The Secret is Out

Notes From the Boss

Well Mom has started teaching and things have been pretty hectic here. I've tried to help out around the house. I cooked, vacuumed, and set the table. I even tried to pick the dust bunnies off the floor. Mom didn't appreciate any of it. Then I realized what I could do. I'm taking over this blog! I know just where to start...

Boss making dinner.

It was morning. Mom and the Sisters were in the kitchen making all kinds of racket. I told them to hush and let the Boss get some sleep. Instead of quieting down, Mom comes bustling into the room and scoops me out of bed. She's all cheery and smiling, so I go with it. The Sisters are finishing up breakfast and Mom is barking out orders. It was just a normal morning. Then I saw it, a pile of bags by the door. Before you knew it the bags were in the car, the Sisters were in the car, Mom was in the car, and I was in the car.

In no time at all, we had landed at school and I was unloaded, yes unloaded into a little classroom. I watched in awe as Mom kissed me and walked out with the Sisters following. I sat there stunned. What was going on here? I thought and thought and then BAM it hit me. I'm a demigod!

Boss vacuuming.

You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. For weeks the Sisters have been listening to these stories about Percy Jackson. I tried to listen, but I got bored and fell asleep most of the time. These stories were about a boy (like me) who had discovered he was the son of Poseidon. He had to go to Camp Half-Blood to learn how to defend himself and be awesome. I couldn't figure out why we were listening to it until now. I was being given a warning. I had heard the Sisters talking. The Queen kept saying she was the daughter of Athena. The Monkey said she was the daughter of Aphrodite. (I'm still not sure about that one.) They must have been telling the truth. They were demigods too! We were all at Camp Half-Blood together!

I thought I might be a son of Poseidon like Percy. I like the water. No, not close enough to the ocean. I could be the son of Zeus. I am the Boss. Perhaps I was the son of Dionysus. I love food. Then I knew it. Oh yeah, I'm a son of Apollo. The sun doesn't come up until Dad gets up. Also, Dad likes music and makes silly poetry. But the clincher were the cows. Yep, Dad owns cows just like Apollo. Could it be possible that I'm even more awesome? Yeah, it is!

Me being awesome!

Despite the groundhogs foraging, we did manage a few beans this year. When I say a few, I mean "My gosh! That's it?" Usually I'm canning green beans for several days and Mr. Farmer is picking two or three feed buckets full from each row. That amounts to anywhere from 32 quarts to 48 quarts of beans. This year he brought me one and a half feed buckets full of beans...from all four rows. That amounts to exactly 10 quarts. Yeah, don't know if that was worth the effort of digging out the pressure canner. I curse you groundhog!

The Monkey and the Boss help can beans.

Despite the poor showing this year, we are still in good standing as far as our beans are concerned. Because of the good years we have had, I have beans a plenty. Pressure canning green beans is a fairly easy endeavor and not nearly as complicated as one might think. Remember I learned how to do it, and so far I haven't blown anything up. The recipe I use has been passed down from Mr. Farmer's great-great-grandmother. It is fairly basic and has been updated for today's safer and not so temperamental pressure canners.

I can bush green beans. When I first got married, I tried making them without canning them. Yuck! They are really tough. I also tried serving them without seasoning them thinking they would be like the kind you get in the grocery store. Well, we use a lot less salt I suppose because they were too bland to eat. Over the years I have learned how to cook them so that they satisfy the picky palates of my family and my need for healthy cuisine. I was forced to succumb to bacon as a seasoning because you just can't make good green beans without it. After many trial and errors, this is the recipe that won over the hearts my family.

Cook two strips of bacon in a dutch oven or medium pot. When it is crisp, I remove the bacon and empty out as much of the bacon grease from the pot as I can. I want the flavor but not all the fat. At this point you can saute a chopped onion in the bacon drippings, but I usually leave this out. Just lazy I guess. Then I dump in 1 quart of canned green beans (or you can use fresh, but you will have to cook it longer and add enough liquid to cover the beans). I also throw in 1 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a dash of pepper. I crumble up the bacon and toss it back in the pot as well, but you can leave it out if you want. I bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. The bacon makes it salty enough for Mr. Farmer and the Queen, and the sugar adds a hint of sweet for the Monkey. I'm happy because everyone eats their green beans.

Notes from the Boss

No bacon in here!

I don't know anything about those green beans. My green beans are all mushed up and don't have bacon anywhere. I think I'm getting cheated. I watched Mom can those green beans. I didn't see any bacon there either. The Queen sings the praises of bacon and so does Dad. I think I need some of that bacon, but I don't think I'm going to get any from Mom.

All fenced in

She isn't the only one who is trying to keep me down. The sisters have started complaining that I don't play fair. They claim that there are no giants that knock down towns and eat people in their games. I disagree. I think every game needs a giant, and I make the perfect one. The Monkey crossed the line when she fenced me in the other day. She said I could play with anything inside the fence. Um, there wasn't anything in there but fence. I explained that to her and then took what I needed from her stuff. Problem solved!