You’ll have lots of “project” time inside! 🙂
Keralee says
I love sunchokes! The gassy effects will go away in a week or two of regular consumption, once your gut biota get adapted to the inulin. Great veggie for low carb diets and diabetics, because inulin is indigestible but super healthful.
They will spread, unless you have gophers, in which case you will get none. Get 8 feet tall with small yellow sunflowers, makes a sort of seasonal hedge.
They are allelopathic to some other plants, so keep them on their own.
There are 2 kinds, reddish and white. I greatly prefer the white ones.
Perfect for emergency food, you can leave them in the ground and they will just keep on growing, coming up again every spring with zero attention. Dig as needed. Dehydrate well, winter well in a very cold damp root cellar.
Best taste, imo, is thinly sliced and fried in butter until a bit crispy, yum!!
They are unbelievable easy to grow.
Johanne says
I’ve just discovered “Big Dreams Small Spaces” with the UK’s favorite gardener Monty Don. It’s on Netflix. I especially liked the episode about the lady who grew veggies in her front yard for the neighborhood to pick for free.
Heidi says
You said, “the boys,” did Monkey Boy decide to move with you?
Teresa Young says
Off I-90 in Rochester NY
Cheesy Eddie’s
Known for their cheesecake but I prefer their carrot cake
602 South Ave
Rochester, NY 14620
http://www.cheesyeddies.com/
It’s a very small place because most people get their cakes to go, but they do have a few tables.
It’s in the ‘South Wedge’ area of Rochester. If you stop I also recommend Hedonist Chocolates http://hedonistchocolates.com/ and Leaf Tea Bar https://happyearthtea.com/pages/leaf-tea-bar right down the street.
Vy says
I have that dish brush! I got them off Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-301-495-56-Plastis-Dishwashing-Assorted/dp/B00PNKYZRQ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1520228509&sr=8-8&keywords=dish+brush
Mrs. C. says
A bounty of tested canning recipes, including one for pickled pears.
http://foodinjars.com/recipe-index/
Mrs. C. says
Another wonderful resource for canning – I HAve both of her books:
https://agardenerstable.com
Misty says
If you are driving through the Pittsburgh area, Oakmont Bakery is wonderful.
E in Upstate NY says
Think twice and then three times about sun cokes or Jerusalem artichokes. They are HIGHLY invasive. Lack of sun will control them. Part of their growing cycle is to send out runners for new plants and this year’s tuber will die back if not harvested. I’ve had runners lift up my 4″ thick concrete block sidewalk. Had to remove the blocks, hand dig to make sure every inch of root was removed and replace the blocks.
They invaded my potato garden area. Had to hand dig them out, and then I didn’t get them all. Had to know the difference between potato shoots and them to successfully hand pull them out.
Much like bishop’s weed, if you leave even a half inch of root, the plant will survive. I’ve also had the plants spread 40 feet away from original planting. Don’t know how it was spread, but my large leaf mulch area was taken over by them.
Inulin is an indigestible sugar for humans. Indians introduced the plant to the original puritans. They have in their surviving writings about eating the plant that gives gas {smelly}.
Neighbor scrubs them well, then slices thinly for salads. She doesn’t cook them. Because they are nobby, peeling is not realistic.
All this said, they are the last flower in the garden, and last until the first hard frost. When growing circumstances are good for them, they will grow as high as 10 feet or more.
As I said when started on the tirade, think long and hard about introducing these plants to your garden.
stacy turner says
RE: spiced pears — the Ball Canning book has a recipe that uses unsweetened apple juice in place of sugar syrup. For spiced pears, either add a cinnamon stick or piece of crystalized ginger to each jar of halved pears. (The ginger version is my favorite : )
Carrie says
Since Lucy likes other dogs maybe find a dog park close by to visit when you are going stir crazy. I took my pup on Saturday to get some of her energy burned up.
Karin Carson says
I follow and use recipes for canning from here Safe and Smart Canning Recipes, they have a FB page, everything is tested and safe, I have been canning for years and have learned a ton from them, I put up in the neighbourhood of 700 plus jars a year and I am small potatoes compared to lots and the things I have learned you can and can’t can . There are a ton of recipes , my fav at the moment is Cowboy Candy which is a sweet jalapeño ring it’s so good .
jess says
Depending on day and time.. you would look into the bakeries at the http://westsidemarket.org in Cleveland!
I live an hour away and STILL have not made it up there.. maybe husband and I need to plan a kid free day trip!
E in Upstate NY says
jess, definitely plan a day trip to the West Side Market!
Born and raised in Cleveland, the West Side Market is a great place to experience food from many places. Besides bakeries, there’s wonderful butchers with diverse sausages and other meats. A short walk is the home of Great Lakes Brewery.
Cleveland has long been an area of many nationalities. Before vandalism destroyed it, there used to be a beautiful park, a meandering drive, from University Circle [ home of the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Art Museum, Wade reflection pond, Case Western Reserve University, a great auto museum, horticultural society etc.] to Lake Erie. Different nationalities had garden niches with statuary, reflecting their homeland.
Yes, Cleveland got a bad rap many years ago, [Cuyahoga River caught fire due to pollution but is significantly clean now] but it is really a neat place.
Lisa says
If you see a Wegman’s grocery store in upstate New York I would advise checking out their bakery and getting headlights! (They are donuts and are the ultimate treat of my childhood!) It’s also a really nice grocery store you might be intrigued by exploring!