Sunday was chilly. There's no other way to describe it. Our farmer's market is outdoors through the end of October, which is nice since we love being outside, but it does start to get a bit cold as fall progresses toward winter. The temps just barely made it to 50-degrees Fahrenheit and tack on the wind chill to bring the "feels like" temp right back down into the 40's. Not bad, but when you are standing in a booth all day, it's chilly. So that means I was fully dressed in winter wear.
I don't know if I've touched on this before here on the blog, but one of the absolute best things about being a farmer's market vendor is getting to know the other vendors. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by the nicest people, many of whom have become friends outside of the market. On Sunday one of these wonderful people decided she was going to make a hot breakfast for a few of us. She's a chef and food vendor and everything she makes is amazing, so you can imagine the excitement in this beautiful gift. We provided eggs from the Coop girls, an electric skillet (they had a generator), and some paper plates. Everything she cooked and served was from a market vendor which meant the entire meal was locally raised, grown, and made. It was such a nice start to the day.
So, even on chilly breezy days, there are ALWAYS bright spots.
Monday morning, I got to work making granola. I decided to make a quadruple batch to put in the freezer. Did you know that granola freezes really well? It does. And it doesn't need to be thawed before you eat it, which makes it a great last-minute meal or snack.
As you know, Oliver was the ultimate supervisor. He was by my side every minute of every single task. He never took time off although he would get a little cranky pants sometimes and give me the look if I wasn't giving him enough snacks. As he saw it, supervising requires ongoing nourishment. Gosh, I miss that little guy every single day.
I have been without a proper supervisor since his passing so imagine my surprise when Jackson decided to step up and try to fill the position.
I had all of my ingredients out and began measuring my first batch when Jack sauntered in. As he sat on the stool watching me, I talked to him - asked him about his day and told him what I was doing. Just like I did with Oliver. Well, apparently, either my chat made him sleepy or bored, but either way, he just couldn't hang with me. Here are the photos that I took. The entire supervisory event lasted a whopping 7 minutes.....
Everything's looking ok. Conversation is going well. I am feeling well supervised.
Within 2 minutes my supervisor wandered away from his post. Hmmm...perhaps the box was calling his name?
(the paint swatches on the wall to the right of him are 2 colors we are considering for the room)
A few minutes later when I looked up here is what I saw. Slacker. Sleeping on the job.
This guy's going to need some training.
Let’s face it, as handsome as Jackson is, he couldn’t take Ollie’s place. After all, he had years of experience on the job! I can’t blame him for wanting to be closer to that cozy fire. daisy
ReplyDeleteHa ha - so true!
DeleteWhat a lovely thing that vendor did for you. I admire you for doing the market. I determined a few years ago that outdoor shows have too much chance of being less than comfortable. I've done them in the low 40's, and done them at 98 (the vendor I shared the booth with insisted we be there that day, and just about passed out from heat stroke), and in wind. I'm not sure I'll do any more shows, but if I do, they'll be indoors! I love your cozy fireplace corner. I imagine it would be a peaceful spot to gaze at, while you're working in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteMarkets and craft shows can be tough. Indoors has different challenges, but I get it. The temps can be very uncomfortable outdoors. A wonderful (and cozy) corner indeed!
DeleteIt's always good to have a little, furry "supervisor"...even if he does sleep on the job - very sweet! And I love that a vendor hosted breakfast...that's so nice. It must be a good group of people you have, that's terrific. My little "not shop" is moving slowly...Saturday not a soul - I suppose I need to get on Facebook but I really struggle with sharing our home address with the "whole world." Before closing a gal came in and bought all the bread...whee ha - so grateful. Hmmm, granola...that's on the cottage foods allowable list, I may just have to try that. Oh...and I wanted to ask...I have some of your soap from last year remaining...do you think it's okay to grate it for homemade laundry soap? Recipes seem to always call for Castile, but yours must be so, so much better...what do you think? Thanks again Staci!
ReplyDeleteMary - yes, it is indeed to have a furry supervisor. This one has quite the relaxed supervisory style. lol
DeleteI completely understand your hesitation to put your address on facebook for the world to have. That's a tough one. I do have a friend who has a baked goods store/"not store" at their property and they (so far) haven't had any issues with having their information public, but they don't have a blog so their reach may not be as far? Not sure. That's wonderful that someone came and purchased all of the bread you had left. Such a blessing!
Yes, you can grate our soap for your laundry detergent. I do it all the time and have had no issues. Have a wonderful week!