Hollaback (and farm log 6/5/10))

Today, I learned about this very very interesting aggregator site Oil Zenith | aggregating peak oil, sustainability, economic collapse. I spent an extremely fascinating hour and a half or so there boinging back and forth between blogs on sustainable lifestyles, on adapting to the new low-energy reality, and on economic projections. Every site I visited was of high quality; there was not a single clunker in the bunch.

That's why I was so flattered when my request to be included was accepted within an hour! Your humble author is now featured prominently under the headings "food production," "sustainability," and "permaculture." I encourage you to visit - there is a plethora of absorbing links. So don't visit unless you have a couple of hours to kill.

Aside from killing a couple of hours on the computer myself, I managed to accomplish a few things on this beautiful sunshiney day:

7:00 am - milk goats

8:00 am - make pancakes for breakfast with the girls

10:00 am - go to farmer's market with eggs and cheese, trade for a crazy amount of spinach, and set up a date for my husband to pick up a carload of WVO from Veggie (oil) Man.

11:00 am - realize the day is far too gorgeous to spend all of it at home and take the kids to the park. Hit the grocery store on the way home and

12:00 pm - put some pork ribs in a slow oven smothered in a dry rub consisting of:

- 2 tsp salt

- 2 tbspn sugar

-1 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 tbspn spice mix (in coffee grinder, mix 1 tsp cuminseed, 1 tsp black pepper, 6 allspice berries, and 3 or 4 cloves

along with a dozen potatoes for a roasted potato salad. Throughout the rest of the day occasionally turn ribs while

1:00 - 5:00 - herd goats and ponies while transplanting a half dozen cucumber starts. Drink a few beers. Watch kids play in the kiddie pool. Enjoy sun. Enjoy view of mountains. Think life is about as good as it gets.

Well, that brings us up to the present. Somewhere in there I took the potatoes out of the oven and made my favorite potato salad - chilpotle lime. Here's how I made it today:

- ten or twelve roasted potatoes, still with a little bite to them. I used red potatoes. Cut into eighths and put in a big bowl.

- 2-3 tbspns mayonnaise

- two chilpotles from a can of chilpotles en adobo, plus a little sauce

- juice of three or four limes

Put three preceding ingredients in blender canister and blend the heck out of it. Pour over potatoes, scraping out all residue.

- one full bunch green onions, finely chopped

- one full bunch cilantro, finely chopped

- salt and pepper to taste

Add remaining ingredients to potatoes and blend well, add salt and pepper to taste. I LOVE this potato salad and am proud of inventing it, but my kids hate it because it is too spicy for them. Boo-Hoo, that's why it;s good to be a grownup.

Picnic on the lawn, here we come!!!