Smoked Pork Roast

Really not much going on this weekend. I mostly relaxed and practiced violin. I also practiced a bit on a new instrument that I bought the Irish tin whistle.
Through the day Phil and I smoked a nice big pork roast in the smoker. I used the cherry wood chips that I had bought. They weren't as sweet smelling as the plum wood is but it was still excellent.

Late this afternoon Michelle looked out the window. We have been looking out at the bird feeders in the back yard a lot lately because a flock of pine warblers has found the feeders and they are usually loaded with birds. Anyway, she asked me, "Is that a vulture standing over that duck?" I knew it couldn't be a vulture and I was right (as I ran to the back door). It was a hawk and he had killed the duck. Phil came out and shot at it with the pellet gun but never hit it and didn't scare it off far. It hung around up in the trees for quite a while.  I had to go put the ducks back in their pen (they had all run in there anyway, I just had to shut the door and fill their water pan in there) and will have to leave them there until I am sure they will be ok in the back yard again. Rather depressing but hawks have to live too and they are beautiful birds (though I can't say that I was appreciating this ones beauty while I was screaming at it).

Kale and Mushroom Soup

So I was told yesterday morning that I needed to get going and make mushroom soup, so I did. I looked up some recipes, thought about what I had on hand and made my own like always. I had two packages of the large button mushrooms that I bought marked down yesterday plus a few dried oyster mushrooms.

I then thought about that nice pot of kale that is growing on the porch.

I really need to use those for something so I went out and picked some fresh kale leaves. The mushrooms and kale went into the crock pot with a quart of homemade stock, a nice sweet green onion, about a half tsp of thyme and minced garlic, some salt and pepper and some milk (I really don't know how much just enough to bring the liquid to the top of the mushrooms and kale.)

It cooked in the crock pot for several hours. I then took most of it out and put it in the food processor. I kept out some of the mushrooms so they could be in the soup in whole pieces. I then put it all back in the pot for just a little longer.

It was pretty good and made a very nice lunch for Michelle and I.

Here are my little heads of broccoli. I picked them yesterday. They look pretty big in this picture but they really aren't-- still dipped in some ranch dressing, they should make a nice snack.

Here are the English muffins and the bread I made today.

The English muffins are for breakfasts, the bread will go with supper tonight of deer meat loaf and homemade mac n' cheese.

Apple Wine Tasting

Today was the tasting of the apple wine. I added some white grape juice to sweeten it with. It needed to be diluted some anyway. I really didn't think this one fermented as long as I thought it should but apparently I was wrong because when I first tasted it- before I added the grape juice- my throat was very warm afterwards. I guess I should use my hydrometer when I make wine but I just never seem to have the time to keep checking the must. I am lucky if I remember to rack it to jugs when it needs to be.  Anyway, it is the loveliest clear color.

As for taste...well...I think it probably tastes like it should but I tend to like red and berry wines so much better. It's not so bad after the first glass though :)
Right now I have fermenting: pink lemonade wine, mixed berry wine, and raspberry apple wine, all made from frozen juice. I am waiting for the cranberries from Christmas to get marked down (amazing how long cranberries last in the stores!) so that I can get some and make some more cranberry wine.