brchbell

This has not been a kind summer for us with a severe drought. No public water supply and as our 17 acre pond dropped lower and lower it took on a disgusting smell. We've taken to filling gallon jugs in town for cooking and drinking. My garden looks sad but it has produced very well and we have been able to put up lots and lots of food plus live off our garden most of the summer.

Our oldest son is getting married September 8th in LA, CA . They will honey moon in Arkansas and then settle into my son's house in St Jo, MO. I've been hand quilting a King sized quilt for them and was worried I'd be sewing the binding on while we drive out there! But my daughters have chipped in and we got it all done late last night.

I am not bringing in any more produce from the garden until we get back. I got onions in the dehydrator and tomatoes pureed and in the crock pot making tomato sauce. I got a basket of garlic to clean up and freeze. After today I will be able to concentrate on getting ready for our departure on Wednesday.

Dresses are all done, got #2 son staying to take care of animals and just got to get everything taken care of and packed for the trip. My future DIL decided she didn't want a wedding cake but pies instead. So all us girls will be making 26 assorted pies the night before the wedding. Anything to add pressure!

It hasn't helped that I got a tick bite last Fall and now I am allergic to gluten, dairy and eggs. Not a little intolerant but very allergic. I have to carry Epi pins everywhere with me. Just being near to these foods can cause me to swell up and stop breathing in minutes. So I have had to learn how to cook again. I still can't make bread. I went from county fair blue ribbon winning bread to bread the dogs and chickens won't touch. I gave up and starting slower and working my way up. I've gotten real good at cookies and muffins. I've learned a lot about the Gluten free grains and how to use them. Not being able to use eggs either has been very hard to work with. Most GF mixes require eggs. If you don't use them then the product turns out flat and nasty. I have found two brands of pasta that works well but you have to be careful cooking them. You can't stir very much and you have to pull it just before it gets done and it will turn out perfect. The two brands I found that works for us is Lundberg GF Brown Rice Pasta and Bionaturae GF made with rice, potato and soy. Breakfast has become a fend for your self thing so they can have their eggs, etc and I have my fruit and bowl of cereal. I make up my own granola using Gluten free oats. We have 900 lbs of oats stored but they all have gluten in them. So now I am having to buy oats I can use and now I have to get lots of them because I make up GF muffins and cookies using GF oats and everyone eats them. They even love my dairy free, gluten free Enjoy Life chocolate chips! If you get a tick bite and then break out in hives watch out! That's what happened to me last October and now I will be allergic to these foods the rest of my life. We normally come in and shower every hour or two but last October we had a big project going on and were out over 12 hours and I was the one in the tall grass all day. It's been a terrible price I can't even safely go into a restaurant now. Grocery stores that are giving cooking demo's are big no-no's for me too. But by now we are learning how to live with this and no problems getting my whole family to spray them selves down when they have to go out and work on our farm! I had sprayed my self down that morning but the all day long thing did me in. We are living with it and learning along the way.

Anyway we are all excited and looking forward to their marriage. I know I don't check in very often but things are so hectic here and so much going on. Maybe this winter I'll have time to stop by each day again!

Cherlynn