Good morning!!!!

[txdon]

As promised here is the spaghetti sauce. However the correct name is LENTIL MARINARA SAUCE
It's tried and true and comes from the book "The Happy Herbivore" by Lindsay Nixon

Can be served over pasta, spaghetti squash, baked potatoes or broccoli.

2C vegetable broth, divided
3-4 garlic cloves
1 small onion diced
2-3 tbsp tomato paste
6 tomatoes diced
1 TBSp Italian seasoning
1 TBSp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup lentils
1 jalapeno
( can add a pinch of sugar or squeeze of catsup, salt or pepper to taste)

Use part of the vegetable broth to sauce' garlic and onion,
Add remaining ingredients
bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 20-30 minutes

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Guess what? We actually got .3 inches of rain. First rain in 56 days! There was a severe thunderstorm warning issued. There were reports of golf ball sized hail. Thought it was coming right for us, watching the radar, missed us by maybe 1/2 mile. Only had a little pea sized hail. This storm came just 2 weeks shy of getting hit by a similar hail storm last year about this time, that caused $18,000 damage to our vehicles. Really glad and lucky it missed us. Blew through fast...start to finish was about 45 minutes. Sun is back out now. Good chance of a shower again tommorow.

Didn't finish the weed whacking today, wifey wanted some low hanging branches cut down. They were hanging over the driveway like an arch. I guess it looks better. Then got into trimming some overgrown junipers and 'Apatche Plume' shrubs. That area definately looks better. I'll whack it tomorrow. Also took a couple pics of our 'Purple Robe Locust' trees that came into full bloom this year.

 

[daugen]

LS, really nice trees. Does those locusts have big thorns on them like the ones in the East?

sounds like you need a supply of helmets nearby for the hail!

 

[toppop52]

Nice tree LS.

 

[mostly_gas]

Good evening all. 64F for the start, mostly sunny, wind near calm. Wind stayed low, sky cleared off and high temp of 87F. The forecast rain chances in true summer chances have mostly dried up. Choir practice this morning, followed by lawn mowing. After lunch, started bike ride, had front fender issues so changed bikes to the Trek. No nap today so will head to bed soon. Congrats on the rain LS.
Prayers for all.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Never made it with fresh tomatoes, so some more research will be needed, but this is what I've been using as a basis for the last 40 or so years. It varies each time depending on what's on hand, but it's a good place to start.

Spaghetti & Meat Balls
Ingredients:
1 Sweet Yellow Onion
2 16 oz Cans Tomato Puree
1 16 oz Can Crushed Tomato
2 lbs. Ground Round
2 Slices Toasted Bread
1 Egg
2 Cloves Garlic
2 x 1 Tbs. Oregano
2 x 1 Tbs. Ground Black Pepper
2 x 1 Tsp. Salt
2 x 1 Tsp. Ground Basil
2 x 1 Tsp. Ground Sage
2 x 1 Tsp. Thyme
2 Tbs. Olive Oil

Directions:
We'll start with the meat balls. Put ground round in large mixing bowl and add toast torn into 1/4" x 1/4" chunks. Add egg and one teaspoon of oregano, black pepper, salt, basil, sage, and thyme. With two table knives (one in each hand), mix the meat ball ingredients by making a cross cutting motion through the mixture. Do this by overlapping the knives so that they make an "X" with the meat between the two blades and slide the knives apart toward the outside of the bowl. Continue mixing until the spices are distributed evenly and the toast is hard to see. You may wish to add a tablespoon or two of milk if the mixture becomes too dry.

In a four quart sauce pan, heat the olive oil until it starts to smoke. While you're waiting, form the meat mixture into balls about an inch and a half across. Brown the meat balls in the olive oil.

When all the meat balls are browned, add the tomato puree and crushed tomatoes to the sauce pan. Add the meat balls, onions and the remaining spices and crushed garlic cloves. Stir occasionally while you simmer covered for two to three hours. Longer is better.

Serve over your pasta of choice. If you're doing spaghetti, figure a one inch diameter bundle of pasta per serving. I like to get the water to a rolling boil and set the spaghetti upright in the center of the pot and then let go so it splays to all sides of the pot. As the lower portion softens all the pasta will drop into the water and you won't have to break it.

Thank you RNG!

Good morning. Almost a week now without any rain, the sun keeps on shining and grass growth is slowing as the top few inches are drying out fast.

Yesterday I thought I ought to cut the top growth down a grass track that hasn't been grazed due to badgers wreking the fence line by their digging and mounding. I knew I could only get half way down the track or the tractor would get lost down their earthworks, what I hadn't expected though was for my topper to find the barbed wire from the fence. By the time I heard the rattling and hit the pto stop, the wire had coiled itself good and proper around one of the cutter bars and drive shaft. Spent the rest of the morning underneath cutting it out. After that trudging around a field with a knapsack didn't seem so bad.

I believe a man that lived up near Don's side of the county was killed years ago, when barbed wire got caught up and it was spooling it off the fence posts. Caught him on the neck IIRC.

Currently have a pot of spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove.
As for recipe, just a variety of what I’ve made last 50+ years, basically nothing measured.

Onions + garlic sautéed in Olive oil
About 2 lbs ground beef
1 lb Hot Italian sausage (removed from casings)
Large can diced tomatoes
Can tomato paste
Large jar Ragu Heart Smart Traditional
Bay leaves
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes
4 packets Splenda

Wife says it is tasting really good - I believe her as I see she tastes every time she stirs it. Just hope there is some left when about 10 friends come over this afternoon for Happy Hour.


View attachment 555142

Thank you David and Sofie for taste testing.

Snakes and me are a no no. Glad we do not see them that big around here. I do not kill them. But do move them in a direction away from me.

I just send my snakes over to Don's.

Thanks for the recipe Don.

We got a trace of rain today.

LS125, hope your knee keeps feeling better. You have most everybody beat on the number of days without rain. glad you got some.

Prayers for all.

Got really busy at work all of a sudden. Feast or famine cycles. Makes the day go by.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Just a sprinkle of rain this morning but, 3/4” yesterday which was welcome as this was our first rain in over three weeks.

Got in some dust free mowing today on the new Kubota. Much better.

 

[txdon]

Got back from the TV hospital and it was thundering, Whipper was gone, MIA for about 15 minutes before she came running from the back of the property. Rained another 1/10". No mowing today, maybe tomorrow. I should find out tomorrow if the TV will be scheduled for surgery or the plug pulled to be a donor.

 

[Eric Salop]

Another day of once rare, pure sunshine coming up for us. Hard to believe we have had so many days in a row like this in May, almost as if the weather is trying to apologise for all the poor days it sent earlier in the year.

LS Your slender purple robe is very pretty, it looks to be thriving despite the lack of rain. I guess mulching the ground must help when it is so dry.

We lost most of the pink blossom this year as it coincided with frosts. The hawthorns are fairing much better, our "dead oak pit" was lit up yesterday with the light reflected back from all the white petals.

 

[RoyJackson]

2018-05-22, 0458

49 right now...a cool 66 as the high and light rain today.
Off today to take my step-daughter in for a minor procedure (female thing). She'll be put out for the procedure so won't be able to drive afterward.

Added at 0553:
I think when we get home, I'll rig the flail mower to the tractor. It's too wet to do any chipping (plus, I noticed my neighbor took most of the downed tree top I was going to chip...I guess he wanted the wood for his fire pit). I'd driven down on the field Sunday...field grass definitely needs mowing.

 

[Buppies]

67 high of 85 more storms today rain is causing problems all around flooding mud slides etc. After Wednesday nice until the weekend until more rain comes in and possibly a lot

Leg pretty sore yesterday hopefully better today

Prayers for those in need silent and spoken

 

[Bird]

67 degrees with a forecast high of 89 is close to the same as Virginia, but only a 10% chance of any rain in north Texas.

 

[ronjhall]

Need to pour second cup of coffee. 53° with cloudy skies this morning. Heading to 69° with cloudy skies. Got .52" of rain yesterday. No rain again until holiday weekend. Should be able to put some weed killer down if winds stay low. Bought diesel yesterday. 20 gallon = $68. Must be a holiday coming up. No real plans for today again.

LS your trees look good.

Buppies, LS, RS and others continue with your recovery.

Prayers for all.

Good Morning All.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Good morning all, 63 this morning going to 81 with a 30-60% chance of showers. Got the pool cover off and put away, went to the grocery and cleaned out a little of the garage. The heat and humidity were not any fun. The AC is acting up and is not cooling much. Will call for the repair man this morning.

Drew, thought the pick - shuck was a local thing. Here we dig potatoes and pick beans.

Hope everyone has a great day, prayers on the way for legs, knees, and all in need. Ed

 

[Thomas]

50F cloudy mid 60's for high on/off rain today.

After work depending on the weather,either cut and stack wood or trim front field...good down time as they say.
Time for E-muffin and slow roll to work.

Enjoy the day all.

..................................
Buppies
"Leg pretty sore yesterday hopefully better today"

Getting older takes little longer to mend.

 

[toppop52]

Buppies, take care of yourself.
61, going to 80 today, 90 by Saturday.
Need to do some more spraying today.

Got a house full coming for the weekend, son’s birthday is next week.
Planning a cookout Saturday.

 

[daugen]

warmer day today, 71 already going to 86, high humidity sure does pull the sweat out of you

Finally had to put some chemicals down in the veggie garden, Capt.Deadbug's organic powder on the cabbage, which was getting chomped to bits by
some unknown bug and then put the rest down on the sweet potatoes and beans, anything that had munch marks on them.

Hard night last night, had to make a midnight hot tub run for leg cramps, but then I was fine. I just can't do three or four hours on my feet anymore.
I go until I can't go anymore, rest, feel better, but paybacks come later.

Going to take the Gravely rider out into the corn patch today and cut down all the sections that grew nothing but weeds. That's where I wound up yesterday
and realized the job was way bigger than me. Then I work on the potato plow, new bolts holding the plowshare in, with spacer washers to improve the angle, and then
I'll go dig up some empty part of the field to try it out. Just doesn't look like it will dig low enough. Trial and error. Doubt I can use the little Massey, the lower arms seem just too short.
Since the potato rows are pretty far apart, I think I'm going to quit fooling with this, take the mower off the Kubota and put the potato plow on that, which has a hydraulic top link. Then I can adjust any which way.

Am also wondering, for those of you familiar with digging up potatoes with a middle buster, if I put the tilt part of the top n tilt, meaning I have a hydraulic side link, would angling the potato plow in one direction to turn them over directionally, almost like a standard "lay-off" plow, would that make getting at the potatoes easier?
Am wondering if there are some tricks to the operation here, never done this before.

Had to leave another thread due to folks there not to learn, or make new friends, but who only want to argue, to "get their way" over someone else.
It's sadly prevalent here, and I try to go in areas the unpleasant folk don't go. Sometimes not so easy.
Transportation is totally trolled. I won't go in Unfriendly Politics, that's where I believe all these harsh attitudes are coming from.
Folks go "in there" and come out with a ping pong attitude, you hit it to me, I'll slam it back harder to you.
No thank you.

Why not be nice as a starting point?....

 

[daugen]

It was really depressing yesterday as I worked the weedeater through heavy weeds in corn rows, no corn, I think the crows got it, and then
I look over to the corn field right next to me planted by a local farmer renting the land.

Zero weeds.
Perfect rows of perfect corn.
absolutely beautiful

my jaw got lower and lower looking at that perfect corn.
All the best that Roundup and Roundup Ready can bring you.

That's when I decided I was not going to get heat stroke out there with the weedeater
and am upping my game to the mower. Much faster than running the tiller through there again, which I will do the following time once the grass is down.
And you do none of this if you slobber chemicals over your land. (this actually is a stupid comment: proper application and good science prevail)
sigh.

If you see organic non GMO corn in the store, it's worth whatever they want for it...

 

[toppop52]

warmer day today, 71 already going to 86, high humidity sure does pull the sweat out of you

Finally had to put some chemicals down in the veggie garden, Capt.Deadbug's organic powder on the cabbage, which was getting chomped to bits by
some unknown bug and then put the rest down on the sweet potatoes and beans, anything that had munch marks on them.

Hard night last night, had to make a midnight hot tub run for leg cramps, but then I was fine. I just can't do three or four hours on my feet anymore.
I go until I can't go anymore, rest, feel better, but paybacks come later.

Going to take the Gravely rider out into the corn patch today and cut down all the sections that grew nothing but weeds. That's where I wound up yesterday
and realized the job was way bigger than me. Then I work on the potato plow, new bolts holding the plowshare in, with spacer washers to improve the angle, and then
I'll go dig up some empty part of the field to try it out. Just doesn't look like it will dig low enough. Trial and error. Doubt I can use the little Massey, the lower arms seem just too short.
Since the potato rows are pretty far apart, I think I'm going to quit fooling with this, take the mower off the Kubota and put the potato plow on that, which has a hydraulic top link. Then I can adjust any which way.

Am also wondering, for those of you familiar with digging up potatoes with a middle buster, if I put the tilt part of the top n tilt, meaning I have a hydraulic side link, would angling the potato plow in one direction to turn them over directionally, almost like a standard "lay-off" plow, would that make getting at the potatoes easier?
Am wondering if there are some tricks to the operation here, never done this before.

Had to leave another thread due to folks there not to learn, or make new friends, but who only want to argue, to "get their way" over someone else.
It's sadly prevalent here, and I try to go in areas the unpleasant folk don't go. Sometimes not so easy.
Transportation is totally trolled. I won't go in Unfriendly Politics, that's where I believe all these harsh attitudes are coming from.
Folks go "in there" and come out with a ping pong attitude, you hit it to me, I'll slam it back harder to you.
No thank you.

Why not be nice as a starting point?....

That’s why this is the only thread I regularly visit. FP was making me someone I didn’t like.

 

[Looking4new]

42 and going to a high of 75. Wind N 6 mph. Mainly cloudy.

Yesterday junior and I put in a raised bed complete with topsoil/peat mixture over the dead dog. She was juniors' dog, so he gets the privilege of planting the flowers.

On the way out from the back where the graves are I fired up the BH and got some low hanging branches out of the way.

If you keep you grass cut short, then the snakes will relocate elsewhere. I know I have snakes in my bush, but I rarely see them on the cut lawn. I see more in the dug well than anywhere else. The dug well is ONLY used for watering the grass and washing vehicles.

Off to town to the P.O. and bank. Gotta get the cash for the gravel that 'might' be coming today or tomorrow.

The countdown is on, I'm going back to work on the 3rd of June. My dispatcher doesn't know it yet. I want a day to work out the bugs in my truck.

Have a safe day all