Lime Crusted Mahi Mahi

Spending time in a chair leaves a lot of time for reflection.

Lately, all I can seem to reflect on is the kitchen.

Or my lack of participation in the kitchen.

It doesn't help that I've kept the t.v. tuned into the Food Network either. Those wackadoos make me feel completely incompetent and seriously lacking in the originality department. They're like the MacGyvers of food. A little twine, newspaper, corn and a match, and they've got a 3-course meal that people would pay big money for.

So, I decided to do a little creating of my own.

At first, it was only in my head. But then curiosity got the better of me, and with the help of a little Motrin, I made my own MacGyver original.

Sans the twine, newspaper, corn and match.

After all, a girl has to watch her figure.

~~~~~

Lime-Crusted Mahi Mahi

1 lb. wild-caught Mahi Mahi (I got mine from Trader Joe's)

1 organic lime, zest and juice

olive oil

salt & pepper, to taste

Heat a cast iron pan on medium until very hot. When it's hot, add tuna to pan.

Sear for 1 minute, flip over and sear other side for a minute more.

Drizzle olive oil lightly over fish. Be careful, it will spatter a little.

Sprinkle with salt & pepper.



Zest 1 lime.



Sprinkle half the zest over tuna; carefully turn fish over and add the rest of the zest. Let cook on each side for 1 minute.



Remove from heat.

Place on a plate and squeeze lime juice over fish.

Or...

...place the fish on a nice bed of greens, laced with black beans, green onion, raw cheese, fresh mushrooms, and hard-boiled egg for a low-carb, full-meal deal!

Salad dressing not required.

Menu Monday 11/29/10

AND WE'RE OFF....!!!!

Now that Thanksgiving is but a fading memory, except in the upper thigh area, the holiday rush can officially begin in my home.

As long as someone else is doing it.

Because sometimes life throws a curve-ball or two.

Actually, it feels as if the pitching machine was turned on "fast" and malfunctioned, pelting me with rotting, frayed, dog-slobbered balls....

A couple of weeks ago, my back decided to take the vacation that I had denied it all year. I can deal with that. After all, everyone needs a vacation now and again. But then, the "neighbor", we'll call him "Sciatica" for kicks, decided that he is far more deserving of this vacation, so he butts in and starts calling the shots.

I'm not really a fan of "Sciatica".

After enduring my first MRI, courtesy of our local hospital, I have been diagnosed with a ruptured disc in my lower back. It seems "Sciatica" had a little party and forgot to clean up, so now it looks as if a neurosurgeon gets the job. 

Just in time for the holidays.

So, why am I telling you this? Well, actually, seeing it here makes it more real for me. I'm not Wonder Woman. I can't do everything. I'm not even sure how all of this is going to play out. What I am sure of is that God is control of this situation. The important stuff will get done and the rest will just have to wait. 

I wasn't going to do a meal plan for this week, but my Mister reminded me that this is when meal planning is the most important. He also said it's important to let people see the "real me". 

I'll spare you the pictures.

You'll thank me for it.

So, here's the real me, planning a week's worth of meals, that my family will get the pleasure of preparing.

Kind of sounds like a vacation doesn't it?

Here's what's cooking...

~Monday~

Soaked Oatmeal

Crockpot Salsa Chicken w/ Soaked Brown Rice, green salad

~Tuesday~

Soaked Oatmeal

Turkey and Brown Rice Soup, Rustic Bread

~Wednesday~

Steel Cut Nutty Oats w/ bananas
Chuck Roast w/ potatoes & carrots, spinach salad

~Thursday~

Scrambled Eggs & Sausage
Salmon Quiche, Broccoli Salad, devilled eggs

~Friday~

Homemade Granola
Sloppy Joes, baked Sweet Potato Fries, lacto-fermented sauerkraut

~Saturday~

Yogurt/Granola Parfaits
Cheeseburger Soup, Rustic Bread

~Sunday~

Soaked Oatmeal

Chili, Cornbread

Lunches will be on a need-to-know basis...I don't really want to know...

...but the kids say they have it covered!

(Should I be afraid?)

For more menu ideas, visit http://orgjunkie.com/2010/11/menu-plan-monday-nov-29th.html. 

Happy Thanksgiving~Country Style!

How do you know you live in the country?



Turkey and brine cooling in the snow



When the front porch can double as an extra fridge!

~~~~~~

From our chaotic house to yours...



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Raw Cranberry Relish

In honor of Thanksgiving and the cranberry that tries to be the shining star of the meal, I am reposting a recipe that I originally shared back in March. I'll be serving a traditional cranberry sauce, but will also serve this version, packed full of enzymes to help digest the rest of dinner.

Maybe the cranberry really is the shining star.

A few months ago, I decided to go "raw".

It lasted until dinnertime.

And, it was not one of my finer moments.

Since then, I have had great respect for anyone who feels convicted enough in their beliefs to choose a path and stick to it.

My path has lots of roots poking up out of the ground. I'm forever tripping over my own ideas and plans. I start down one path, see an obstacle, then switch paths, only to find myself switching back a little while later.

It makes me dizzy.

That's not to say that I am going back to raw. Hardly.

I like meat. And I like it cooked.

What I'm saying though, is with our experiment of eating fresh and local, I'll be adding some raw recipes to the mix. There will also be some steamed, sauteed, roasted, grilled, fried, baked and poached recipes. And whatever else I can come up with.

For dinner tonight, we enjoyed a roasted turkey, for no other reason than we had it in the freezer. We also had creamed, red, Swiss chard on fresh sourdough bread and raw cranberry relish on the side.

Since we have a freezer full of cranberries, we'll be enjoying this relish for awhile!

2 cups washed, raw cranberries (can be frozen, just thaw slightly)

2 peeled, cored Granny Smith apples (or other tart apple)

1 large, organic, unpeeled orange, cut into sections

1 cup organic sugar (I used the full cup, but next time will only use about half.)

Process the cranberries, apples and orange in food processor. Pulse until everything is chopped, but not mushy. I call it medium-chopped.

Pour into a bowl and add sugar. Stir well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

The colors were so brilliant, I wish they would've showed up better on film. Even outside, it's hard to convey just how pretty this is.

*Cranberries pack a nice little punch in the nutrition department.

Per 1 cup of raw cranberries:

44 calories

11.5 g. carbohydrates

4.4 g. fiber

8 mg. calcium

6 mg. magnesium

12 mg. phosphorus

81 mg. potassium

12.4 mg. vitamin c

Enjoy!

Chicken Curry Soup

Snow, turkey and pie, oh my!

I've decided that turkey shouldn't be the only bird honored during, the month of November. Really, what has it done to deserve its own holiday? The turkey cannot fly, eats more than its fair share of feed and is rather particular about its love life.

The turkey isn't very cuddly either.

I'd like to officially nominate the lowly chicken as an honorary runner-up.

Before you scoff at my idea, think about all that a chicken does. It provides us with eggs. They are cute as babies, something that the turkey is not, and the chicken provides us with valuable fertilizer.

Not to mention delicious chicken strips. 

And the male chicken, (otherwise known as a "roo" to us country folk), provides us with something city folk can't experience.

A wake-up service.

Even if they can't tell time.

So, before you give all of your love and affection to the bird of Thanksgiving, give this soup a try.

It just may change your mind as to who is the most deserving bird.

Chicken Curry Soup

(*courtesy of Mary Jane's Farm magazine)

1 onion, diced

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

1 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 sweet red pepper, diced

3 Tb. unsalted butter

3 Tb. curry powder

1 t. turmeric

2 cans coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth

1 (14-15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes

2-4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (your preference)

1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut, lightly toasted

1/4 cup fresh, minced cilantro

In soup pot, saute onion, potato, carrot, celery, and red pepper in butter until celery and onions are soft.

Add spices and cook for additional minute.

Add coconut milk, broth and tomatoes; bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and cilantro and cook until heated through.

Serve with toasted coconut over the top. Serves 8.

 *This recipe was modified from its original version.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Week Menu Plan!

Can you believe that it's already Thanksgiving? While this is my absolute favorite holiday, there is something that I love more than turkey day.

SNOW!!



This will make butchering our Thanksgiving turkey more challenging, but snow is always welcome here.

Always.

Because it's not raining. And I have an excuse to drink hot chocolate. And it's not raining.

Did I already mention that? 

Last week, I was down with a pinched nerve in my back, so that meant the family ate whatever they prepared. 

It was almost a vacation. 

Except for the whole pain thing.

While preparing this week's meal plan, I realized that I haven't shared with you one of our favorite recipes! Cincinnati Chili is one of those comfort foods that tastes good in any season, but is especially wonderful when there is snow on the ground. And with over 300 blog posts under my belt, the fact that I haven't shared this is appalling.

I'll have to remedy that.

Here's what's cookin' this week...

~Monday~

Soaked Oatmeal

Chili Nachos

Spicy Hoppin' John (still new!), cornbread

~Tuesday~

Scrambled eggs & sausage

 Leftover Spicy Hoppin' John

Corn & Bacon Chowder (I'll post the recipe on Wednesday!)

~Wednesday~

Cornmeal Pancakes w/Lumberjack Prune Syrup (still new!)

Leftover Chowder

Cincinnati Chili (new), spinach salad

~Thursday~

Soaked Oatmeal

Thanksgiving Feast (see below)

~Friday~

Apple Coffeecake (still new!)

Leftover Cincinnati Chili

Leftovers

~Saturday~

Eggs & Sausage

Gobbler sandwiches on sourdough bread (turkey, Raw Cranberry Relish, cream cheese)

Turkey Pot Pie (new)

~Sunday~

Granola

Venison Stew, Buttermilk biscuits

Most of my Thanksgiving recipes come from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.

I think she may love Thanksgiving almost as much as I do.

~Thanksgiving Day Feast~

Fresh, brined, roasted turkey

Cornbread Dressing with Sausage & Apples

Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Streusel

Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce

Roasted brussel sprouts

Mashed Potatoes w/ homemade turkey gravy

Pumpkin Cream Pie

Nantucket Cranberry Pie

Dreamy Apple Pie w/ Hard Sauce

Check out http://orgjunkie.com/2010/11/menu-plan-monday-nov-22nd.html.

Thanksgiving~A Meal of Love

If you're a friend of mine on Facebook, you probably know that I've been out of commission this week. Due to a pinched nerve in my lower back, I've been spending a lot of time, well, on my back.

The couch is NOT my favorite place to be.

Sometimes though, something big has to happen for God to get my attention.

While I would prefer Him to whisper in my ear, the reality is that, on many days, I'm too busy to stop and listen.  

There is a song that describes life in the 21st. century by the country group, Alabama. "I'm in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush 'til life's no fun. All I really gotta do is, live and die. Even I'm in a hurry and don't know why."

This is the song I sing as we're driving, in rush hour, through Portland.

As of late, it's also the song that best describes my life. While watching a morning news/talk show, I realize that it's not just my mantra. It's the chosen lifestyle of many. Why? What are we hurrying towards? There was a segment on this show about Thanksgiving dinner. Specifically, how we busy Americans, who are always looking for a short-cut in our "I want it now" lives, can serve a Thanksgiving feast with just a few clicks of the mouse.

I'm not talking about the creepy little 4-legged ones either.

It seems, that entire turkey dinners can be ordered online and delivered right to our doors, leaving more time for us to do more stuff.

Because we can never have enough stuff.

Whatever happened to teaching our sons and daughters to be stewards of the earth? What about teaching our sons to be providers and leaders of the family, or our daughters to be keepers of the home? Are we so busy that all we can pass down to our children are more ways to cut corners, meet deadlines, or have someone else do our jobs?

Have you ever gone to a super Walmart and seen someone pay for their food with government assistance, but then pay cash for a big-screen t.v.? I have. We're raising a generation of lazy people. People who think that they have earned the right to be catered to. At someone else's expense.

We're not born that way. It is a learned behaviour.

Has the value of family life dropped in recent years? Is our personal time worth more than time spent serving our families? Why is it easier for some to donate to a favorite charity, but more difficult to model charity in their own homes?

The hostess of this morning show stated that, "...it takes 4 hours to prepare the meal, 1 hour to eat it, and another 4 for the clean-up. Happy Thanksgiving." [implied: "to me".]

If you're rushed for time during this holiday season, step back and take a good look at your life. What are you choosing? Is it a life of joy or one of duty? Are you preparing a meal out of love or is it just something that needs to be done?

The first Thanksgiving wasn't one of convenience. It was a meal, prepared by many, using the things that they had on hand, or were able to obtain with a shotgun. I am sure that there were no guest lists, caterers, or Black Friday sales to worry about. Just a simple meal, prepared by simple people, who came together for one simple reason.

To give thanks. 

This Thanksgiving, I am not only thankful for my family and friends, but am also thankful for my time  spent on the couch.

What race are you running? 

Homemade Beef Broth

Making nourishing bone broth is easier than one might think. I can't tell you the number of blogs that I've read that teach this valuable skill, but somehow, it always seems harder than it is.

Not the fault of the bloggers.

I am more of a hand's on kind of learner, so reading about making broth is never as easy as it is to just do it. I've been taking the Surf & Turf classes, taught by Ann Marie at the Cheeseslave for the last several weeks. She had a video showing me how to make broth.

I had an aha moment.

I will still use the occasional organic, store-bought beef broth for vacations and emergencies, but for everyday cooking, homemade wins.

Every time.

Homemade Beef Broth

2-3 lbs. miscellaneous, grass-fed beef (shanks, neck, oxtails, marrow bones, leftover roast bones, etc.)

filtered water

peppercorns (10-12)

1 onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 carrots, quartered

2 stalks celery, quartered

2 Tb. apple cider vinegar

crockpot

Place beef, onion, garlic, peppercorns, carrots, celery and vinegar in the crockpot. Add enough water to fill the crockpot, staying about an inch below top of pot.

Put lid on and let sit for 1/2 hour.

Plug in and turn heat to high, bringing to a boil.

Turn down heat to simmer.

Let simmer for 48 hours.

After 48 hours, turn off heat and allow to cool slightly.

Now it's time to strain. This can be done in several different ways. A fine mesh colander will work, but if you like your broth really clean, line the colander with cheesecloth. Or, just cut a nice square of cheesecloth and attach it to the top of a jar with a rubber-band.

Straining the broth



Using a ladle or glass measuring cup, carefully scoop out the broth and pour through your strainer. Repeat until all of the broth has been strained.

Your cheesecloth will look like this...

Yuck.



Not very appetizing, I know.

Cover with a tight fitting lid or saran wrap with a rubber band and place in the fridge. Even if your refrigerator is the cleanest in town, the broth will pick up any lingering odors and change the flavor.

Broth is finicky that way.

Leave it in the fridge overnight. When ready, skim the fat from top and give to your dogs or cat. They love it. Some people run it through more cheesecloth, but I don't think that's necessary.

The broth, if done correctly, will have thickened. Sometimes mine comes out very gelatinous. Sometimes it doesn't. Here, the broth is somewhere in-between.


Broth freezes very well. I like to freeze some of it in ice cube trays. 1 cube is the equivalent of 1 ounce broth. So, if a recipe calls for 4 ounces, use 4 cubes. After they are solid, I pop them out and store in a freezer bag.

You may notice that I didn't add salt to the recipe. Some do. I would rather add it to whatever recipe I'm using, when I need it. But that's entirely up to you. Just give this a try before buying a can of beef flavored broth.

Flavored means MSG.

Just in case you were wonderin'.

Steel Cut Nutty Oats

While going through the dry goods of the pantry, I discovered something new about myself.

I am an impulse shopper.

At least in the grocery store.

I found several bags of steel-cut oats and to my knowledge, I've never actually tried steel-cut oats. How could I know if I, or anyone in my family, would like steel-cut oats?

I didn't. Hence, the impulse shopping label.

And since I'm also frugal to a fault, those oats needed to be used.

Is it still name-calling if the names are directed to myself, from myself? Hmmm...

I found this recipe in a cookbook called, Romancing the West.

Aptly titled, since my entire family is smitten with this recipe!

(You know I had to go there.)

Steel-Cut Nutty Oats

3 cups water

1/2 t. sea salt

1 cup steel-cut oats

1 cup pecans, chopped

Optional: fresh/frozen/canned fruit, sweetener of choice, cinnamon, cream, butter

In a preheated 400F. oven, toast the oats and pecans for approximately 5 minutes. Watch closely or the nuts will burn. Bring water and salt to boil. Add oats and pecans. Reduce heat to simmer, place a lid on saucepan and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

We added bananas, cinnamon, pure maple syrup and raw cream.

Contented moaning is optional.

Enjoy!

Chickens: Not for the Faint of Heart

Sometimes farm living isn't fun. There are chores that need to be done that make a person question their decision to live in the country.

Town people romanticize farm living.

But those living on the farm know better.

There is nothing romantic about cleaning goat pens and chicken coops. Nothing dreamy about pulling a calf out of its momma's unmentionables and there's nothing idyllic about processing chickens.

Sometimes, farm chores make town living seem down-right romantic.

Fabio meet Old MacDonald.

On the other hand, there is something quite wonderful about seeing a freezer full of fruits, veggies and meat that were grown and harvested on the farm. Even if some of it doesn't technically come from your own farm, come winter, it still counts.



Trout, salmon, chicken, elk, deer, and bone broths in freezer #1



Home-grown beef and veggie overflow in freezer #2



Fruits, vegetables and extra bread in freezer #3

As I'm writing this, I see my 2 younger boys outside, in the rain, chasing turkeys that have managed to "fly the coop". Which brings me to the least desirable chore on the farm.

Butchering day.

We've butchered before, but this time, we researched the proper way to butcher a chicken. Apparently, we were doing it wrong.

Figures.

There are all kinds of implements to use in the butchering process, but all of that costs money. Lots of money. My Mister decided that he could do it for less.

Killing cones cost about $47/ per medium cone. Ours were free.



Plastic flower pots, with a hole cut out of the bottom make frugal killing cones.

I'll spare you the details, but this set-up worked pretty well. 

Other gadgets that are used are scalders and chicken pluckers.

Scalding the chicken for a few seconds, helps to release the feathers to make plucking easier. (Leaving the heads attached until after this step helps too.) Water bath canners are perfect for this and will save you $200 or more dollars. To save another $800.00, put on some vinyl gloves and pull the feathers yourself.

Vinyl gloves make pulling feathers easier.



A rinse mid-way lets you see what's been missed!

After the feathers have been plucked, the chickens need to "rest" in a tub of ice water for a couple of hours. They need to be thoroughly cooled down before packing. 

At age 18, I got my first job. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Back in those days, the chickens came whole and we had to cut them up into appropriate pieces before frying.

Finally, a skill I can use!



All packaged and ready for the freezer!

We bagged the meat into categories; legs & thighs, breasts, wings, and broth bones. In the latter, we put bony backs, necks and feet. Yes, feet.

There is a satisfaction that comes with growing your own food. It's not easy, but if one wants the romantic dreams of the country, they have to be willing to endure a few nightmares on occasion.

For me, that would be butchering day.









MPM 11/15/10



Can you believe that the next meal plan will have a Thanksgiving menu on it?

Good gravy, where did the time go?

Speaking of gravy, this week, I'll be making broths. (How was that for a segue?) Currently, I have a beef bone broth in the crockpot, which will be followed with a chicken broth.

And, speaking of chicken, we now have some in the freezer. Complete with feet. Yes. I said feet. As gross as that sounds, they're supposed to make a very rich, gelatinous broth. Of course, I can't add them until the coast is clear of nosy family members. They may have issues with feet in the soup.

Who am I kidding? I may have issues with feet in my soup.

Our week of soups went over well. In fact, there were some definite highlights to the week. Specifically, the Corn & Bacon Chowder. Oh yum. I had to "tweak" the recipe some, but it has found itself on our favorites list. I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, so in order to share the recipe, I am going to have to make it again.

It's a sacrifice, but I'm willing to make it.

It's time to add to my recipe box, so this week I'll be trying a lot of new dishes. Most of the ingredients for these I already had laying around. Should be fun! 

Here's what else is cooking this week...

~Monday~

Steel Cut Nutty Oats (new)

Leftover Black Bean & Sausage Soup

Meatloaf, Buttermilk biscuits, Coleslaw

~Tuesday~

Apple Cinnamon Biscuits (new)

Corn & Bacon Chowder

Venison Stroganoff w/ brown rice noodles (new), Broccoli salad

~Wednesday~

Cornmeal Pancakes w/ Lumberjack Prune Syrup (new)

Leftover Chowder

Chili, Kim's Cornbread

~Thursday~

Scrambled eggs w/ venison sausage

Meatloaf sandwiches on Sourdough, apples

Chili Relleno Casserole (new), Banana Bread Muffins (new) w/ yogurt cheese

~Friday~

Apple Coffeecake (new)

Chili Nachos on homemade corn tortilla chips

Baked Spaghetti w/ brown rice pasta, steamed broccoli

~Saturday~

Daddy's choice ALL DAY!!
Momma is going to a ladies only craft day at church!

~Sunday~
Granola
Spicy Hoppin' John (new), cornbread

Have a blessed week!

For more meal planning ideas, visithttp://orgjunkie.com/2010/11/menu-plan-monday-nov-15th-giveaway.html.

What the....?

Most days, our diet is one of whole foods.

And it feels good.

Our bodies respond accordingly to being fed and nourished with foods that take time to prepare.

Even if we complain about how much time it takes to prepare them.

Then there are those days. The ones that, no matter how hard we try, are unavoidable.



You know those days~they're the days where your child works really hard to achieve a goal and ends up winning the prize.

In this case, Matthew wore the most of one color. He wore blue, in 96 ways.

And for his efforts, he won a 3-foot long candybar.

It was the "best day of his whole life."

On those days, there's only 1 thing I can do.

Beg.

My body will act accordingly tomorrow.

For the Love of Animals

The animals on our farm do more than nuture our bodies.

They at times, also nurture our souls.

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up, especially on the cold rainy days of the Pacific Northwest, in all of the "have-to's". It can bring the joy-meter down when it seems as if the chores will never be done and the animals really aren't all that grateful anyway.

Then there are those moments that take the breath away. Those moments when all is right with the world.

These moments.

A simple seranade... 

Elvis in the morning

A moment of trust,

Angus

And a moment of appreciation.

Bailey



A reminder of life-long friendships...

Feeding time



...and the beginning of new ones.

Angus & Wynken



Then there are those moments that just make you smile and thank God for all of blessings in your life.

No matter how many legs one might have.









Crockpot Hamburger Minestrone Soup

Disclaimer: This is not a crockpot.

Funny story. Monday was grocery shopping day. I hurried to get home so that I could get the soup in the crockpot. It was lunchtime. I chopped, diced, measured and sauteed while my children enjoyed their meal.

Then I plugged in the crockpot.

At some point, somebody, but we don't know who, unplugged the crockpot, thus leaving the soup in it's cocoon of coldness.

For 5 hours.

So, while this is a soup meant for the crockpot, it is a very good idea to make sure that the pot is plugged in, just in case "somebody" does you the favor of performing a safety check in the kitchen without your knowledge.

Just sayin'...

(No, I am not bitter.)

The good news is that in the off-chance that the crockpot isn't allowed to do its job, a large soup pot works just as well. (And it gives "somebody" another dish to wash. I don't know why that makes me smile!)

Minestrone Soup

2 lbs. ground beef

8 cups beef broth

1 onion, chopped

1 t. dried thyme

3 Tb. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 t. ground pepper

1 quart stewed tomatoes, broken up

2 cups chopped green cabbage

1 (15 oz.) can beans, white or kidney, drained

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

2 cups brown rice pasta

Parmesan cheese, grated

In a slow cooker, combine beef, broth, onion, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, tomatoes and cabbage. Cover and cook on low 9-10 hours. Turn crockpot to high and add beans, zucchini and pasta. Cover and cook 30-45 minutes or until pasta is tender. Ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

If you are short on time, precook hamburger before adding to crockpot, which is what I tried to do.

Thankfully, that saved our soup!

Enjoy!

Rewind...

The last few months have been a lie and I'm here to set the record straight.

Back before Lola got herself in a pickle...

...and before Maisie learned to share...

Back before Molly decided that she didn't need a furry snack...

...and before Heather turned 14...

...all the way back to when we saw Lola for the very first time...

...and determined that she was a girl.

Meet Moses. She's a he.

That explains a lot.

He figured it out before we did.

The pink collar went missing a few days ago.

Smart cat.

Dumb owners.



MPM 11/8/10

After my rather bold and ambitious announcement last week, I am sorry to report that we did not butcher chickens last week, the backsplash is still in boxes on the floor, and I didn't manage to brave the after-church crowd in the grocery store today.

I did however, get in a little of this...



Snuggle time for Nana and Maddie!

Really, what else matters?

Any guesses as to what we'll be doing this week?

I decided to look upon this week as a "glass is half full" kind of week and celebrate the dismal grey weather we've been given. I will embrace the raindrops as they pelt my windows, and look forward to grocery shopping in wet clothing.

Ah, who am I kidding? I'm busy praying for a cold front to strike and dump a few or 20 inches of snow on us!

Is that bad?

So in honor of the cold weather that somebody (above 2500 ft.) is bound to receive, I'm making soup this week. Lots of soup. And thanks to the latest issue of MaryJane's Farm, I've got a couple of new recipes to try! I just love it when that happens!

Here's what's cookin' this week...

~Monday~
Simple Soaked Oatmeal
Leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup
Crockpot Minestrone Soup (new), sourdough bread

~Tuesday~
 Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Oatmeal
Leftover minestrone soup
Corn & Bacon Chowder (MaryJane's Farm magazine), cornbread

~Wednesday~
Speltcakes
Leftover chowder
Chicken Curry Soup (MaryJane's Farm magazine), Rustic Peasant Bread

~Thursday~
Fried eggs & toast
Leftover curry soup
U.S. Senate Bean Soup (new), Rustic Peasant Bread

~Friday~
Peach Kuchen
Leftover bean soup
Venison Stew, Rustic Peasant Bread

~Saturday~
Maple Walnut Scones
Simple Nachos
Black Bean & Sausage Soup, Sweet Cornbread

~Sunday~
Granola
Leftovers!

This post is linked to Menu Mondays at I'm an Organizing Junkie.