Three-quarters smug

Breakfast:

To you, this may be just another cholesterol-laden platter of food. To me, it's an accomplishment. From the top clockwise, we have a store-bought English muffin, but followed by an egg from our own chickens, potatoes from the garden, and sausage from our own pork.

We're batting .750 for a homegrown meal.

Now, I'm smug about this. I admit it. And I had planned to put this photo up to show how excited I am that we are actually seeing results from our (mostly my husband's and brother-in-law's) work around here.

But last night we had dinner guests (the female half of whom will be reading this post!), and the male half maybe got a bit weary of me bragging about the homemade sourdough bread (excellent), the pork chops (delicious), the sweet corn (sweet and juicy!) and the blueberry sour cream coffee cake (yum). Smug, no question. He suggested that maybe I'm a little overboard on the locavore/homegrown thing and that maybe I'm buying into a fad rather than actually feeling the true motivation for providing our own food.

Nuh-uh!

But it got me thinking that maybe I am a bit giddy about the whole whole-food thing. In my defense, I swear it's not because I want the rest of the world to see me as more aware, environmentally responsible, or whatever. It's mainly because (a) I have never really grown food or raised animals before and I'm amazed at how satisfying it is to have a direct connection between our food and its source and (b) it tastes so damn good.

So, continuing with the smugness, check out our red potatoes. The good news, they're beautiful:

The bad news, what you see there is our entire harvest. We had about 50 feet of red potatoes planted and only about a dozen plants survived the rain and runoff that has plagued this summer, not to mention the weeds that are so thick and tall it takes a machete to even get to the rows. We have russets coming soon and as far as I can tell they aren't totally rotten. We'll see. Garden upkeep has not been at the top of my to-do list ever this year...

Believe it or not, the rain has let up around here for several days in a row! It's enough to get you dancing in the streets. Hot days, cool nights, a light breeze, and abundant sunshine. Perfect late summer weather at last! The drop in humidity encouraged me to finish these:

Love them. Love the stitch pattern:

These are Ann Budd's Undulating Rib socks from Interweave's Favorite Socks book, made with A Piece of Vermont Yarn & Fiber's bamboo blend sock yarn.

Speaking of which, I have a shop update coming soon which will include more of the bamboo sock yarn, plus a few copies of the Favorite Socks book, and a special feature: a dyeing/spinning/knitting kit I can't wait to get out there. I think a bit of jewelry might be making an appearance next week as well.

For now, summer is winding to a close. The windmill is doing its job (although the boys had to move it to a more effective location in the corn field). Here it is early in the morning, beyond the apple trees:

I caught a halfway decent sunrise shot, too:

The turkeys and chickens enjoying some cantaloupe:

My old cat giving me a "Please open the door and don't make any sudden movements that might startle them" look:

And my makeshift nostepinne (organic but not, I'm afraid, homegrown):

Next on the needles, I'm working up this neckwarmer in a silk-merino blend and will be starting up yet another pair of socks from Favorite Socks. Stay tuned for a shop update in my next blog post or, if you don't want to miss it, join the shop mailing list for fast notification.

Now I'm going outside.

Comments

[Carole]

I don't think the motivation for eating local is the point. The point is doing it!

[jillian]

You should be smug! That's great. And how can being "overboard", if that even were the case, a bad thing? I'd say the senor didn't entirely get the larger point.

[--Deb]

I'd be smug, too!

[Cookie]

Smug? You should be proud!

Loving that sock, btw. I need to take a second look at that pattern now that I've seen yours.

[Manise]

I second Carole! That's quite the nostie you have there!

[Knitnana]

Smug? No, don't think so. Maybe he was a touch intimidated?

What an accomplishment that plate of breakfast is! Congratulations (and I hope the Russets produce better than the reds...)

Beautiful socks!
(((hugs)))

[Heide]

Well, if pride in producing your own food means you're smug then I'm smug too. I only have a garden though, no livestock :(. The yarn on your new-fangled nostepinne is gorgeous, as are your new socks. Cheers!

[Carrie]

Sigh. I love your place. And really, who thinks that someone goes to all that work and hassle to "appear" green and locavore? Sheesh. I love the socks, too! I'll have to add those to my queue.

[Diane]

Nice ta-tas baby! ;)
I've grown them with so so luck, but never reds.

[Bells]

Oh go right ahead and be smug. I would be too. Maybe proud of your achievements is more accurate than smug?

It's SO satisfying. I know when I eat a meal that is comprised in some way of produce I grew myself, it's a very satisfying feeling. Your small batch of red potatoes are beautiful! I only got a small batch the first time around but they just kept coming back the next year!

I like that pattern a lot better now that I see yours. I think the photos in the book don't do them justice.

[lisa]

Um, shouldn't Mr. friend's husband have been pleased enough with part (b) it tastes so damn good? NOTHING like home grown freshly harvested, nothing! What do you use the windmill for? Chuckled about the carrot in the last pic... did you grow some? Ours did ok w/ all the rain, beets too (though I wonder if we didn't grow as good a kind, they weren't quite as tasty). We didn't get any black swallow eggplant this year, so sad, they are so good.

[SpiderWomanKnits]

OMG, I am starving and that looks SO good. There is so much other cool stuff to comment on in your post but I need to go make a snack. I can't wait for our ladies to start laying...

You have every right to be proud! There is something so inherently right about providing your own food and something so inherently wrong with a culture that makes you feel as if you can't or shouldn't do that.

Ok...going to slice up some cukes from the garden with a side of local goat cheese!

[gayle]

My Northeast Kingdom garden has been drowning all summer, but we've managed to pull a little veg out of it to enjoy. Your smugness is totally justified - there's nothing like the feeling of sitting down to a plateful of food that you've produced yourself.
We've made it to 100% a couple of times - barbecued chicken with assorted vegetables that all came from our little acre. And a bunch of 99%s where we bought the ingredients for the salad dressing, but everything else was ours. So satisfying...

Love the socks! Looks like I'll have to head for the library and check that book out again.

[Beaweezil]

Be smug! Be proud! Whatever you're reasons, real or imagined for doing it, you ARE doing it! Good for you.

[Kristen]

If he kvetches I say don't share your yummy food with him anymore.

I find myself looking at peoples' yards now wherever I go and thinking "They could have a garden and/or chicken coop in that spot."

[libby]

You go, momma! You have every right to be smug, you've been busy!

I just spent the last few hours catching up on what I've missed since I lost my job and my internet connection back in february....good to see everything is kosher in your neck of the woods :)

[juliet]

I think the locavore thing is great - your daughter will know where her food comes from and will hopefully grow up to value and respect what goes into her mouth, what can possibly wrong with that? You should be proud and the photos are beuatiful too

[Lee Ann]

That is the most hilarious nostepinne photo I've ever seen. Damned fine yarn cake, too.

Who says you can't be creative with vegetables? (Do NOT tell the husband I said that. Mine already gives me odd looks when I pick out cucumbers.)

[Teyani]

Woo Hoo!! You SHOULD be smug, and bursting at the seams with pride. It's fantastic. AND, a lot of work.
I can hardly concentrate on the rest of your post, as I am holding my sides laughing at your 'nostapenne'.. good one.

[Carol]

Go ahead and brag. You've earned it! Looks like a great breakfast to me. shlurrrp~

[donna lee]

August has been the loveliest month weather-wise. I don't think I've ever said that before! We have had a rain free week and with the hot days and cool nights, I remember why I love summer. Go ahead and be smug, proud, thrilled or what ever you want to call it. It's an accomplishment to provide your family with food.

[Tracey]

I totally get the constant bragging and feeling so proud and pleased with yourself, we had a fry-up for dinner the other night with the only actual home grow item being goose eggs, but we were so pleased with ourselves and we've been telling EVERYONE about how cool our goose eggs are.

This is my favorite muffin recipe: http://craftingahomestead.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/english-muffins/

If your pleased as punch about your sourdough, you'll crow about these.

[Sonya]

In this day and age, homegrown food is totally worthy of smugness. I've been trying to be conscious of the processed foods we eat. Gotta change some of my lazy food habits!

[LisaK]

I think your food is beautiful. You deserve to be proud of it. The thing I like best about producing my own is that I know EXACTLY where it's been.

Love the sock too. Good job!

[Heather Shelton]

Please don't ever second guess the proud feeling of accomplishment from providing your family's food. it is such a big and time consuming job and you should reap the benefits (including being smug!) good for you for raising your own food and loving it- your family will thank you for it! Things look great on your farm and the socks are beautiful too!