Cats, Plumbing, More Rain and of course some harvesting

Unbenounce to me I find out that well my sister is in Nova Scotia we are keeping her cats. My Mom didn't bother to filling me in on this information, rather strategically I might add. Not that I don't like cats I just really don't want to look after or put up with them. The older cat is pretty low maintenance but the younger one at times is spawn from the devil, it is going to be a long two weeks.

Spencer, the younger one.

Isis, the older one.

I have also been renoing the laundry room because of a little mishap I had. I was storing my tools in old metal cabinets in the laundry room which were not up to snuff for tool storage. So I installed some shelves in a basement closet for the tools and then proceeded to take down the heavy, metal cabinets hanging over the sink. I think you have an idea were this is going to go... I lost my grip, the cabinet dropped right on the laundry drain pipe. It busted the drain pipe as well as the laundry sink sending water everywhere.

It is actually kind of funny how a little project turns into a big project. My first idea was to just repair the drain and be done with it. Then my Mom and I started thinking it would be nice to have a gooseneck faucet with a side spray which involves moving all the water lines. Then I need to paint the god awful 70's paneling. Oh and then we need a nice vinyl floor and then some trim. What about some new cabinets with a counter top for folding, hmm that sounds like a good idea. So needless to say I have some work to do, not sure how long this will take me but I will post some photos when it is finished. All I have accomplished thus far is the new water lines, new drain line and the new sink & faucet. Basically what needs to be done to get the laundry room functioning again.

Finished pipes. The two holes are where the water lines originally came out. Not sure what I am going to do about this, maybe cover it with a wall hung soap dish.

New Faucet & Sink. The brass fixture beside is kind of an interesting gadget. It is the shut off for the laundry machine, it has ball valves so there are no washers to fail. It also has a single lever shut off so the pressure can easily be shut off when the machine is not in use.

Thankfully all the rain has made the vegetable garden pretty low maintenance. All I have had to do in that department is pick things. I have been harvesting pole beans, cucumbers, peppers & tomatoes.

I have also pulled all the onions. When the tops fall over it is time to harvest and lay them out in the sun(if it ever comes out) to let them dry. In place of the onions I planted some carrots seeds and like I side in my last post I went ahead with planting beets seeds beside the radishes. I am hoping with the aid of row cover I will be able to harvest carrots & beets some time in October.

Onions drying on the south facing window sill.

I have also been cooking some simply summer fare with some of my harvest. The picture below is of Roast Chicken Breast, Stuffed with Goats Cheese & Sage pared with a Greek Salad with Homemade Greek Dressing. Recipe Follows:

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Roast Chicken Breast, Stuff w/ Goats Cheese & Sage

This could not be simpler:

Boneless chicken breast with skin
Goats cheese (can sub w/ feta or any firm cheese)
Sage leaves from the garden
Salt

Pre-Heat oven/grill to 400. Start by making a pocket between the skin and breast. Then insert a 1/4" rounds of goats cheese topped with a sage leaf. Place in a oiled pan, salt the meat and fire it into the oven/grill. After 15 minutes or so reduce heat to 320 and continue cooking until cooked through. About 30-40 minutes total depending on the chicken breast size.

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Greek Salad w/ Dressing

For Dressing:

1 minced garlic clove or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 grinds of pepper
1/2 grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 good pinches of dried oregano

In a jar combine all ingredients and give it a good shake. It can them be stored in the fridge for a while.

For Salad:

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Peppers
Red Onions
Kalamata Olives
Feta

Cube tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and feta to bit size pieces. Then slice the red onions thinly and pit and halve the olives. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and dress.