Viking Hooch

What have we been doing for two days, you ask?  Other than pottying all over the great state of Texas (which still thinks it is a republic, I find)?  Bootleggin'.

We're making mead!  Just like Beowulf got sloshed on!

(Not that we intend to get sloshed.  But how cool would it be to play an RPG while sipping mead...preferably from a chalice?)

Actually, it's not bootlegging--it's only illegal to make your own liquor if you sell it.  Anyway mead is a wine.  We use this recipie.  I'll tell you how it comes out in two months.  If you have a surfiet of honey and are tired of making honey butter, I can think of worse ways to use it up.  As it was, I just bought the stuff at Walmart.  It only takes 3lbs of honey, which came to about $6 for the most expensive ingredient.  I say, go for it.

It was cool for a couple of days so I took the moment to make bread.  Feels more like home once I've done that.  Things rise really fast here, FYI.

This is Miss Boo "making a silly face for you, Mama".

This is Buddy, eating his sister's granola.  (Also homemade.  I can't force myself to pay for cold cereal these days, it's like it's coated in diamond dust or something.)

I made yogurt too, shown here incubating in the microwave, where it kept nicely warm.  (Not heated in the microwave, I just used the nice, air-tight and critter-tight box to keep it safe overnight.)  I find I can't force myself to pay for yogurt, either, especially since the stuff without NutraSweet costs MORE.  Bleah.

This is the animal that Miss Boo decreed is named Padraig Pat-Pat Lastname, waiting for stray granola bits.

Worn out from all the pottying.

Jump forward in time.  We are now at this afternoon, playing with red dirt on top of the dog crate.  I think that's Nutella on her face, though.  I hope that's Nutella on her face.

Sunny day.  I always hated having my picture taken while staring into the sun, too, kid.  Sorry.  It's a ritual of childhood.  Someday you'll grow up and force your kid to stare into the sun while you take his picture.

A view of my back porch, for the curious.  We do put things away sometimes.  I'm thinking I need a set of metal shelves for the toys.

The book-with-flawed-arguments that inspired the mead making.  Because flawed arguments notwithstanding, who can resist making four bottles of medieval wine for about $8?  And in this woman's world, the brewing of Viking hooch on your countertop is completely normal.  That is something I can get behind.

A view FROM my back porch, for the curious.  Yes, this is April.  Really.  No fools.

The impatients my sweet MIL bought me.

We had to switch to swimsuits...

Guess why?

Cheers,

Breanna