Well it was SO cold. It never even reached above Freezing Point yesterday. And the day before yesterday I overdid it just a little. So I had to have a rest day which means no sitting down, no bending over and no lifting.
My kefir mother had been working for 24 hours so I made a big loaf of wholemeal, flaxseed bread and smelt it rising then cooking from the couch. I find it does the best if I put it in the cold oven and then turn the oven on to cook it. It seems to complete its last rise very vigorously that way.
Then I lay on the couch and ate hot bread with butter and great gulps of hot tea because that is the best way to eat bread.
Then I decided to experiment some more with an oat base for a custard pie. This is an apple rosette custard pie with a gluten free oat, walnut and honey base. The base was almost lovely. When I make it again I will write down what I do, so I can share it with you. The custard was lovely too. But the apple rosettes were horrible. I am still working on this recipe too.
Because it looks so good.
Then I spent some of the afternoon back on the couch reading about kunekune pigs. I hope this link will lead you to a wee video of kunekune. They are just so cute I can’t bear it! This is a pig that could come in the car to the old folks home with me. I have discovered a breeder in Illinois. Oh Dear. It would be a pet though and you know how I am about pets (I know, I know – with three dogs and four cats, three peacocks and those guineas!). I pretend not to have pets!
Then I called a local sheep man I have just discovered and asked him if he wanted Hairy Maclairy. He said he will come and have a look and seemed very positive. Yay for Hairy who has been lonely on the other side of the fence. He is too rough with Mama, and has been head butting Daisy. He needs bigger pastures and more girls (who he is not related to). And I can get a new ram from the new sheep man next year. This fellow raises organic lamb for restaurants in chicago.
Then I laid on the couch and did some research on what legumes we will sow into the patches this year (I want ones with flowers for the bees). And John has requested a small turkey for next years Thanksgiving so I needed to do some research on that.
Then I got John to drive me down to the newly reopened local pub and asked them if I could put a bucket in their scullery to collect scraps for the pigs and the chickens. And the man in the kitchen said, yes. I told them all they have to do is put the full bucket outside in the tile I provided (so it does not become a target for dogs or wind) – out on the footpath and I will swap it for a clean one. It is called curbside pickup. And is legal. The man looked bemused but did a lot of nodding so I think we are clear.
Then home again, (I can ride quite well in the passenger seat of the big red truck) I ate the Irish lamb stew that John had cooking on the woodstove all day. And then went to bed to lie down and research nothing.
It was the day of small successes. But not a day of pictures.
Very cold and windy and grey.
Have a lovely day.
your friend
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
86 responses to “A Day on the Couch”
Oh I am so sad that the pie didn’t taste as good as it looks, because if a book can be judged by its cover…..Well done on the slops for the piggies! Take it easy today…healing cannot be rushed.
Morning natalia, I think I know what i got wrong with the apple custard pie and will work on it again soon as I want to make it for christmas day.. c
The Kunekune piggies are just fabulous. I want one, and definitely not for chops! And that rosette apple tart looks worth perfecting – shame that something that looks so delicious was disappointing. Keep trying, I want the recipe.
They are too fat for chops, though in the old days I am sure they were eaten by the Maori, they were very short of protein in those days. But looking at them now they are pretty lardy!! c
Wonderful update as always. Glad you are resting now to get you to do it before the pain is so horrific you HAVE TOO 🙂 A gentle hug coming you way Celi
I am going to try and do some shopping today (first day out since my accident) so I hope I stored up some painfree moments!.. c
🙂 Best of luck to you and rest after it is all we can do I also dislike medical care I have more than had my fill 🙂 Extra Strength Tylona(SP) not sure how to spell it I pace and meditate the pain to a level I can deal with :(l works too 🙂
thank you, I will look for it, though the pain I have has reached a tolerable stage, except at night and early morning.. i am in the fourth week now so the knitting is almost done, not I just need to be good!!.. c
HUGS I know it is hard and horrible I started long ago with a trashed back running down the hall to jump on my bed only to find Mom had moved room around 😦 Landed on Cox-as(tailbone) then I was ice skating and fell on it again. Over and over the S1 and Lumbar took abuse OUCH so I know your pain hope you are warm with nasty weather all around that area.
Oh no, that sounds terrible, I am doing very much better now, if i could only DRIVE the car!.. c
Yes the sliding in and out is brutal 😦
The Kunekune piglets are little hairy cuties – no wonder you want some!
The apple rosette custard pie certainly looks delicious, and I know you will work, and succeed, on improving the apples!
It is pretty isn’t it/ i saw it on pinterest ages ago without a recipe and have wanted to try and make one ever since.. c
What was the problem with it? Were the skins too tough? Maybe if some way you could caramelize the skins in some way to keep them stiff but edible? Looks scrumptious!
I brushed them with honey hoping for that result, but i think there was too much skin on a few of them, and the wrong apple, this would be perfect for the apple pie tree apple, that had very thin skins.. but I need red for the pink of the petals.. I shall continue the search.. plus they needed a deeper pie dish so that the custard covered more.. c
The pie looked fabulous even if it didn’t turn out as you had wanted. You are making great use of your forced down time. Rest, rest, rest.
Morning Beth Ann.. food for the eyes.. maybe I can use it as a table decoration!.. c
Great idea—shellac it!!!!!
Well, who knew? The first shot of those kunekunes sucking in energetic unison on the mom’s teats is one of the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. They look like furry piggy banks minus the slot in the back. But, hmmm, what are those funny nipply things hanging from their necks goat-style? What purpose do those serve other than making them even more cartoon-like??? By the way, I think your apple rosettes are beautiful. So there.
Morning charlotte, how is your rabbit? I will see the breeder today and will ask her about his sneeze. Those are wattles. Some breeds have them. Though not all kunekune do. Though the breeders prefer them to have the wattles. I am not so fond of them but all round it is rather a comical piggie! c
The pie/tart looks scrumptious…definitely worth working-on until it’s as tasty as that photo!
A celebratory apple pie. How is your christmas shaping up marie, with two little children it will be full of anticipation.. c
It’s coming along, with few hiccups. Grandad is away until Monday, and we’re trying to get all the decorating (except the tree) done before then. Looks like we just might make it!
are you stringing popcorn? I heard that some people do that but i have these images of little mice balancing ever so precariously, walking along the decorations taking a nibble..
No, and that’s exactly why…I’m not feeding the little buggers ON PURPOSE 🙂
It takes a few days to decorate, because the kids have short attention spans. We’re close, though!
How on earth is John going to plant his garlic in two weeks? Won’t the ground be solid?
ROFL!!!! That is hilarious!!!! 😀
This is what I say to him. but there you are!! The ground is ready.. he has his own calender.. c
I’m coming to your house for fresh bread and butter! Num! I’ll bring coffee, however. 🙂 I’ve been making a lot of kefir and it turns out my new favorite is made from coconut milk. I love my morning kefir smoothies.
I have some very good coffee too!! anytime.. I have kefir grains that are very active so even the pigs have kefir smoothies! c
I’ve done a little research on KuneKune pigs as well. My primary interest was finding a small breed of pig that we could send to freezer camp. What I discovered is that KuneKune pigs is that they are more fatty that other pigs. To keep them leaner, they need more grass and foraging. Many use the fat for kitchen lard.
While researching KuneKune pigs, I came across a breed called Guinea hogs. Seems many get both and cross them as the cross makes some really good meat.
Both breeds come highly recommended for first time pig owners.
Of course my fear is that I end up with these breeds and they become pets instead of meat.
We’re in for a several more days of artic weather, so stay warm.
To tell the truth the only reason I would have a kunekune (should one appear in my christmas stocking one year) is because they are a NZ pig and have been on the endangered list. It would be like having a little snorty piece of home. They are most definitely pets. I can grow perfectly lovely pork with the herefords, and LOW fat is my objective! Though the Guinea Hog is also a rare breed and you might think of breeding them to keep the breed going.. COLD COLD out there this morning, but better than yesterday with that wind! Hope you have a good friday deb..c
Good information.
Thanks.
I saw you getting out of that big red truck as I was leaving town yesterday. You can not mistake that blonde head of hair you have!
I wondered if the skins on the apples make it bitter? Looks yummy tho!
You kind of need to leave a tiny slither of skin to get the whirl of the rosette, still working on that! There must be a tool i can make to cut a spiral straight down.. yup that was us dropping off the buckets to Cookie!.. I can sit in the big red truck a lot easier than the car.. c
Those pigs are as cute as can be! I want one too!!! We are in the middle of the winter storm with lots of snow falling. Everything closed and canceled. Time to make Xmas gifts indoors, read, relax and watch the snow fall. XO
Are you getting the ice too? This is a bad time of year for a storm.. c
We are just breaking out of the ice now! Snow everywhere still! Still breaking ice and thawing water for the animals twice daily. But today it’s supposed to get above freezing for the first time in a week! Yay!!! Roads still very icy though! xo
Even when you do nothing , you are still busy doing something……what a gal !!!
morning miss whiplash!.. c
Like everyone else, I really sympathise with you. There’s no hurrying a hurting coccyx. The pigs sound great…our daughter is like you and pretends she has no pets…a pony, a shetland pony, two dogs, two rabbits and on, and on,,,,,:)
It is cold here in Italy too. It was still zero at 10.00 am this morning and didn’t warm up much after that.
I finally have electricity at my mountain house after more than 6 weeks. Then the heater wouldn’t work, now the Internet doesn’t work. Siamo in Italia.
Your pie is gorgeous, even if you weren’t quite satisfied with the rosettes. I do hope that the man will take Hairy and give him big pasture with lots of “dates.” It’s going up to 79 degrees here today…so wrong, even for us.