Thanks to a raging sinus infection (thanks a lot spring pollen!), I had to modify our 365-day casserole challenge. We’d done 10 days in a row of new and different casseroles, which for the most part were a huge success. On what would have been day 11, we had leftover casserole, so it technically was still a casserole day, but then I got hit by these nasty allergies, and I didn’t do much of anything for a few days.

Kevin, bless his heart, took over cooking for a couple of days, but he’s just not a casserole kind of cook. We did, however, have family favorites such as liver and onions (which were awesome) and pork chops on another night.

So, I’ve amended the titles of these casserole posts, as it’s been decided we just like too many other dishes and cooking styles to solely concentrate on casseroles alone, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be working through my huge list of casserole recipes. I’ll be sure to post each new one as we try it.

On the gardening front, the plum trees are in full bloom, and the apple trees are getting ready to bloom. Of course, the forecast for the upcoming week is for lows in the 30s, so I’m hoping we don’t have a frost, or there won’t be any fruit from these trees this year. The radishes, lettuce, peas and kohlrabi are peeking through the ground, and the cauliflower and rhubarb are looking pretty good too. Kevin said he spotted a few stalks of asparagus coming up, so in a few weeks we can hopefully have a meal with fresh garden veggies.

The chickens are growing larger every day, and we’re down to 51 now after starting out with 54. Butchering will be on the agenda in a few weeks, and we’re all looking forward to that first BBQ chicken dinner, as well as getting that empty-looking freezer filled with meat.