There are days, when the couch is my reluctant base station. A few minutes of getting things done, then rest. And rest some more. In a state of grumpy productivity, I still got a lot done.

There are days, when the couch is my reluctant base station. A few minutes of getting things done, then rest. And rest some more.

Walks with Pepper are short on those days.

I am usually best in the early morning, so I tackle the things that need to get done. I don’t (currently) want kombucha vinegar, so I have to bottle up and feed the previous batch. I turned on a good audiobook, and got to work. Luckily, kombucha is on auto-pilot by now.

It was also high time to drain the orange peel cleaner. I poured it into a spray bottle for easier use. I will be using this full-strength today, but I’ll dilute it a bit afterward.

I also assembled the candle molds, as I’d be on the couch all day anyway, so I didn’t mind occasionally checking on wax. As always, things were piling up, because I was almost completely out of commission.

That morning, I’d seen that one of the pumpkins needed to be used urgently. So, still without my knives, I chopped it.

I used the peeler to get rid of the very tough skin. Using the “knives” as little as possible, you know?

I am happy to report, no fingers were hurt in the making of this video. Seriously, these dull blades are a hazard. Don’t worry, I’m getting my sharpened knives back in the next episode. I survived 😉

As those of you who have been here a bit know, I’ve got a lot of oats to use up. I decided to use some for meat balls. I haven’t made meat balls in years and years.

Until I moved somewhere, where I am able to get meat I am comfortable eating, I ate vegan. I still only eat animal products from a local farm, not when out and about.

I don’t tend to follow recipes. I read a few, watch a video or two, then usually just go for it. This time, I didn’t even do any of that. I decided to just give it a try.

At first, I was very skeptical but then the oats began to soak up some of the liquids, and things came together.

I added some spices and some leftover zucchini powder, and started rolling the balls. I was running out of energy, but I wanted dinner prepared.

I’d fermented some sour cream in the last episode specifically to make a creamy sauce for these. These cheap, old, abused IKEA knives had me craving some Köttbullar. No way I’m going to IKEA, though.

For the next few hours, my husband and I watched the wax and poured candles. I am trying to build up a bit of a stock, so I keep making a few whenever the flow of the day suits. The hallway shelf for these is almost filled. Walking past it, I feel so accomplished. Every time! None of them are perfect. I am okay with that. They work great.

Most of my days was spent with this cutie on the couch. Soon, I had finished sorting all of my seeds. Pardon the sub-par filming job. I was tired.

A burst of energy that afternoon got me up to try out the cleaner.

The bathroom needed cleaning, so I used the momentum. I know you can’t smell it, but the orange peel in the vinegar smells really, really good. Now, if only I could remember where my current bathroom sponge is…

The cleaner worked great. I don’t think it makes a difference to just vinegar, but the smell is worth it. I mean, all I did was use a waste product and let it soak for a few weeks. It wasn’t a lot of work. Not like cleaning…

The energy didn’t last long, and I rested until it was time for Pepper’s walk. Five minutes in fresh air was all I could offer that day.

Before long, I was back in the kitchen to finish dinner. I’d gotten the shipping notification for my knives, so I was hopeful this would be the last real meal without.

Moment of truth! When I started this sour cream, I was convinced it could not be that easy. Just some kefir grains in cream, and I’ll have sour cream?

I will learn in a few minutes that I should not have stirred this. But it was definitely sour cream! A few taste tests later, I’d determined this stuff was good to go. After giving the garlic and onions a bit of a head start, I added the meat balls.

I added the sour cream to a container to store in the fridge, and learned why stirring had not been smart. Right, the kefir grains were still in here. Ah well, a problem for later.

On a whim, I added some bell pepper to the sauce as well. So much for avoiding cutting anything else. As always, the trimmings go into the compost bin. I’ll take that to the garden when it is full or smelly.

I am a snacker when cooking, so don’t mind me. I’d even left a piece uncut. But this isn’t fast food, it would be a while before I’d get to eat the actual meal. As someone who never knows when her stomach will be okay enough to eat, I take the nutrients where I get them.

Time to deal with my sour cream issue. The smart thing would have been to remove the grains first. But I stirred, so I had to dig around a bit. I don’t mind touching my food. It was actually oddly fun. But I’d still rather avoid the work next time.

I added a bit of the sour cream to my sauce, and poured that over the meat balls and peppers. At this point, the sauce was just cream and sour cream.

I got the silicone spoon to get every bit of the home-made sour cream out of the jar. Making things from scratch is a lot of work. You learn to appreciate every drop.

Many of us have lost our connection to the food that nourishes us. I’m trying to relearn that appreciation. With every part of the process I try myself, I appreciate food a bit more.

And next time, I actually get to get my hands in the soil! In the meantime, so long, and thanks for being here.