Jabez Farm

#2~You Should Know...

2012-01-26T16:21:00.000-08:00

This year my Mister & I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. That in itself is quite the accomplishment, especially if you've ever had the misfortune to run into me pre-caffeinated. What's even more amazing is that we are going, kid-free, on a little get-a-way.

He had me at "kid-free".

For years we have been making plans to do something big for our silver anniversary. (It is probably no mistake that this coincides with the turning of our hair color.) Places we had pondered were; Italy, Hawaii, Canada, Costa Rica, Montana, and the Mediterranean. Once we realized that there are people at these places, and that our whole objective here is to spend some quality time alone, we nixed those ideas and decided to stay closer to home. Specifically here.

Now that we're heading to a place that requires chains and boots, I have had to expand my wardrobe a little. Here's what I think you should know...

1. If you want to find snow pants in January, you should probably have started looking in August. The pants were on clearance at Christmas, the swimsuits go on clearance on Valentine's Day. Better hurry in case you plan on swimming before winter's even over.

2. The average height of women in the U.S. is 5'foot, 4-1/2 inches. This means that there are a lot more of me (at 5'3") than there are 7 ft. tall women. That said, why in the devil would the makers of ski/snow pants make them 3 feet longer than the average-sized woman?

3. No matter what the pro-shop people tell you, you cannot tuck that extra 3 feet of snow pant into your boots...not if you plan on wearing the boots on your feet.

4. And those same pro-shop employees do not have the average woman-sized bodies either. At least, not for this town. They should move to Aspen. Or Switzerland. Now.

5. Snow pants should not be low-cut, have embroidery on the backside, or a special cell-phone pocket on the hip. And they should never, ever, ever come in white.

6. Pro-shop people will tell you that white is flattering on all body types. Do not believe them. They were trained to lie.

7. White is not a color you want to be wearing in the event of an avalanche. I do not want to blend with the snow, I want to be found! That said, Safety Orange and Neon Pink are not flattering butt colors either. If I accidently scream something inappropriate while careening down the side of the mountain, I don't want fingers pointing at the only girl in hot pink pants saying, "It was her!" I want to blend. Give me black.

8. Snow pants at the pro-shop only have a 6-inch clearance from crotch to waist. This means that either the gut or the butt is going in. One or the other, not both. And not without an additional 6 inches of material.

9. The sales person at Walmart understands this. And she saved a single pair of snow pants that would fit a 5'3" Oompah-Loompah like me, just right.

10. That same sales person is now in my will.

Just so you know.☺

such is life...and death

2012-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

It was inevitable. She was a rebel at heart.

Never one to conform to the ways of the farm, Lucy made her own rules. You may not know this, but she was the turkey version of our own Bob Marley.

As one of our very first "girls", she quickly rose to the top of the ~~pack~~...er, flock.

She was an adventurer.

And she defied the odds on more than one occasion.

Lucy reminded us that in the midst of our hard work, when nothing seems to be going according to plan, that life finds a way.

Most of the time.

After finding Lucy sitting on another clutch of eggs in the midst of the blackberry brambles, we were heartbroken to find her mauled body only a few feet away from her still (barely) warm eggs yesterday. It looked like she fought hard to protect her little clutch.

My admiration for her continues.

Some might say, "But she was only a turkey." Lucy was more than that. She was our own little mascot with an I think I can mentality.

And because of her, my vision is clear.

Hatch her babies so Lucy's legacy lives on...

... and build these...insides the coop.

"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...."

RIP Lucy. You will be missed.

Spicy Split Pea Coconut Curry Soup

2012-01-24T20:56:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of these days?

Lately I've been having more and more of them. Maybe I have cabin fever. Maybe I've been spending much too much time on Pinterest and am slowly losing brain cells. Maybe this is normal for someone who is slowly descending into madness.

For the record, I haven't arrived at that last destination yet, the bone in the pot is a ham bone. Just in case you were wondering. It is not the leg of a Hobbit.

Promise.

One of our favorite frugal meals is split pea soup. I'm not talking about the yuck in a can either. That stuff can be compared to baby food; lacking flavor and texture, which makes it a little pointless to consume. Because dried peas are pretty bland by themselves, it's important to add flavor. The original recipe calls for light cream to be added at the end, but since we had no cream to add, I improvised.

Then I improvised some more.

After I found a bigger pot.☺

~The Players~

5 cups chicken stock

5 cups water

1 lb. dried split peas

1 *meaty ham bone

4 Tb. unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tb. curry powder

1 t. ground coriander

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

sea salt & pepper, to taste

1 can coconut milk

In a large soup pot, (and by large I mean large enough for the bone), combine the stock, water and split peas. Add the ham bone and bring to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about an hour.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic, and carrots and saute until onions are translucent. Add spices and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Remove the ham bone from the peas. When cool enough to handle, remove any meat from the bone and add back to the soup. Add vegetable mixture to the peas and stir well. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Using a blender or food processor, puree half the soup, 2 cups at a time until smooth. Add back to the pot. (I use an immersion blender and eyeball it.)

Pour coconut milk in to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add to the soup and stir to mix.

Season with salt & pepper. Add more red pepper flakes if desired.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

*Make it vegetarian by leaving out the ~~Hobbit~~ ham bone.

Making the Old New...then Old Again

2012-01-23T21:14:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you're familiar with Pinterest, but I am seriously addicted. Pinterest is a website where you can "pin" favorite items, projects, books, recipes, places, etc. that pique your interest. You can pin your own ideas, but there are so many creative people out there, I just "repin" everyone else's awesome ideas. (So far...) I'm especially fond of the DIY projects.

Finally! Ideas for all of the junk we have lying around!!!

I now know how a seagull feels when it finds an open dumpster behind McDonald's.

For a seagull, that's a good thing.

For my Mister, this may not be good as I'll be double checking each load of stuff bound for the dump. Old doors, window frames, cupboard doors, broken chairs, and miscellaneous jars are no longer deemed junk here. In fact, some of that old stuff may even find a place of honor on my living room wall or hanging from a tree as a repurposed swing!

What Pinterest does is inspire. It inspires me with new ideas, but mostly it inspires me to finish all those projects that I've kind of lost a vision for.

My first project was an old toybox/bench that my mom-in-law gave me. First, I removed the hinges and the bench seat. The original color (when I got it) was tan. I covered it with an espresso (of course!) brown.

Once that was dry, I applied a coat of antique white.

After 24 hours, a third coat of paint, this time in a robin's egg blue, was added.

Once that was dry, it was time to make the new paint look old with a little sandpaper. The edges I took all the way down to the espresso brown.

A little clear varnish, and hinges that I spray painted "Hammered Black", and the old toybox was given new life.

"A chair for me!"

I told her it was a toybox.

Maddie's not convinced.☺

A Cure for the Wiggles

2012-01-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

How do you convince an 11 yr. old that his history is more exciting than speeding down a hill (of very wet snow) on a sled?

Turn off the lights and light the oil lamp.

And when he complains that he still can't see, light some candles too!

History may never be the same again.☺

#1~You Should Know...

2012-01-18T23:11:00.000-08:00

While in a grocery store not too long ago, I had a person approach me asking, "Do I know you?" Now if you know me at all, you would know this caused me to panic a little. Instead of my life flashing before my eyes, I was rewinding every conversation I had ever had over the last 44 years of my life.

Well, not all 44 of them since the first couple of years were kind of a blur between bottle feedings and diaper changings.

Thankfully, while I was in my memory-induced stupor, the person continued to talk. "I'm sure I know you. Do you attend ______ church?" It was Methodist to which I assured him I didn't. (Not that I have a problem with Methodist's mind you.) "Do you work at the hospital?" I replied with a "No, but I'm a frequent flyer", followed by a nervous laugh.

"Was your dad a teacher at ______ school?"

"Did you buy a car from my neighbor, Bob?"

"Do you have a twin?"

While my eyes darted around looking for Security, and my mind was busy matching every name to every face that I had ever encountered, he continued..."Oh, I know! My wife follows your blog!"

Aha.

Then his eyes went to my grocery cart where he was taking a quick inventory of my goods. Part of me wanted to throw myself across the cart and hide my business, the other part of me wanted to deny it was my cart, and yet another part of me wanted to tell him to "Back off! I'm a woman on the edge!"

I am, but I didn't.

Instead, I politely listened as he explained how much he liked my salmon recipes (and they apparently work for steelhead too!), and then told him to pass along to his wife how much I appreciated her reading my blog. Really, it was very sweet. But it got me to thinking. Am I walking the walk, or am I just a judgemental wanna-be walker? So, I took a quick inventory of my cart too, and here's what I think you should know.

1. This has nothing to do with my cart, but it is becoming a regular "thing". Sometimes I go to town without makeup, my hair in a ponytail, old lady glasses perched on the end of my nose, and a flannel shirt that may or may not have the pockets flipping up. I am on a mission and don't have time for all that other stuff. Of course, this is when I run into a perfectly coiffed super-model from high school who not only managed to keep her girlish figure, but also knows how to work an iron. And of course, she always mentions how "tired" I look.

2. Later, when I run into this same girl with her basket full of Lean Cuisines (excuse me while I gag), I am now carting around a couple of gallons of chocolate ice cream. Yes, it is an organic ice cream, but since this treat doesn't come in gallon-sized containers, I have quite a few in there. (The good news, I also have a coupon, just in case anyone is concerned for my pocketbook.)

3. I steer the cart with my elbows. Don't judge, but with a Starbuck's in one hand and my cellphone in the other, this leaves me no other option. If my legs were longer, maybe I could learn to steer with my knees, but I'm not holding out much hope there.

4. I buy white vinegar by the case. No, I am not manufacturing drugs, nor am I pickling everything in sight. It's cheap, I use it, so I buy it.

5. If you look closely, you will probably find a couple of loaves of marked-down, white bread in my cart. And they are probably laying up against a jar of store-brand partially hydrogenated peanut butter.

Here's the real scoop~I'm not wearing make-up, not because I am tired, but because I am in a hurry. If I'm not properly spackled, it's because I had to make an unexpected trip to town. I am not tired, or sick, or lazy. This is how I look. If it's offensive to anyone, they can take it up with my parents. I really had no say in it.

~All those cartons of ice cream are for a birthday celebration. And since there are 11 people living in my home, and usually more coming over to help celebrate, we need lots of ice cream. This ALWAYS accompanies a made-from-scratch, baked with love cake by yours truly. And since my ice cream maker only makes a quart of the frozen stuff at a time, and I had to run to town for some last-minute ingredients, I can't afford the time it would take to make enough ice cream for a birthday party.

~Beneath my Starbuck's logo, is usually a regular cup of coffee. Sometimes it's a hot cup of mint tea. Always with half & half. Unless my cup is made of plastic and is spewing whipping cream from the top, don't assume that I am "sneaking" a forbidden beverage. Besides, my daughter works for the company, and I use it as an excuse to get to talk to her in between her other customers. If you judge anything, judge my elbow-driving abilities or the fact that my son is licking the handle of the cart...they both need work. (And my cellphone has a handy-dandy little calculator on it~and it's pink. Which somehow makes me feel a little less dowdy.)

~Sometimes I buy fabric softener or dryer sheets. Usually from the health food store, but not always. That said, 90% of the time, I use white vinegar for my fabric softener. I also use it to clean the shower, wash my windows, clean the toilets (with a little baking soda), wash the walls, clean mold...for less than a dollar, I get a gallon of the stuff. And for $5, I get the privilege of using the bottom rack of my shopping cart.

~The cheap, white bread makes great squirrel food, especially when slathered in cheap peanut butter. And speaking of the hydrogenated goo, this is the only stuff that sticks to the pinecones that will be covered in birdseed and hung around our front yard...to keep the birds from taking off with the squirrel food. It's also much cheaper than the bricks of suet that only last until the squirrels realize the birds got the better deal.

I have a terrible habit of looking into other people's carts. And sometimes I can pass judgement based on what I see there. I can also be very judgmental when I see how those goods are paid for, but the reality is, I don't know that persons story.

When I was a little girl, I remember following my grandfather to the Brach's candy bins. He always bought a pound or two of different candies; hard butterscotch candies, blue mints, peppermints, neopolitans, and even Jolly Ranchers were carefully bagged and weighed. Grandpa wasn't a skinny man (nor was he fat), but he was hunched over from a stroke and had to walk with a cane. Based on what was seen, one might think that maybe the candy wasn't a good purchase for him to be making.

Based on someone else's judgement.

The truth is, my grandfather had diabetes and carried those candies in his pockets until the day he passed away. When his blood sugar started to fall, he would place a hard candy in his mouth and suck on it until he felt better. (Usually this would happen if the Sunday sermon when on a little too long!)

And the neopolitan's? Those were for his 7 grandchildren who always knew that Grandpa had candy in his pockets.

So, the next time we're in the grocery store and run into someone we know, or think we know, let's not don't judge them by what's in their cart, how they pay, or whether they are perfectly put together. We'll never know their whole story.

And we don't need to.

Word of the Week...

2012-01-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

SNOW!!!

See the pretty snowflakes

Falling from the sky;

On the walls and housetops

Soft and thick they lie.

On the window ledges,

On the branches bare;

Now how fast they gather,

Filling all the air.

Look into the garden,

Where the grass was green;

Covered by the snowflakes,

Not a blade is seen.

Now the bare black bushes

All look soft and white,

Every twig is laden,

What a pretty sight!

~Anonymous~

I like the way "Anonymous" thinks!☺

A Snowy Day

2012-01-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

*Looking for a meal plan? Go here to see our January menu.

This could be...

"Poppa, cawwy me!"

The.

"I's makin' doggy pwints!"

best.

"Oh! My bunz iz cold!"

day.

"I gonna getchu Poppa!"

ever.

"Yook at how fast I can wun, Nana!"

Now more than ever, I am thankful for my monthly meal plan. With more snow in the forecast, not having to plan meals, or make grocery lists frees up my time to do the more important things in life.

"Is dis how you make a BIG snowball?"

Like making memories.

Waiting for the Snow...

2012-01-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

I've been hearing reports of snowfall happening all across the United States. Snow is my favorite season. Unfortunately, it is usually not a season that we get to experience too often in my neck of the woods. When the weatherman starts to elude to the fact that a cold front is coming down out of Alaska and bringing some moisture with it, I cease to function in a normal daily routine.

My nose is too tightly pressed against the dining room window. Waiting...

...and waiting...

And since a watched window never snows (forget about the darn boiling pot of water, we're talking snow!), I needed a project to occupy my time.

Because I can only clean the greasy nose prints off the window so many times before people start accusing me of having OCD tendencies.

This is how I spent a recent afternoon.

Texting, old school...

Making labels for the gluten-free bulk flours, starches, and gums.

Organizing the pantry...

...Well, 2 shelves of it anyway.

There's always next year, right?

I also emptied bags of suspicious dried, green, leafy substances...just in case someone decided to call the DEA...

The neighbor's are a suspicious lot...

All of these jars were refilled with bulk spices, most of which I had just tossed into a cupboard.

And most of which were NOT labeled in their clear plastic bags.

I helped my Mister give the expectant mommies a little love...

And I started a not-quite-10-month-old on a lifetime addiction to chocolate gelato...

...much to her 3 yr. old sister's chagrin.

Then I watched the weather forecast where I learned that the snow isn't expected until Saturday night.

Guess I'll get to that pasta shelf after all.☺

Crockpot Chinese Pepper Steak

2012-01-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

During the cooler months, I turn to my trusty old friend for some much-needed comfort. No, not my uncles, Ben & Jerry, (although a visit with them is long overdue), but to my crockpot, otherwise known as Mr. Hamilton Beach.

Mr. Hamilton Beach is the Rico Suave of the kitchen appliances as he has many talents that have been known to make women swoon. Everything from bone broths to rendering lard, and apple butters to dinners that make the family think you slaved all day over the hot stove, can be found in my crockpot. Mr. H.B. is a very manly appliance too; he assumes all of the work, leaving me time to fulfill my other passions.

Okay, scrubbing toilets isn't necessarily a passion, but it does need to be done.

A lot.

One of our favorite crockpot meals is called Chinese Pepper Steak. The original recipe comes from the book, "Crockery Cookery" that I received as a bridal shower gift 25 years ago. (Gasp!!!) Over the years, I've made a few changes to the original, and depending on what's available at the time, this dish is very versatile. If it sounds familiar, I've shared this recipe before, but it was long before the invention of the camera, or at least one that I could operate, so it was picture-less until today.

I hope you like this as much as we do!

~Chinese Pepper Steak~

~The Players~

1-1/2 lbs. boneless beef round steak or venison, sliced into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 t. ground pepper

1/4 cup organic wheat-free tamari sauce (can use soy if gluten isn't an issue)

1 Tb. hoisin sauce (found in the Asian section of any grocery store)

1 t. sugar

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

2 *red bell peppers, cut into strips

8 oz. fresh button mushrooms, quartered

3 Tb. cornstarch

3 Tb. water

1 cup fresh bean sprouts (Do NOT use the canned sprouts~trust me on this one!)

4 green onions, finely chopped

3 cups fresh broccoli florets, steamed

cooked rice
red pepper flakes, if desired

Combine steak strips, garlic, salt, pepper, tamari sauce, hoisin sauce and sugar in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW about 4 hours. Turn control to HIGH. Add tomato, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Dissolve cornstarch in water in a small bowl; stir into steak mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15-20 minutes or until thickened.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, steam broccoli until crisp-tender.

Add broccoli and bean sprouts to the crockpot. Sprinkle with green onions and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve with rice.

Serves 6.

Enjoy!

*Frozen bell pepper strips can be substituted for fresh. I've also used zucchini (during the summer), and sliced water chestnuts and fresh spinach (just prior to serving).

Banana Nut Muffins~A True American Love Story

2012-01-09T18:52:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, I was addicted to daytime television. Blame it on the hours of breastfeeding I had to sit still for. Blame it on the discovery of John Stamos and Rick Springfield. Blame it on my mother. The point is, I kicked the habit.

Now I have a new daytime addiction.

Gluten-free Freckled Banana Nut Muffins.

Pure heaven I tell ya.

If I could have 1 thing everyday for the rest of my life, it would be these. Especially slathered with fresh yogurt cream cheese.

Sinful.

And way more exciting than a couple of daytime drama "has-beens"...my waking hours will never be the same again. Trust me.☺

~Banana Chocolate Walnut Muffins~

(from the book, "The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook")

~The Players~

2-1/2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup sucanat

2 t. baking powder

1-1/2 t. xanthan gum (a thickener found in the health food stores)

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. sea salt

4 really ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup vanilla almond milk (can use regular milk)

1/4 cup melted virgin coconut oil

2 t. pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil muffin tins (with coconut oil) or line with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, combine the brown rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix well.

Place the bananas into a glass measuring cup and mash with a fork or potato masher.

Add the milk to the mashed bananas and whisk together with the melted coconut oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold until mixed. Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold the walnuts and chocolate chips into the batter.

Spoon batter into the oiled or papered muffin cups. Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to sit for a couple of minutes in the pan before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

Makes 1-1/2 dozen.

*These freeze well, so make a double batch for later!☺

Enjoy!

A Shampoo Making Adventure

2012-01-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

So, here's the deal. A few, or 12 months ago, I was ~~sitting~~ standing in my bathroom, pondering the meaning of life when I noticed the massive amounts of bottles, bars, razors, and sponges that had accumulated in the shower. Since I have the luxury of having my very own shower (hubby uses the guest bathroom so he can have his own little luxurious space without the flowery scent of the reed diffuser), I found the quantity of all that was there disturbing at best.

Because I had no one but myself to blame it on.

Sad, but true.

I had Costco-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner, a large bottle of castile soap (for shaving~awesome!), face soap for everyday use, blemish soap for those embarrassing-because-I'm-in-my-mid-forties pimples, body wash that reminded me that somewhere, someone was enjoying some sunshine and it sure wasn't me, a condiment bottle of vinegar/water for clarifying (my hair, not my memory), a razor for my underarms and a razor for my legs (I may be a little OCD~jury's still out on that one), a loofah sponge, a big fluffy sponge, and a sponge for cleaning the shower, and a 7 yr. old, never-been-used bottle of bath salts, just in case I ever had time to soak in the tub. It may come as a surprise, but my mobility in the shower was limited at best.

Some might call that an "aha" moment. In actuality, it was my Mister who had been ~~nagging~~ encouraging me to rid myself of all the different bottles of ~~crapola~~ product that were slowly pushing me in the direction of his shower. Looking back, it was most likely his self-preservation mode kicking in. Too bad for him that his teenage daughters have now moved into his bathroom (while we're remodeling another one), so my bottles seem mild compared to theirs. They have different shampoos & conditioners to match whatever mood they're in! Freaks.

After I had a talking-myself-down-from-the-ledge moment (with myself), I decided which bottles I could live without. There were tears. There was gnashing of teeth. There was frantic rooting around in the garbage can moments that are better left forgotten. (Not that anyone in this house ever will.) But then I realized that I'm a lot stronger than I give myself credit for. I could do this. What, I didn't know yet, but the possibilities were endless. I would be the writer of my own shower-taking destiny.

Fast forward a few, or 12 months, and I now know what those possibilities are. I have finally realized my true potential. I was born for greater things than to be a slave to the shampoo & conditioner companies of the world.

I was born to make soap. Specifically shampoo bars of soap.

First, I gathered the supplies, which in my area wasn't easy. It seems that the soap-making craze has only hit the rural areas. Or maybe just my house.

Besides the ingredients, a digital scale is a must as everything is measured by weight.

Then I donned my rather fashion forward attire of goggles, gloves, and a face mask. Once I was properly suited up, the measuring commenced.

Pouring the lye~I had taken off the mask because it was interfering with my ability to breathe...then I realized I was just anxious about the lye, so I put it back on!

Here's where I should point out that we have really good health insurance, and my Mister, who is an emergency room nurse, was working that day. Safety first!

The lye mixture was set under the vent hood fan...the duck nostrils are courtesy of one of my boys. Nice, huh? I should also mention that under this mask, I was smiling like a Cheshire cat while saying, "Cheese". Blame it on the fumes...

The kids wanted to know how much my life insurance policy was worth. I replied, "A lot, but I'm taking you all out of the will."

That'll teach 'em.

The lye mixture gets hot so it's important to have it on a hot pad, not the counter.

After the caustic materials were mixed, I enlisted the help of my beautiful daughter, Kelsie.

She also has tremendous patience to slowly melt the oils and beeswax.

After all, she is the mother of these little cutie-patooties.

Bathtime for Emmie & Maddie.

Can't have her blowing her face off...not that I want mine blown off either, but it would save me thousands of dollars in botox treatments later...if I didn't already have an aversion to needles...or vanity.

A coconut oil greased bread pan worked great!

After achieving what is known as a "false trace" (apparently that is NOT what we were striving for!)we had to remelt it all and try to salvage our first ~~botched~~ shampoo making endeavor.

10 bars of homemade Coconut Lime Shampoo Bars

In a couple of weeks, when we're certain (or mostly certain) the lye is inactive, we'll be offering the kids a reward to the first one brave enough to use our homemade shampoo bars.

We're also currently taking donations for hair replacement therapy, just in case...☺

For the recipe, go here.

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.

5 Little Saving Nuggets in the Grocery Cart

2012-01-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

I though I'd share a few little tips I've learned to help keep the grocery bill down. No, I didn't learn them all this week, but because it's Friday and Friday begins with the letter F, I figured I'd share something frugal-licious. Because frugal-icious starts with the letter F too.

And that my friends is how I roll.

Scary, huh?

I'm currently waiting for Sesame Street to call with a job offer. Skills like this shouldn't be ignored.

So, here's a few "nuggets" of wisdom that I've learned. You may already know some of these, but since I focus my energy on matching my letters to the days of the week, I'm a little behind.☺

1. Bulk spices~I've said it before, and I'll say it again (yes Mom), bulk spices are big money savers. However, I didn't realize just how big until this week. My bay leaf jar was suspiciously low on leaves (I think they are currently hanging on the fridge on a piece of art work.), so it was time to buy some more. Now, I don't know if the origin of the bay leaves has anything to do with the price, but a jar of Turkish bay leaves was going to cost $10.19. Ahem. (For that price, I was tempted to rip down the artwork, glue and all, and just call it a "broth binder"!) If you know me at all, you'll know that I don't pay $10 for anything other than coffee, so my mission was to find it cheaper. Enter the bulk spice bins. For $0.50, I was able to completely refill my jar, and buy organic coffee beans, while leaving the artwork intact.

Speaking of coffee beans...

2. I love coffee. There. I've said it. But I'm kind of a coffee snob. I refuse to drink sludge from a can or anything that wasn't ground just before percolating. I also like to know when the beans have been roasted. I've been buying my beans at a local coffee shop for a couple of years now. I love the blend that the owner put together of dark and regular Sumatra beans. I love how perfectly roasted those beans are, and I love that this coffee shop was started by her dad many moons ago. That said, having 5 adult coffee drinkers in our house makes this little habit a very expensive one to have. At $10.85/lb. per week, this adds up quickly. Imagine my joy when I discovered that some of the Costco's now have coffee roasters in them! Better yet? The beans are organic!! Buying 5 lbs. of beans at once might seem excessive if there is only 1 coffee drinker in the house, but at a savings of $4.55/lb., buying this way saved us $22.75 for the entire month's worth of coffee. (Contrary to popular belief, extra beans should NOT be stored in the freezer. Store them in the fridge to prolong their freshness.)

3. Fabric softeners~First, let me tell you that I don't always use traditional fabric softeners. Quite often I use white vinegar, and sometimes I even steep dried lavender in it first. But sometimes, I fall victim to the enticing scents from the softener bottle, especially the lavender/vanilla scent. When I do get weak, I make sure that I have a manufacturer's coupon in hand and shop at a store who is advertising a sale price. But, here's a little tip to help stretch out that big bottle of deliciousness...Pour half of the bottle into an empty bottle, then fill both bottles up with water. Give it a little shake, and you've now stretched your purchase of 1 into 2. It's not only easier on your wallet, but also on your clothing and your washing machine.

4. Dryer sheets~A lot of people use dryer sheets. I know this because every time I have a coupon for some, I end up having to ask for a rain check. Cut the cost and the chemicals by cutting your dryer sheets in half. Does the same job for half the price.

5. Paper towels~This has been a super-saver for us. We didn't realize the amount of paper towels that were being used until we stopped buying them. Of course, that didn't last long, and paper towels have their place in the kitchen. But by using select-a-size towels to clean up greasy messes, wash rags for cleaning regular spills, and cloth napkins for mealtimes, we were able to cut our usage by 90%. The last time I bought paper towels was in August. I bought a large package of 12. Today as I sit here, we still have 8 of those rolls. Another tip? Buy cloth napkins in the clearance section of the linen department. For $0.99, I got a package of 6 with a big initial on the top. Of course, it's not a J, but who really cares when you're children are wiping spaghetti sauce all over it! Better yet, if you're handy with a sewing machine, whip up your own using fabric scraps you probably already have.

Personally, I like to keep people guessing with the big "I" and "S" initials on mine. Keeps it "f"resh.

And yes, that was another "f" word brought to you by the people of ~~Sesame Street~~...I mean, me.☺

Breakfast Hash

2012-01-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

Before I started cooking our breakfasts, we used to eat a lot of cereal. Most boxes run $4-$5/ box. For a family of 11, that added up pretty quickly. I still buy cereal, (usually the cheerio-type for the grandbabies and only when it's on sale), but for quick because-we-slept-in mornings, we rely on this easy egg & potato dish.

One of our local grocery stores regularly puts out ads for their own brand of frozen potato products. Most people run straight for the tater tots and french fries, but not me. I fill my cart with the maximum number of old-fashioned hash browns. Sometimes known as Potatoes O'Brien, these are just precooked cubed potatoes. Period. No, they're not organic, but with almost everything else in our freezer being of the organic variety, I'm pretty okay with these being conventionally grown.

That and I'm really not a fan of soggy cheerio-type cereal.

This is so easy~there are no measurements and you just guesstimate quantity.

I majored in guesstimation.

Wish my teacher's would have appreciated my knack for guessing as much as my family does.☺

~The Players~

frozen cubed hashbrown potatoes (I used a 2 lb. bag for 11 of us.)

1 egg for every person

Cooked meat of choice (bacon, ham, sausage, etc...)

grated cheese (We like Jarlsburg Swiss, but Gouda was good too!)

coconut oil for frying (I use expeller pressed so there's no coconut taste.)

salt & pepper, to taste

Heat coconut oil until hot. (If you cooked bacon, just add enough coconut oil to the bacon grease to keep the potatoes from sticking to the pan.) Add potatoes, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and place a lid on the pan. Allow the potatoes to cook, stirring a few times, until brown; approximately 10 minutes. You may need to add more coconut oil as it cooks.

While the potatoes are cooking, crack eggs into a bowl. Whisk to break apart. I add a couple of tablespoons of water and whisk until light and fluffy. Season with salt & pepper.

When the potatoes are nicely browned, add the precooked meat and eggs.

Green onions or bell peppers make a nice addition to the hash.

Reduce heat and cook until eggs are set. Once the eggs are cooked, remove from heat, add cheese and replace the lid. Let hash set for a couple of minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Serve while hot.

Enjoy!

Grocery Shopping Blitz~January

2012-01-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

There aren't too many stores I would snap a picture in, but the above photo is special. This is my most favoritest grocery store...ever. It is a family-owned store that carries no pork or shellfish, and is closed on Saturday's, the day these wonderful people observe the Sabbath. Not only is the store packed with fresh and organic, most of the produce comes from local sources. This store is also good about stocking up on locally packaged foods too, such as; salsas, barbecue sauces, specialty vinegar's, and artisan cheeses.

Pure heaven I tell you.

If you live near the Vancouver, Washington area, you will need to experience Chuck's Produce & Street Market for yourself. And make sure you save time to enjoy a cup of gelato while you're there. I can personally vouch for the Chocolate Hazelnut gelato. And the Espresso Gelato. And the Blackberry Gelato. And the Lemon Gelato. And the...

Have I mentioned that we like gelato?☺

Our monthly grocery shopping trip wasn't limited to just Chuck's, even though it could've been. We started with Trader Joe's and ended with Costco, with a leisurely lunch at Applebee's to see the Oregon Duck/Wisconsin kickoff for the Rose Bowl. (We finished watching the game at Costco with about 100 other people who can't afford drive-in sized televisions either!)

So, here's what we bought...

And here's what we spent...

Trader Joe's~$74.62
Chucks Produce~$133.21
Costco~$191.84

Grand total~$399.67

We still have our raw milk to buy, but if all goes according to plan, the total this month should be well within our $600 budget!

Time will tell...

January Meal Plan

2012-01-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

To learn why we decided to go to a monthly meal plan, go here and here.

Here's what's cookin' for January...

1. B~cereal

D~Spicy Hoppin' John, Kim's cornbread

2. B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ frozen berries

D~Cubed steak w/ milk gravy, roasted potatoes, broccoli/cauliflower

3. B~Scrambled Hash (new), g.f. Peachy Millet Muffins (new)

D~Black Bean Soup, gf Southern Cornbread

4. B~Cinnamon Spice Granola over yogurt (new)

D~Chicken Pot Pie with gf Cheddar Biscuits (new)

5. B~Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Oatmeal

D~Meatloaf, mashed potatoes & beef gravy (using homemade stock), green beans

6. B~Speltcakes (for family), gf Rice Flour Pancakes for mom

D~Chinese Pepper Steak, jasmine rice in beef stock

7. B~Kefir fruit smoothies, gf Banana Walnut Muffins

D~Ham steaks, baked potatoes w/sour cream, steamed green peas

8. B~Almond Joy Granola w/ yogurt

D~Chicken Tortilla Soup, homemade tortilla chips

9. B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ frozen berries

D~Pot roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, steamed peas

10. B~Scrambled eggs & deer sausage

D~Korean Beef Bulgolgi, brown rice

11. B~gf Pumpkin Spiced Bread (new), Pumpkin Smoothies

D~Chili, Kim's Kornbread, (gf Cheddar Biscuits for mom)

12. B~Baked Eggs (family), yogurt & frozen berries (mom)

D~Salmon Patties w/ tartar sauce, baked fries, sweet corn

13. B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ toasted almonds & dried cherries

D~Broiled Parmesan Tilapia, Lemon Rice Pilaf, steamed broccoli

14. B~Sourdough Pancakes (family), gf Rice Flour Pancakes (mom)

D~El Rancho Skillet Dinner, peas

15. B~Cinnamon Spice Granola, yogurt

D~Spicy Split Pea Soup w/ ham, gf Southern Cornbread

16. B~Nancy's Nutmeg Coffee Cake (family), yogurt w/ frozen berries (mom)

D~Farmer's Delight Casserole (new)

17. B~Quiche Lorraine

D~Spaghetti (with brown rice noodles), steamed broccoli

18. B~Red, White & Orange Baked Oatmeal

D~Thai Cashew Chicken, jasmine rice

19. B~Fried eggs in ghee, gf Carrot Raisin Buckwheat Muffins (new)

D~Perfect Potato Patties, Meatloaf, green beans

20. B~Kefir fruit smoothies, Whole Wheat Raspberry Muffins (family)

D~Clam Chowder, gf Cheddar Biscuits

21. B~Speltcakes (family), gf Rice Flour pancakes (mom)

D~Sweet & Sour Meatballs, jasmine rice, peas

22. B~Almond Joy Granola w/ yogurt

D~Beef Stew, Buttermilk biscuits (family), gf Cheddar Biscuits (mom)

23. B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ frozen berries

D~Polenta w/ marinara sauce, baked chicken, peas

24. B~Cheddar Bacon Breakfast Muffins (family), Fried eggs in ghee, gf Cheddar Biscuit (mom)

D~Cinco de Mayo Casserole

25. B~Cheese Omelette's

D~Pulled Barbecued Beef (crockpot) over brown rice, green beans

26. B~gf Cranberry Apple Spice Muffins (new), Kefir fruit smoothies

D~Meatless "Hamburger" Helper w/ brown rice pasta (new), corn

27. B~Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Oatmeal w/ canned peaches

D~5 Bean Soup, gf Southern Cornbread

28. B~Sourdough Pancakes (family), gf Rice Flour Pancakes (mom)

D~Lentil Burritos, homemade tortilla chips & salsa

29. B~Cinnamon Spice Granola w/ yogurt

D~Salsa Chicken over brown rice

1/30~Shopping Day

B~Simple Soaked Oatmeal

D~tbd ☺

Even though each day is scheduled for a specific meal, we will be flexible on changing days around during the week. Sometimes real life happens and I forget to soak the beans, thaw the meat, or make the granola when I should. And sometimes another meal sounds better than the one planned for that day. As long as we stick to eating these meals during the week they are planned, there should be no waste.

At least, that's the plan.☺

This post is linked to Menu Mondays.

Planning for a Month of Meals

2012-01-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

As we begin a new year, my Mister and I have resolved to spend less, consume less, and play more. There is always something that needs to be done here on the farm, so playing more might be a little more difficult to achieve than spending and consuming less.

Course, we could just be broken. Nah, that's not it...☺

While tallying up our monthly expenses for 2011, we noticed a trend that I'm not proud of. Our grocery bill seemed to grow by the month. Maybe that's because we didn't budget. With 3 freezers full of meats, poultry, fish, fruit, veggies, and ice cream (Don't judge.), there is no excuse for the $1200 average we've been spending. With that number, we also noticed a lot of waste in fresh fruits & vegetables that weren't being eaten before they spoiled. We lost a lot of bread. (R.I.P sourdough starter.) We tossed a lot of leftovers to the chickens to make room for the new groceries. It was disgusting the amount of food that was being fed to our animals. Shameful.

After sitting down and taking a good hard look at how things were being run in the kitchen, I realized that it came down to a couple of things.

#1. Poor planning. Even though I made a weekly meal plan, I wasn't using the pantry/freezer items as the base for our meals. I was using them as accompaniments to the store-bought foods. During the growing season, I was still not using all that I could have from the garden. It would be easy to blame it on my thyroid issues (tiredness), but in reality, it was just easier to write down a grocery list and pick up lettuce while I was buying cheese.

#2. Coupon shopping & impulse buying. Yes, I saved money on certain items. But it is only saving money if the food that was bought was actually used. I firmly believe that coupon shopping does NOT save a person the money they think it does. Coupons are used as tools to get the consumer into the stores. It takes great discipline to only purchase those items for which you have coupons for. And here's a little secret....the stores know this. And deep down, we know this too. When I enter a store, coupons in hand, there are ALWAYS in-store "deals" to be had. What started out as a $50 shopping trip, quickly turns into a $100 trip. Which of course, always leads to the justification stage of impulse buying. "But I shaved $60 off my bill!" No I didn't. I spent $50 more than I had planned, thus repelling my grocery budget into the stratosphere. Who makes money on my impulse buying? Not me.

Which leads me to another beef I have with couponing. Coupons come out every week, sometimes twice, which means that I need to visit the grocery store multiple times to use my coupons before they expire. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.

So how do I shave money off my grocery budget? Lean in a little closer and I'll tell you.

Closer.

Closer.

Are you ready?

Spend less time in the grocery stores.

I know, I was shocked too. This doesn't mean that I'm going to start harvesting bark and digging up grubs for my family. This just means that instead of a 3-times-a-week habit, I'll be down to once a month. (The only thing this doesn't include is our weekly 3 gallons of raw milk, but once Tilly "freshens", this trip will be eliminated too.) In order to do this, a plan of action is needed.

#1. Make a master list of pantry staples. Mine looks like this...

*Spices, Oils, Sweeteners, Sauces (such as fish/oyster sauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, etc...)
*Baking (includes chocolate chips, baking powder, yeast, etc...)
*Fresh Produce/Herbs
*Frozen Foods
*Dairy
*Canned Foods
*Condiments
*Bulk Grains, Beans, Flours
*Gluten-Free Supplies
*Cleaners (laundry, and homemade cleaner ingredients)
*Paper/Storage Items (includes sandwich/freezer bags, aluminum foil, toilet paper, kleenex)
*Personals (feminine products, deodorant, etc..)
*Miscellaneous (organic coffee)

This list is on-going. There is no way to write down every single item that is used in the kitchen. Just keep it handy and add as you go.

(We do not include our pet supplies in the master grocery list. All of our animal feed comes from the feed store and is part of our farm budget.)

#2. Make a list of family favorites. For us this would be breakfast and dinner meals. (Lunch is usually left-overs or in an emergency, a sandwich using one of the loaves we always have in the freezer.) Have the family help with the list, you might be surprised at the simpleness of their meals! Make sure to include all elements of the meal; main dish and any side dishes. The ingredients for those side dishes do not magically appear...☺

#3. Plan a month's worth of meals. For week 1, include any fresh produce. Week 2, include produce that has a longer shelf life (i.e. carrots, celery, potatoes). Weeks 3 & 4, plan on using frozen/canned/dried produce for meals. Since we have a lot of different meats in the freezers, I plan around those. In the winter, we have a lot of meals using beans and rice as these have a very long shelf life. They can also be cooked in large quantities and used in a later-in-the-week meal without the cooking time. Which leads to....

#4. Plan meals using some of the same ingredients in the same week. Example: Cook a pot of pinto beans and plan on chili for Monday and burritos for Thursday. Or, freeze the extras to cut cooking time later. If ham is on the menu, plan on using some of the ham in scrambled eggs, and the ham bone later in the week to season a pot of split peas or navy beans. Extra rice? How about a dessert of rice pudding, or use it for breakfast with a handful of raisins, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzling of honey or maple syrup, and a splash of milk.

#5. Make a grocery list. This is not limited to only 1 grocery store. Look at the ads, clip coupons if needed, and search for the best deals. Include (in the spring for me) farmer's markets and your own garden produce. This is where eating in season comes into play. Unless you live in the tropics, watermelon in January shouldn't be on the list. If you live near a Costco, plan to stop there...just stick to your list and only purchase what you need. (This is especially good if you have children at home.)

#6. Prepare for the grocery trip. For me, this means doing it on a day that my Mister can be with me. It is much easier to stick to a budget if you have someone to be accountable with. And because a large grocery trip can be stressful, having someone to take a lunch break with can add a little fun to the trip. Before leaving, make sure you have your coupons (yes, I still use them), reusable grocery/produce bags, a cooler (especially good in the summer or if you shop out of your local area), a water bottle or travel mug of your favorite hot beverage, and comfy shoes.

#7. And finally, use cash. Determine what your monthly food budget will be and pay with paper money. This is a foreign concept to many (including me!), but if you only have cash with you, it is much easier to stick to a plan. For us, it will be $600/month. If I were shopping for 2 weeks at a time, I would only carry half of that with me. Keep it in an envelope, and make sure to save your receipts. Last week I bought a little over a pound of fresh broccoli florets. At $0.99/lb., the total should've been $1.23. As I looked over my receipt, I noticed that I was charged $9.90! It makes me wonder how many times I missed a whopper mistake like that!

Maybe all of this just boils down to self-discipline. Maybe I have too many things on my metaphoric plate and need to make more lists to keep track of everything. Or maybe, the time I waste in the grocery store every week would be better spent enjoying this blessed life I have been given. Whatever your reason may be, having a plan leaves you with more money in your pocket...

And more time to play.

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.

My Less-Is-More Resolutions

2011-12-29T16:05:00.000-08:00

Last year I made a few resolutions, which I am happy to share, I actually kept.

No really. I did.

Mostly.

I'll admit, the fanny pack thing didn't happen.

This year I've decided to see if I can make it 2-in-a-row by setting some more goals. Unlike last year's tongue-in-cheek resolutions, these will be a little more difficult to keep.

Because they're real.

And since they have absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, these should last a little longer than the first week of January.

So, here is my list, in no particular order.

1. Consume less.

Since we don't have a weekly garbage pick-up (at $60/month), we take our trash into the dump/recycling center ourselves. Our goal was to make this trip on a monthly basis, but so far, we haven't been able to get past the 2 week mark. With our recycling credit (newspapers, cans, glass) our total cost to dump is between $2 and $5.00/load.

The price is not the issue. It is the amount of garbage that we are taking in. Four of our five cans are usually filled with recylcables. In our area, there are only 2 kinds of plastic that can be recycled, all the others head to the landfill. Before you start thinking "Uh-oh, another nutty environmentalist..", let me assure you that I am not. Well, I am, but not one of those weird incense-burning, pot-smoking, free-love kind of environmentalists. I'm more like the milk and cookies with a hug at bedtime kind of nut.

My resolution isn't just to decrease my trips to the dump, but to decrease our family's dependency on all the items that we don't always need to purchase or that come with hard-to-dispose-of packaging.

Such as:

Packaged foods~We all know that most packaged foods are processed foods. And we know that those aren't good for us. But there are plenty of whole foods that come in cartons, bags, boxes, and plastic.

Solution? Buy in bulk. Whole Foods (and many others) have an awesome selection of healthy beans, pastas, nuts, dried fruits, and spices, not to mention honey, olive oil, and grind-yourself nut butters. Cut consumption by bringing your own bags and containers. Most places will weigh your empty containers and subtract that from the filled weight. Mesh produce bags are another way to cut wasteful packaging. (Store bulk items in glass canning jars that you probably already have!) Make your own mixes, seasoning "packets", breads, and yogurt. Not only are these a healthier alternative to store-bought, it is a good way to keep the grocery budget in check. (I'll share more tips later for saving at the grocery store!)

Reusable bread bags~My Mister "gets" me!

Cleaning products~Most of us have at least on cupboard filled with cleaning supplies. One for the toilet, one for the shower, one for the floor, etc...Not only are most of these products toxic, they take up space in the house and the garbage can.

Solution? Make your own. It's surprising what a little white vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap can do. Just be careful reusing bottles that had toxic chemicals in them as they can become even more toxic and even deadly. (Bleach & ammonia for instance.) Also, forgo that expensive, toxic laundry soap and make your own for pennies. (White vinegar makes a great fabric softener and a gallon usually costs less than a dollar.)

Drying clothes~Most people don't think twice about running an electric dryer, until the power bill arrives. The energy wasted on a load of laundry is only second to the stove/oven. The power comes from somewhere, and someone is going to pay for that power. Probably you.

Solution? Install a clothesline for outside drying during the warmer months and use a drying rack for the winter. I have 2 hanging racks in front of my woodstove and am hoping to purchase a wooden rack from here. And check out the repurposed baby gate here. Save the dryer for the important stuff, like jeans. Nothing puts me in a bad mood faster than crunchy jeans...

Speaking of clothes...

Clothing~Ever notice the poor workmanship of the clothing nowadays? Most are sewn in foreign countries, possibly by underage employees, who are probably not being paid enough of a wage to live on. Remember Levi jeans? Sorry to tell you, but these are not made in America anymore.

Solution? Buy from second-hand stores. These stores are not the disgusting places they once were. Second-hand shopping has become en vogue, and retailers are finally understanding that we don't want to purchase items that have last year's Christmas gravy stained to the front. In our area, we actually have some pretty classy thrift stores that we have scored numerous deals at. And some of these stores actually benefit other organizations such as, our local women/children's shelter, hospice, boys & girls clubs, etc...(Local people~check out The Red Hat Thrift Store, The Hospice Thrift Store, and in Vancouver, Plato's Closet.)

Sometimes you'll even find furniture worth saving!

Solid wood bed for $124...My grandmother has the same bed and paid $1200 new!

Toiletries~This is kind of a touchy subject for me.

Because I'm a girl.

I like my mousse, hair spray, makeup, razors, deodorant, lotions, and the like, but there is a lot of packaging involved with this stuff. Not to mention, most of it is overpriced, toxic, and marketed in a way that makes a woman think she is less of a woman to not have these things.

Solutions? Don't buy into the lie. Yes, I still use mousse, hairspray, makeup, and thankfully, deodorant (most of the time☺), but I'm more choosy and I don't use this stuff everyday. I take into account how long something will actually last. I make what I can at home, and make purchasing decisions based on whether the package can be reused or not. Crazy? Maybe, but I have raised 6 girls and that's a lot of "stuff". There are recipes on the web for making your own deodorant, soaps, shampoos, and lotions. If that's not your thing, try a mineral salt deodorant stick that can last for an entire year. Use coconut oil right out of the pantry (I store mine in a little cup on my bathroom counter.) instead of expensive moisturizers and lotions, and try making your own bar soap. (I'll be sharing a recipe for shampoo bars soon!) I use mineral powder makeup and reuse the little jars for important things like scrapbooking embellishments, buttons, and tacks. And disposable razors? No way. Use a razor with replaceable heads, or even better, an electric razor.

Finally, make things that you use a lot of. For us, it's candles. When the winds blow, we're the last to get our power back on. Instead of purchasing some made-in-China (or wherever) candles, we roll our own from beeswax sheets.

It's a fun way to spend an afternoon and there is NO GARBAGE to pack to the cans.

And that's it. My New Year's resolution for the year.

Just one.

I should be able to manage just one, dontchathink?☺

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN 2012!!!

This post is linked to the Living Well Blog Hop.

Peepin' Tom

2011-12-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

While in the midst of holiday hustlin', bustlin', wrapping & baking, we had a visitor.

He was not offering his gift wrapping services.

He was not sharing his recipe for pickled peppers.

And he was certainly not selling Avon.

It seems a rumor was started (probably by those cackling hens) that...

...we might be serving beef for this holiday dinner.

Since Tom trusts no one,

he decided to take the "wait & see" approach.

Two days of sitting in the exact same spot, Tom was finally convinced that beef is "what's for dinner."

Today we welcomed the rain...and if you have turkeys, you'll know what I mean.☺

My Last Menu Monday...sort of...

2011-12-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Ours was the usual chaos, without the organization. Because of my lack of attention to detail, we had a houseful of guests who had to maneuver their way through a clothing maze in the bathroom; didn't eat dinner until after 8 p.m. because I failed to notice that the prime rib I had set in the fridge to thaw needed more than the 2 days I gave it; and our guests had to dodge, weave, and knee the 4 dogs that I neglected to have kenneled for the festivities.

*Sigh*

It was perfect.

Now that we're in our last week of 2011, I am working on my organizational skills. By working on, I really mean, acquiring some.

I'm a late bloomer.

While looking over our spending habits in the grocery store, I noticed 2 things.

1. We spend entirely too much.
2. I always spend more when my Mister is with me.

Since I'm not willing to endure the hell that is the grocery store alone, #1 has to change. So, starting January 1, 2012, our grocery shopping will be limited to once a month. This means that meal plans will be planned monthly instead of weekly. By visiting the store less, our goal is to slash our ever-growing grocery bill in half. Face it, the more times a person goes into a store, the more money is spent. Even if you have a list. Stores have mastered the gentle art of persuasion and practice these technique's on the unsuspecting consumer at every opportunity. Fancy packaging, deli/bakery smells, happy music, in-store advertisements placed right at eye level, and friendly greeters are all part of the master plan...to get us to spend more.

It's time to beat them at their own game.

This week will be the last of my weekly meal plans. Starting on January 1, my monthly plan will be under its own tab at the top of my blog. I will also be keeping a monthly grocery total in the side margin of the blog. My hope is to be able to share some tips as I go, some of them you may already know, while others may be new to both of us. The end result will be the same...more money left in our pockets.

Game on.

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

~Monday~

Eggs fried in ghee, Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls (left over from Christmas morning!)

Beef stew, cornbread

~Tuesday~

Cinnamon Rolls, plain yogurt w/ frozen mixed berries

Navy Bean & Ham Soup

~Wednesday~

Hashbrowns, eggs fried in ghee

Pot roast, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, green beans

~Thursday~

Sourdough pancakes

African Peanut Stew

~Friday~

Cheese/onion omelette's, toast

Creamy Potato Corn Chowder

~Saturday~

Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ cinnamon & dried apples

leftover soups

*New Year's Eve snacks~cheese fondue, sausage, sourdough, Banana Splits

~Sunday~

Scrambled eggs, toast

Spicy Hoppin' John, cornbread

This post is linked to Menu Mondays.

Happy Dancing and Pie

2011-12-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

This is what's known as "The Happy Dance". Currently, I am doing this. While typing.

My talent knows no limits.

Unless I hit my knee on the coffee table again. Ouch.

After another round of needle poking in the neck, I have received the greatest gift for Christmas.

A clean bill of health.

Yes, I still have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but I do NOT have cancer. Yes, I have a goiter growing in my neck, but it is cancer-free. Yes, I need to follow-up with bloodtests every 2-3 months and an ultrasound in 6, but IT IS NOT CANCER!!! Did you hear me?

I DO NOT HAVE CANCER!!!

Now that this little bump is behind me, it's time to make some pie. Specifically, Hazelnut Mocha Cheesecake. And because I can, I plan on keeping a whole one to myself.

After all, it is gluten-free.☺

~Hazelnut Mocha Cheesecake~

~The Players~

*use organic ingredients, if possible

Crust: 3 cups finely ground hazelnuts

10 Tb. salted butter, melted

4 Tb. sucanat (or Rapadura)

Filling: 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 (8 oz.) cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup baking cocoa

2 t. espresso powder

1 t. vanilla

Crust: Using a fork, mix hazelnuts, butter, and sucanat. Press into 2 pie dishes, making sure to press up the sides too. (It will look rugged, this is okay.) Bake in preheated 350F. oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before filling.

Mix heavy cream and cream cheese together until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift powdered sugar and cocoa together. Stir in espresso powder. Slowly add sugar mixture into creamed mixture; mix until creamy. Add vanilla.

Spread into prepared crust. Chill at least 2 hours.

This makes 2 pies, but shhhh...don't tell the family.☺

Enjoy!

Spiced Candied Nuts

2011-12-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

I realize that I'm a little late to the party, but this week I'll be sharing some of our favorite Christmas goodies. To earn the title of "Favorite", a recipe must be tried and true. It must be able to stand alone as a goodie, without the need for fance and frills. It must be able to hold it's own against the highly popular, yet superficial beauty of the frosted cut-out cookie. Especially if it is sporting a never-before-seen color.

That said, sometimes we make exceptions to the favorites list. Like, when Mom decides to try a gluten-free version of a snickerdoodle and it turns into an unrecognizable pile of goo that even the goats won't touch.

It could happen. I'm not sayin' it did, but it could.☺

I liken this turn of events to a beauty pageant. You know, where one of the top 5 girls are equally perfect, but then just before the final judging, there is a scandal that is revealed, leaving girl #6 the opportunity to shine.

Yep, just like that. It's time for goodie #6 to shine, because the infamous gluten-free snickerdoodle has been bumped.

And if the sticky fingers and trips to the candy dish are any indication, #6 just might be the real winner.

50 #'s of walnuts, just waiting to be shelled.

~Spiced Candied Walnuts~

~The Players~

3 cups shelled, walnut halves

1-1/2 cup organic sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the sugar on medium heat until it starts to melt.

When the sugar starts to melt, use a wooden spoon and continue to stir until sugar is a medium amber color. Add the spices and mix well. Turn heat down to simmer.

Pour the nuts into the saucepan, stirring to coat all of the nuts. Using 2 forks, quickly move nuts, a couple at a time, to the parchment-lined cookie sheets. Be careful, these are extremely hot!

This is kind of messy, but once the nuts have hardened (about 5 minutes), the sugar "hairs" can be picked off. I'm sure there's a technical term for the strands of candied sugar, but it looks like hair to me.

I'm a simple girl.☺

Enjoy!

Menu Monday {Week of Dec. 18-24}

2011-12-18T21:17:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season...

...for last minute dashes to town to get some forgotten, but highly important ingredient,

...for wrapping paper pieces on the floor and scotch tape stuck to the hair,

...for get-togethers and Christmas programs,

...for noses pressed against windows, waiting for snow,

...for Christmas lights and "It's a Wonderful Life,

...for eggnog and candy-sprinkled, gluten-free cookies.

Now that you know what's up at my house, tell me, what's going on at yours? Am I the only one running around like a crazed psycho-mom, who has some serious time-management issues?

Please say no. I beg you.

Last week, I made a list and before I could check it twice, the week was over! I'm not entirely sure where it went, but I'm fairly certain I was jipped a few hours. Each day. So, this week we are going to try again. This week we will do all the crafty projects that were planned, bake all the sweets that are on the list (just as soon as I find the list!), and even try to manage a movie marathon of "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story". Of course, I may be sleeping during the marathon, but it will be on.☺

A quick update on the biopsy results. Some of you already know this, but last week's biopsy didn't go as well as expected. The pathologist didn't find some cells that are actually supposed to be in the thyroid, so this week I'll be having a second biopsy. *sigh* Just add it to the list...

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

~Sunday~

Almond Joy Granola

Teriyaki Chicken, brown rice, green salad w/ Green Goddess dressing (I'll share the recipe this week.)

~Monday~

Baked Eggs

French Lentil Soup, green salad w/ Green Goddess dressing

~Tuesday~

Sourdough Pancakes

Pan-Seared Citrus-Glazed Salmon over Wilted Spinach (new), Avocado Quinoa Salad (new)

~Wednesday~ (biopsy day)

Cinnamon Spiced Granola (new)

Cincinnati Chili, green salad w/Lime Vinaigrette (new)

~Thursday~

Swiss cheese & Green onion omelette's

Vegetarian Chipotle Chili (new), Kim's Kornbread

~Friday~

Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ blueberries & almonds

Spicy Split Pea Soup (not new, but I haven't posted it yet~oops!), Kim's Kornbread

~Saturday~

Hashbrowns, scrambled eggs

Sloppy Joes, 3-Bean Salad

~Christmas Day~

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls (Heaven help me~because I sure can't!)

Dinner: Grass-fed Prime Rib, Potatoes Au Gratin, Broccoli Salad, Raw Cranberry Relish, Rolls, and a whole bunch of different desserts...but I'll have to get back to you on that one...once I've narrowed it down to single digits.

I like pie.☺

This post is linked to Menu Mondays.

Gift Basket for the Chocolate Lover

2011-12-17T09:19:00.000-08:00

Need a quick, last minute but frugal gift idea?

How about a themed basket of chocolate?

For under $10.

Here's what you'll need:

1 basket~look around your house for any extras, or pick one up at a thrift store for less than a $1.

2 cute coffee mugs~thrift stores have oodles of them, usually for 50 cents a piece, or less. Or look in your own cupboard, we usually have more coffee mugs than my entire family lineage could use!

1 pint jar with lid and ring

1 kitchen towel~I bought a new one for $2.

Cute cellophane bag, or Saran Wrap

scrapbooking paper

packing material

curling ribbon

Homemade fudge sauce, see below

Almond Joy Granola

mini candy canes and assorted chocolates

A home-made label with hot chocolate directions.

Fill the mugs with packing material and mini candy canes.

Almond Joy Granola

Cover the basket with the towel and tie with a large ribbon.

The packing material was shredded computer paper that my daughter curled for me (with a pencil). (Never say to a momma that "I'm boooooorrrrrred!") Make sure to tuck it between the mugs and jar of fudge sauce so they won't break during the drive to Grandma's house.

To make the fancy lid for the fudge sauce, place a canning lid over the back of a piece of scrapbooking paper. Trace with a pencil, cut, and use a glue stick to attach to lid. If you have a label-maker, now's a good time to pull out the instructions and try to figure out how to use it!☺ And if you can't or don't, a black felt pen works too.

Use curling ribbon or other holiday decorations to gussy up the basket. At Christmas, you can never have too much gussy-ing.

And if you take a chocolate themed gift basket to a gift exchange, and if there are men at this same exchange, never, ever, ever underestimate the power that chocolate has on members of the opposite sex. (The recipient of the gift basket had to be escorted out by unarmed security guards who may or may not have wrestled said basket from winner's hands...at least, I think they were security guards...)

And if you do, underestimate I mean, make sure you have another jar of fudge sauce secretly stashed in your refrigerator at home...and only enjoy it in the the privacy of your own locked bathroom.

Just sayin'.☺

~Hot Fudge Sauce~

*use organic ingredients if possible*

1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium saucepan, stir together the cream, sugar, cocoa, and butter. Cook on medium heat until butter is melted and ingredients are combined. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture into mixing bowl and beat for 1 minute. Pour into pint jar.

Makes 2 cups of fudge sauce.

To make hot cocoa:

Heat 1 cup milk to hot, but not boiling. Add 3-4 tablespoons of fudge sauce and whisk well. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

I'll be using this same Hot Fudge Sauce to make an ice-cream themed gift basket too!

This post is linked to The Great Holiday Barn Hop.

Because Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut Granola

2011-12-15T21:37:00.000-08:00

This is not the breakfast of champions.

I don't actually know any champions, but if I did, I'm sure they'd agree. (My gene pool is more like a puddle of serious under-achievers, if ya know what I mean.)

Since I don't know of one who can verify this claim, you're just going to have to trust me on this one. Better yet, trust me that hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrup are bad ideas for breakfast food. But, while they may be bad, the tasty combination of almonds, coconut, and chocolate are still as good as the day they were born.

They just don't tuck into the side pocket of a purse as easily.

Recently, I ran across a recipe for Chocolate Granola on another blog, and I knew with a little "tweaking" on my part, I could have my Almond Joy again, this time without the guilt.

Okay, there's a little guilt, but that may be because I kinda, sorta, maybe, might've eaten most of the batch.

It could happen.

And if nuts aren't your thing, leave them out.

♫Because, sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't!♫

~The Players~

1/3 cup organic brown sugar

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (I use Tropical Traditions)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup organic cocoa powder (unsweetened)

7 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided

1 cup chocolate chips (I used bittersweet, but milk chocolate would be good too.)

1 cup unsweetened coconut chips

1 cup almond pieces (I used sliced almonds this time, but chopped are good!)

In a small saucepan, slowly melt coconut oil. (Don't worry about about measuring until after it's melted; simply pour any unused oil back into the container. It will firm back up.)

Pour the melted oil back into the saucepan and whisk together with the brown sugar and honey. (Use the same measuring cup that was used for the oil to measure the honey, it will slide right out!) Bring to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa.

Measure out 3 cups of rolled oats; put into a large bowl.

Put remaining 4 cups of rolled oats into a food processor and pulse until 50% of the oats are a finer texture.

Mix the processed oats with the whole oats.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the oats, stirring with a large spoon until cool enough to handle.

Go ahead and lick your fingers...I won't tell...

Spread into 2 9x13 pans, cookie sheets (with sides), or broiler pans. Bake in preheated 350F. oven for 10 minutes.

Seriously. I said 10 minutes. Trust me.

Remove pans and turn off oven. Stir in coconut chips, almonds, and chocolate chips.

Return pans to the oven (make sure it's off!). Leave pans in the oven for 1-2 hours. Do not stir them during this time, just leave them be.

Be strong.

Remove from oven and let cool. Do not stir until cool. Store in sealed jars or other containers.

Enjoy!

**Check back tomorrow to see what I did with all this granola!**

A Sigh of Relief

2011-12-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

Today was the day.

The day that I have been stressing about for the last couple of weeks.

Biopsy day.

Just to clarify...I'm alive. I'm not sure what I was expecting, as fear took hold and rendered me senseless...not to mention left me crying like a 2 year old who had lost her dolly.

Anyway, I survived.

Barely.

The doctor who performed the biopsy knew of my anxiety, so he highly suggested a couple of anti-anxiety pills. Because he has so many more years of doctorin' experience than me, I took him up on his very generous offer.

Let me just tell you, there is a reason that I have never done drugs.

I'm a control freak.

And a wuss, hence the reason for the drugs.

While I don't have any official results to share yet, I can tell you that the doctor does not think the masses in my thyroid are cancerous. As a "betting man" (according to the doctor), he's pretty sure that my official diagnosis will be Hashimoto's disease. And he doesn't think I need to start any medication yet as my thyroid is still producing enough hormone on its own. The only residual effects of the biopsy is a very sore neck, and a Xanax hangover that I'm sure a good night's sleep will rectify.

Currently, I am being pampered by my family, loved on by my granddaughters, and enjoying the comfort of my very own recliner.

And to make this lovely little mini-vacation last a little longer, I've thrown in a limp for good measure.

But let's just keep that between us, shall we?☺

I want to send a big THANK YOU for all the prayers, encouragement, and well-wishes. It has meant more to me than words could ever express.

Meal Plan for 12/11

2011-12-11T14:59:00.001-08:00

Because this week will be a little more stressful than usual, I've decided to have a little fun.

Keeps people guessin'.

So this week, we're putting away the school books (until after the holidays), and we're dragging out the glue gun. It's time I teach these kids how to use a real weapon. With my arsenal of glue sticks, we'll be making a primitive banner for the fireplace, some vintage-looking, glittery birds for the tree, and a stocking for the newest member of the family, Emily Jane. We'll also be putting together a gluten-free baking list, cleaning out the chicken coop, and decorating an outdoor tree for our fine feathered friends.

My biopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning, with results as soon as the end of the week, so the plan is to keep me busy.

With lots of noise.

Keeps me from thinkin' too much.☺

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

~Sunday~

cereal

Pot roast, mashed potatoes/gravy, green beans

~Monday~

Quiche Lorraine

Lemon Rice Pilaf, Broiled Parmesan Tilapia, salad

~Tuesday~

Almond Joy Granola (recipe this week!), Coconut milk fruit smoothie (for mom)

Kelsie's choice

~Wednesday~

Almond Joy Granola, yogurt & fruit (for mom)

Taco Mac & Cheese (new), fruit salad

~Thursday~

Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ blueberries & toasted walnuts

French Lentil Soup (carried from last week), sourdough

~Friday~

Sourdough pancakes (for family), Buckwheat pancakes (for mom~new)

Christmas party potluck

~Saturday~

Scrambled eggs & deer sausage

Teriyaki Chicken, brown rice, steamed broccoli or Swiss chard

This post is linked to Menu Mondays.

Movie Theater Popcorn

2011-12-08T21:56:00.001-08:00

Recently I went to the movies with my daughter, Valerie. I hadn't been in awhile so was quite surprised at the $9 price tag. What is it exactly that our $9 gets us? The privilege to occupy an already warm, germ-encrusted seat that someone else has just vacated? A place where our carefully chosen because-they-match-my-outfit shoes are now glued to the floor by Mountain Dew and melted Milk Duds? A chair, if you will, that is either too close to the screen, or directly behind the largest person in the county...who has a cell phone that he refuses to shut off. A phone that he spends the entire movie texting on. A phone, whose light is by far brighter than the North Star. And because he's texting some unknown, but seemingly very important person, he has to have his friend provide a running commentary throughout the entire first half of the flick.

Who doesn't know how to whisper.

Suddenly that movie you couldn't wait to see doesn't seem as appealing as it once was.

The movie people know this though. To keep you from walking out, they hire employees to pop corn, then turn on fans (They call it "air conditioning".) that blow the scent of freshly popped corn directly up your already cooled nose.

Movie people are a sneaky bunch.

While the movie may not be worth the ticket price, the popcorn sure is. Its scent can entice even the ones who would rather have the red licorice or peanut M&M's.

Just ask my Mister. Movie theater popcorn can render its victims senseless and even though we know that we shouldn't indulge, we do. Then we feel guilty. (Some of the guilt can be attributed to the additional $10 that was just spent at the snack bar!) We may even consider popcorn rehab, but as soon as the sequel, prequel, or anything with Harrison Ford comes out, we're back in line asking for extra butter like the popcorn junkies that we are.

Since I can't afford to see a movie every time the popcorn shakes begin, I've decided to take matters into my own hands.

I'm making my own.

And watching an old guy with a hat, whip, and a quirky, crooked smile jump around like he's still 20.

And for $9, I can watch the DVD 9 times and still afford the snacks.☺

~The Players~

2 Tb. unsalted butter

3 Tb. coconut oil*

2 t. red palm oil*

1 cup organic popcorn kernels*

sea salt

In a 6 quart pot, melt the butter, coconut oil, and palm oil on medium-high.

Add the popcorn. Give it a little shake to evenly distribute it.

Ummm....don't forget the lid.

It could happen.

Once the popcorn starts to pop, give the pot a little shake. Let it pop some more, then shake it again. Do it again, just for kicks.

When the popping slows down to a couple of pops at a time, remove from heat. Carefully remove the lid and sprinkle some sea salt on the popped corn. Turn the corn out into a large bowl and sprinkle with a little more sea salt. Taste and add more salt if needed.

*I use unrefined coconut oil, but if you don't want the coconut essence, opt for the refined version. My favorite is from Tropical Traditions. The red palm oil is from Wilderness Family Naturals, but most health food stores carry different brands. And I always, always, always use organic popcorn to make sure we aren't popping a GMO experiment.

Pear & Hazelnut Salad with Creamy Cranberry Dressing

2011-12-07T18:46:00.001-08:00

After consuming 2 entire bowls of this salad, I've decided that change is good.

Of course, I've come to this conclusion after only 1 day of this new lifestyle change, but so far, it's good. REAL GOOD.

My photography skills are another matter altogether, so I'll just clarify right now that this is not ketchup, cottage cheese, and leftover greens.

This in fact, is pure bliss.

Salad bliss.

This salad is fairly easy to put together, but if you purchase hazelnuts still in the shell like I did, you'll need to skin the nuts first. (See below.) If hazelnuts aren't your thing, try substituting walnuts or pecans instead. Which is what I ended up doing since somebody used up all the hazelnuts in some chocolate chips cookies without letting me know.

Somehow the cookies got past me too.☺

This recipe was adapted from the book, "The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook".

~The Players~

Salad:
1 head of leaf lettuce (I used romaine.)
1 firm ripe pear, cored and sliced thin (Do not peel!)
1/4 red onion, sliced thin in rounds (I cut them smaller.)
1 cup raw hazelnuts, toasted
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:
2 t. plus 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (Found next to the fresh garlic or onions in the produce dept.)
1 cup fresh cranberries (I used frozen, but let them thaw in a colander.)
zest from 1 orange
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 Tb. balsamic vinegar
3-4 Tb. maple syrup (Grade B)
1/2 t. sea salt

Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

To make the dressing, heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the 2 teaspoons olive oil and sliced shallots. Saute' shallots for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Add cranberries and continue to saute' until berries are soft and have "popped."

Place shallot & cranberry mixture into food processor or blender with the orange juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, zest, maple syrup, and sea salt. Blend on high until creamy. Add a few tablespoons of water for a thinner consistency and blend again. (I skipped this step.)

Drizzle dressing over salad and serve immediately. Extra dressing can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

~Skinning & Roasting Hazelnuts~

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place shelled nuts on cookie sheet. Roast for 10-12 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times during cooking time.

Pour the nuts into the center of a clean towel. Gather the edges of the towel to bundle the nuts up and rub the nuts against each other inside the towel for quite a while until the skins come off.

Now get to crackin'!

Enjoy!

The Winds of Change...

2011-12-06T20:49:00.001-08:00

Before I share the who, what, and where, first let me tell you about the why.

*Because I'm so tired that I think about naptime before I get out of bed in the morning.

*Because my hair is falling out without any help from my children.

*Because my joints ache just thinking about going for a walk.

*Because I'm cold all the time, except for the occasional hot flashes~which I welcome.

*Because I've had some depression that goes beyond my failed attempts at making pumpkin soup.

*Because I have heart palpitations, even when my Mister is not standing in front of me.

*Because my brain is fuzzier than a politician's math skills.

*Because I've gained 20 pounds that cannot be attributed to Reeses or Starbucks. (There's another 30 that is all theirs.)

While I'm still waiting for the biopsy that is set to take place next week, all signs are pointing to hypothyroidism. Specifically an auto-immune disease known as Hashimoto's disease. I've been told that I'll probably be prescribed a synthetic thyroid hormone, with lots of follow-up blood tests to check levels.

Forever.

This does not sit well with me. First, because this feels like putting a band-aid on an arm when the boo-boo is on the leg. Second, I can't even remember to floss everyday. Third, I'm a rebel at heart.

My thyroid isn't the problem. Something in my body is causing my cells to attack my little old thyroid who has just been minding its own business. After doing a little research, it's starting to look like gluten may be a major contributor to auto-immune diseases, like Hashimoto's. I've experimented with going gluten-free before, but it hasn't lasted long because there really wasn't a need to do so.

I'm rebellious, but also a creature of habit. A creature that likes bread.

Have I mentioned that I don't like change?

So what does that look like for my family? Well, tonight we had a Baked Ziti with Meatballs, and a Pear & Pecan Salad with Cranberry Dressing. The pasta was brown rice, the meatballs were from our grass-fed beef, and the croutons were left in the pantry. (At least while I was dishing up my plate!) I will still be baking sourdough bread for my family, but I will just have to put on my big girl panties and let the scent of the bread be enough.

And because I've had my share of that same bread, big girl panties are all that I've got. (Too much info?)

I won't be replacing flour with sugar, and my latte addiction has ended. The withdrawals are another story...

And in the morning, I will drag myself out of bed, pull on my well-worn sweatpants, grab my 1 cup of organic Sumatra, and head out the door.

For a walk that may require one end of a rope tied at my waist, the other end to the bumper of a Ford truck, and my Mister behind the wheel.

One way or another, it's time for a change.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

2011-12-05T08:12:00.001-08:00

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...The ground is white with frost; the sun is trying to peak through the tops of the fog covered fir trees.

I am thinking...that I may start another apron today. Maybe one to match my granddaughter Maddie's new apron. Minus the cupcake motif. Because it makes me think about cupcakes. A lot.

I am thankful...for our woodstove and the fact that we don't have to pay a $500/month electric bill to stay warm.

From the learning rooms...lots of reading. Under quilts. Next to the fire. Maybe with some popcorn thrown in. I love homeschooling.

In the kitchen...I'll be making some more Almond Joy Granola. And then hiding the container. So I can actually taste it this time.

I am wearing...a fluffy pink bathrobe and my p.j.'s. And trying to remember where I last kicked off my slippers.

I am creating...a chore binder to keep track of who is on what job. Because even I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing half the time.

I am going...to the grocery store today. With a list. And a budget.

I am wondering...how I'm going to walk by the Starbuck's kiosk without spending $5 for a hot peppermint mocha.

I am reading..."A Love That Multiplies", by the Duggar family. I'm in awe of them.

I am hoping...that our milk cow, Tilly, is pregnant. I don't know how many times she's actually going to allow us to tie her to a post while the man with the glove sneaks up behind her.

I am looking forward...to having fresh milk...eventually.

I am hearing...the squeals of my granddaughters as they listen to "The Wheels on the Bus"...for the 20th time.

Around the house...the kids are starting to roll out of their cozy, warm beds. And they don't seem very enthusiastic about it. Of course, with my cold feet from lack of slippers, I can relate.

I am pondering...hiding all of the batteries to all the electronic devices in the house. Especially for the toy bus which is still playing, "The Wheels on the Bus"...now for the 25th time.

One of my favorite things...sipping coffee in the early morning hours, listening to only the ticking of the clock with the roosters singing back-up from the coop.

A few plans for the rest of the week...sewing, schooling, a little Christmas shopping and decorating, and narrowing down the holiday baking list. Because currently we're at 35 tasty treats. I'm thinking more along the lines of 5. Thanks to Martha Stewart and Gooseberry Patch, this could take all week.

Here's a couple pictures for thought I'm sharing...

Maybe I should just ditch the holiday baking list and start another tray of sprouts?

This post is linked to The Simple Woman's Daybook.

A Very, Beefy Meal Plan for 12/5

2011-12-04T14:59:00.001-08:00

I'll be calling this The Week of Beef.

And not because we are having beans on Wednesday either.

While I was out and about the other day, my Mister got the call we had been waiting for. Our beef was ready to be picked up and they needed us to come and get it NOW! In fact, the butcher was a little panicked during the call as he had no place to store the meat he had so lovingly packaged.

Well, I don't know if it was lovingly, but he does seem to enjoy his job.

It's probably because of all the really neat tools he gets to use.

So my Mister, who has been down with the flu (And yes, he had his mandatory-for-work flu shot.), grabbed our adult sons (son-in-law Ben, and eldest son, Dakota) and headed in to the butcher shop.

I came home to find every single inch of freezer space stuffed full.

The boys removed all of the other items in the chest freezer in order to put the new meat in.

That was the easy part. Putting everything back in proved to be a little more difficult.

Last year's beef, some veggies, and bread are covering the majority of our 500#'s of Angus.

The chicken, salmon, deer, elk, pork, broth, and lard freezer

Fruit & veggies freezer

Difficult, but not impossible.

Although, now I can't seem to find my hidden stash of ice cream...very suspicious...

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

~Sunday~

Almond Joy Granola (new), raw milk

Burger & 5 Bean Soup, Kim's Kornbread

~Monday~

Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Oatmeal

Crockpot Short Ribs (new), egg noodles, steamed broccoli, fresh applesauce

~Tuesday~

English muffins, fried eggs

Baked Ziti w/ Meatballs (new), green salad w/ Green Goddess dressing

~Wednesday~

Simple Soaked Oatmeal w/ blueberries

Spicy Black Bean Soup (new), Kim's Kornbread

~Thursday~

Swiss cheese & green onion omelette's

2 Cheese Tetrazzini (new), sourdough, Caesar Salad

~Friday~

Red, White, & Orange Baked Oatmeal

Baked Macaroni & Cheese (new), meatloaf, green peas, fresh applesauce

~Saturday~

Peach Kuchen

French Lentil Soup (new), sourdough, Apple Cranberry Crisp (new)

~Sunday~

Almond Joy Granola w/ plain yogurt

Pot Roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans

Lunches: Fruit/yogurt smoothies, popcorn, Pumpkin Spice muffins, yogurt w/ frozen berries, leftovers

This post is linked to Menu Monays.

Bribery Frosting

2011-12-01T21:09:00.001-08:00

So, remember these little beauties? These are what my offspring deemed Christmas light worthy.

Let me just say right now that I cannot be held responsible for anything I might do while under the influence of chocolate and peanut butter.

I might do something stupid. Something like agree to hang Christmas lights while my Mister lies on his recliner acting sick. Never mind that he's about to hack up a lung, or that his voice sounds like a middle-of-the-night crank caller. Forget that he's feverish, staring into space with glassy eyes, and muttering incoherently.

The big baby.

He just doesn't want to hang Christmas lights.

But our children know how to make things happen. They look for weaknesses. Then they plan their full-on assault. With cupcakes.

It makes a momma down-right weak in the knees, especially since they made up this recipe on their own.

I just hope I didn't agree to anything more than the lights.☺

~The Players~

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter (Skippy or Jif~not Adams)

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/3 cup half & half

2 cups powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, mix butter and peanut butter until smooth. With mixer running on low speed, add cream cheese, scraping the bowl as needed. Add powdered sugar and half & half and mix until smooth. Spread on cooled cupcakes or cake.

Makes enough to generously frost 24 cupcakes.

Enjoy!

*I don't usually recommend Skippy or Jif "peanut butter" for anything, but in frosting it works better than the natural brands. Unless you like your frosting sliding off the cupcake into a puddle on the counter, use the other stuff. Trust me.☺

The Mister & Missus Go On a Date

2011-11-30T19:45:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, my Mister & I discovered that we had gotten old.

I know, it was a surprise to us too.

It was almost too much for us to take when we found we couldn't stay awake during an evening movie at the theater. Of course, the movie we napped during was the Woody Allen movie, "Hannah & Her Sisters", so age may not have been entirely to blame. But then we discovered that we could no longer have a coffee after 11 a.m., eat anything spicy after 4, or have any liquid after 6 p.m. without some serious nighttime consequences.

It put a real crimp in our date nights.

Now we have date days. Other people might call them errands, but add a little lunch, some classic rock on the radio, and a lot of laughter, and we call it a date.

We just happen to get home before dark.☺

Typically, we grab a latte, swing into a local burger shop, then head to the dump. But not today. Today was special. We left the work gloves and the garbage cans at home and headed south.

First we had a little impromptu photo shoot~Because I was wearing make-up & the Mister was nice & scruffy...just the way I like him.

No, he was not whispering sweet nothings...he was actually saying something about peri-rectal abscesses. Have I mentioned that he's an emergency room nurse?

After stopping for a Peppermint Mocha latte, we ended up at the Mill that is Red. Bob was NOT in the building today.

This is what 50#'s of rolled oats, 50#'s of white flour, and 25#'s of hard white wheat, and 25#'s of pastry wheat look like. Now we need to find a place to stuff it until needed. This is where the real fun begins!

After loading up with enough wheat berries and beans to last the whole winter long, we found out that there was a bee supply store a mere 4.5 miles away.

Let me just mention here that while I have a weakness for wheat berries and beans, my Mister has a weakness for anything related to beekeeping.

Beehive #2

Actually, this is the future beehive #2.

He also likes to save money, so it looks like he'll be spending the rest of this winter putting this little beehive puzzle together.

Not to worry...I asked for an instruction page just in case it's not done by March.☺

The kids were busy while we were gone too.

Chocolate cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting~emphasis on peanut butter.

They also got out the Christmas lights, just in case we were relaxed enough to put them up when we got home.

It may take another cupcake before that happens...

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.

"Practical" Gifts for the Homeschooling Mom

2011-11-28T16:12:00.001-08:00

One of the questions that I start hearing this time of year is, "Mom, what do you want for Christmas?" Since it's apparent that my family does not pay me any attention when I'm oohing and aahing over every little piece of junk mail catalog eye candy, I thought I'd do a little tongue-in-cheek series on what Mom's really want.

Because apparently the highlighted, circled-in-red catalogs that I so meticulously placed in all of the high traffic areas of the house are not obvious enough.

Today, it's about The Homeschooling Mom.

~The 3-Ring Binder~

Nothing says Merry Christmas like a brand new, flaps intact binder, with the front still attached to the spine. Not only do I use these for school, they come in handy when I have to prop the edge of the table up to keep the dinner rolls from falling to the floor.

They also make me look smart.

Unless they're under the leg of the table.

~A large box of red correcting pens~

When the kids start getting on my last nerve of the day, I pull out my trusty red pen (when I can find it!) and start correcting their math. Nothing strikes fear in the hearts of my children like the red correcting pen.

Especially when I ask them to please get me another one because I ran out of ink.☺

~A bullhorn~

"CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?"

Because "selective hearing" is NOT a recognized impairment.

No matter how many "signed" doctor's notes the kids produce.

~How-To Books~

Because if they see Mom swinging a hammer, or knockin' down a wall, she must be able to build treehouses.

In a 50 foot fir tree.

~Clear acrylic boxes...with lids~

These are to hold all the creepy crawlies that little boys find under front porch lights and have picked off of pick-up truck grills.

That may only be stunned.

And that they want to keep FOREVER.

~A Get Out Of Jail Free card~

And finally, a freebie that allows a do-over for a less-than-perfect parenting day.

Which really translates to this...

Meal Plan 11/27/11

2011-11-27T20:46:00.001-08:00

One of the two fresh-from-the-farm turkeys we roasted, ready for carving.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start thinking about Christmas. But before I can start thinking about that, I first must think about all the other things going on this week. And because this week is shaping up to be as busy as it will be unpredictable, I'm going to keep the meal plan simple.

Very simple.

Last week I had some tests to check out a growth that was found on my thyroid. In addition to an ultrasound, I also had some bloodwork done. The tests came back positive for an auto-immune disease, most likely Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Apparently my thyroid has been partying like it's 1999...and now it's tired. And worn out. Come to think of it, so am I. Coincidence? I don't think so. So what's next for my under-achieving thyroid? For starters, a biopsy set for this week so that the doctor can look at the cells and determine the best course of action. I'm sure there are some other things to do after that, but I can't seem to get past the whole needle in the neck thing. It's wiggin' me out. And I don't have a lot of wiggin' room.

I started to lose it a little the other day by crying, "What am I going to do?" My daughter, Heather, put things back in perspective for me by saying, "Well, how long's your bucket list?"

I'm going to have to keep my wiggin' confined to the closet...a 15 year old's perspective can be more frightening than reality!

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

~Sunday~

cereal

Chili, tortilla chips

~Monday~

Egg & Bacon Breakfast Sandwiches (on English muffins)

Creamy Turkey & Wild Rice Soup, European Peasant Bread

~Tuesday~

Steel-cut oats w/ bananas & toasted walnuts

Sunshine Casserole, Appley-Apple Muffins (from last week)

~Wednesday~

Homemade granola, yogurt, and frozen berry parfaits

Minestrone Soup, European Peasant Bread

~Thursday~

Red, White, & Orange Baked Oatmeal

Teriyaki Chicken, brown rice, steamed broccoli

~Friday~

Swiss cheese & green onion omelettes

Pinto Bean & Cheese Burritos, green salad

~Saturday~

Maple Walnut Scones

Deer steak, french fries, broccoli salad, Raw Cranberry Relish

This post is linked to Menu Mondays.

From Me to You...

2011-11-23T19:46:00.001-08:00

Wishing you a very happy, have-to-unsnap-the-jeans kind of Thanksgiving day!

And don't forget to give thanks...

...for the lack of sound on this blog...

...and that you're not at our house for hors douvres!

Gratituesday~Fear, Faith, Family, & Friends

2011-11-21T19:32:00.001-08:00

This post is going to be a little different than my normal, dorky posts. Instead of sharing a recipe or another picture of my granddaughters, I thought I'd share a little of what has been going on for the past couple of days.

Besides this...

And this...

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.☺

As those who have been reading my ramblings for any length of time know, I had strep throat this past summer. It hit hard & fast, leaving me sick enough for a trip to the emergency room. My Mister is an RN in the ER, and was a little surprised to get the page that his wife was in one of the rooms. Because I was so sick, a CT scan was ordered to make sure I didn't have an abscess in my throat. I didn't care one way or another, I just wanted to die. Literally. (I'm a little bit of a baby, just so ya know.) The Dr. came back with some good news~"No abscess!"

Those who know me also know that I am an optimist by nature...with life experience, so when the Dr. says "Good news!", I say, "But...?"

This was no exception. I called it.

The "but" happened to be a growth that was discovered on my thyroid, one that would probably not have been caught if it weren't for the strep throat. That said, it took me 4 WHOLE MONTHS to get up the courage to follow up with an ultrasound.

4 WHOLE MONTHS.

Because I was afraid.

Only a few people knew that I needed an ultrasound because I didn't want to worry anyone. I didn't want to appear weak, and I didn't want it to be anything bad. Not that my procrastination would change the outcome, but it would just prolong me having to deal with it. Make sense? It did to me.

Last week I finally got up the courage to make the appointment. And I told no one except my Mister and a couple of my older girls.

And then I stayed awake for 4 days straight. Well, almost. I looked and felt like death.

And I felt alone.

I also don't remember saying a single prayer during those 4 days. I didn't want to acknowledge that I wasn't in control of this situation. I wanted only to wallow in my misery, expecting the worst, but hoping for something "not terrible".

My faith was non-existent.

While I was getting ready for my appointment, the words, you're not alone kept coming to me. While raising a large family has been the most fulfilling thing I've ever done, it doesn't leave much time for a social life. Because we are an adoptive family, we took on not just the present and future of our children, but also the past. And some of their pasts aren't pretty. For the last 10 years we've been a little too preoccupied to nuture relationships with people who aren't depending on us for their care. And those few relationships that we do have, they understand. Probably because they've seen first-hand what our lives are truly like. Needless to say, in order to keep in touch with family and friends, I depend a lot on email and Facebook. (Rarely do I have a real telephone conversation~there are just too many crisis' that happen when the phone rings!)

Before my appointment, I posted on Facebook that the Dr. had found a growth on my thyroid, and I could really use some extra prayers. And then I headed to town. I didn't expect anyone other than my sisters to comment, and even then I was expecting to get my butt chewed out for telling them on Facebook! Oops.

While the radiologist was performing the ultrasound, I started to panic. I'm not prone to panicking unless company is coming and the floors haven't been vacuumed, but there I was, lying on a flat metal bed, icy cold, barely able to breathe. The radiologist asked me several time if I was okay, to which I replied with a croak and a nod.

Then it happened.

Warmth. Calm. Steady breathing. Peace. For 40 minutes I laid there, in a semi-comatose state, feeling like I was under a warm blanket on my cozy bed.

Then it was over. With my Mister driving, we headed home; he to tinker around with a vacuum cleaner, and me to play with my granddaughters.

Later, when I checked my email, I had an entire page of Facebook notifications. Curious, I opened FB. While I was lying on that hard bed in the hospital's imaging clinic, unable to breathe, there were people praying. Twenty three to be exact. The bible says, "Where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there am I." (Matt. 18:20)

And He was.

So today and always, I am grateful for my family and friends who pray me through the hard stuff. Because of their faith, I have mine again. No matter what the test results reveal.

And...I am not alone.

(I'll let you know the result when I get them!)

This post is linked to Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers.

A Thanksgiving Week Meal Plan

2011-11-20T16:03:00.001-08:00

I don't know if I've mentioned this here before, but my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Without a doubt.

It is the one day of the year that I have to be thankful for my family, no matter how they're acting.

Even better? They have to be thankful for me, regardless of how my hormonal mood swings & hot flashes affect them!

I think it's some kind of unwritten Thanksgiving law. And we're law-abiding citizens, so...

Today was a really tough day here at the farm.

Tanner holding a no-name turkey whose pardon was denied.

This hen's day started out good.

I will name them Dinner & Leftovers.

Last year's bird weighed in at [a whopping] 6#'s. This year's tom topped the scale at 15#'s and the hen's all hit the 9# mark. (Bourbon Red tom's can hit 18 #'s and the hen's can tip the scales at 12 #'s.) They were only 5 months old, so next year we'll start incubating in March. We butchered 4 this year, selling 2 and keeping the other 2 for ourselves.

I think the turkeys would be agreeable to a couple more months of green grass and bug buffets!

Are we turkey farmin' yet?☺

Besides the obvious main dish of Thursday's dinner, we are also having Creamy Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Stuffing w/Mushrooms, Candied Yams, Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls, Raw Cranberry Relish, Green Bean Casserole, Lime & Pear Jello (kids' request!), Mocha Hazelnut Cheesecake (new), Pumpkin Pie, & No-Corn Syrup Pecan Pie. (The crusts will be made with our newly rendered lard...yes, I'm excited!)

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

~Sunday~

Cereal

Chicken Tortilla Soup, Kim's Kornbread

~Monday~

Simply Soaked Oatmeal w/ blueberries

Navy Bean & Ham Hock Soup, European Peasant Bread, green salad w/ Green Goddess dressing (new!)

~Tuesday~

Pumpkin Spice Scones

Slow-Cooker Cheeseburger Soup, European Peasant Bread

~Wednesday~

Steel-cut oats w/ toasted hazelnuts & dried cherries

Golden Potato Bake, elk sausage, Appley Apple Muffins

~Thursday~

Sunshine Casserole

Thanksgiving Dinner!

~Friday~

Red, White, & Orange Baked Oatmeal

Leftovers

~Saturday~

Speltcakes

Toe-Warming Chili, Kim's Kornbread

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop and Menu Mondays.

Fancy Schmancy Mac & Cheese

2011-11-17T19:15:00.001-08:00

Please do not adjust your screen. This is indeed another recipe.

Because it's raining. Again.

And because it's raining by the bucketfuls, I am in need of some good old-fashioned comfort food, followed by a good old pair of comfortable sweatpants.

Because yes, I over-ate. Again.

While my older kids were growing up, one of their favorite side dishes was macaroni and cheese that I made with Velveeta "cheese". I now know that Velveeta is a pseudo-cheese, being mostly made up of hydrogenated oils and some other stuff, but we loved it. It was like lying on a heater vent under a heavy quilt while watching "The Goonies" kind of comfort.

Don't ask.

I've since tried many different recipes for mac & cheese, but nothing has compared to the Velveeta dish of our past. Until now. Made up by yours truly while dancing around the kitchen to "I Love Rock & Roll", this one was declared a hit with the entire family...

...Just before they ran off to change into something a little more comfortable.

I guess this would be considered sweatpant worthy. I kind of like that rating system. ☺

~Fancy Schmancy Macaroni & Cheese~

(Gluten-free!)

~The Players~

1 lb. brown rice elbow macaroni

8 slices good bacon, chopped

1 large, sweet onion, sliced thin

4 Tb. unsalted butter

1 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. smoked paprika

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 C. brown rice flour (or white)

2 C. whole milk

1 C. light cream

2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 C. shredded Parmesan cheese

sea salt & pepper, to taste

Cut and cook bacon in a medium-sized cast iron pan. Go ahead and throw in an extra piece to make up for all the pieces that I know you'll be sneaking.

No? Never mind. Must have had you confused with me.☺

Cook the bacon until it's done, but not crispy. Remove bacon from the pan and let drain on paper towels.

Quarter the onion, then slice each quarter into thin pieces. Using the leftover bacon grease, saute the onions on medium heat for 3 minutes.

Add the spices and saute another 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Boil noodles according to package instructions. When done, drain in a colander. Return pot back to stove and melt butter. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly. Cook for 2 minutes while whisking. Slowly add the milk and cream while continuing to whisk.

Add the cheeses and stir. (You'll want to lose the whisk and switch to a spoon~less messy.) Once the cheese has melted, add the cooked pasta, stirring well. Add the onion/spice mixture and bacon; stir. Salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 8.

Enjoy!

*This is gluten-free, but if gluten isn't an issue for you, regular macaroni and flour can be used.

Red, White, and Orange Baked Oatmeal

2011-11-15T11:12:00.001-08:00

One of our favorite go-to breakfasts is baked oatmeal. We've tried many different recipes, but the key ingredients remain the same.

Oatmeal.

And some fruit.

Because it's close to Thanksgiving, or because I'm just thankful to have a freezer full of cranberries (living near the coast has its perks!), or because I currently have 30 lbs. of apples and 50 lbs. of walnuts cluttering up my kitchen floor, I came up with this festive little rendition on an old favorite.

I hope you love it as much as we do!☺

~Red, White, & Orange Baked Oatmeal~

~The Players~

3 tart cooking apples (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, etc..), peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced thin

1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened cranberries

zest from 1 orange (no pith!)

1/2 cup plus 1 Tb. sucanat, divided

2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

juice of zested orange plus enough whole milk to equal 1 cup

2 t. baking powder

1 t. sea salt

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

optional: real maple syrup, raw honey, cream, half & half, or milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9 x 13" baking dish.

Layer the sliced apples in the bottom of the pan. Add the cranberries and orange zest.

In a small cup, mix 1 Tb. sucanat with cinnamon; sprinkle over fruit.

Combine butter, remaining sucanat, and eggs in a mixing bowl and mix until well blended. Stir in milk/orange juice. Add baking powder, salt, walnuts, and rolled oats and mix well.

Pour the oatmeal mixture over the fruit and spread evenly. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the oatmeal begins to brown. Spoon into bowls and serve with milk or cream, and maple syrup or honey.

Enjoy!☺

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.

Meal Plan for Week of 11/14

2011-11-14T08:04:00.001-08:00

Confession time: I only make lasagna twice a year. I know, in some homes this could be considered child abuse, but in ours it's a special treat reserved for special occasions.

Like the birthday of a son-in-law.

Specifically this one.

♫Happy Birthday Ben!♫

One of my granddaughter's favorite songs is from the movie "The Lion King". I'm sure you all know the song, "Hakuna Matata", but you've never heard it sung quite like a 3 yr. old can.

"...it's a probwem fwee, with yots of peas...a tuna matata..."

Since Maddie decided to give an impromptu concert during the meal planning process, we'll be having fish a couple of times this week.

With peas.☺

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

~Monday~

Pancakes w/ blueberry syrup

Cream of Broccoli Soup, 7-Layer Salad (carried over from last week)

~Tuesday~

Mexican Overnight Eggs

Lasagna, French Bread, Caesar Salad

~Wednesday~

Mom's Cream of Wheat Pudding

mashed potatoes & gravy, baked pork chops, Spiced Applesauce

~Thursday~

Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Oatmeal

Macaroni & Cheese, Salmon Patties w/homemade tartar sauce, steamed broccoli

~Friday~

Blueberry Speltcakes

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia, Lemon Rice Pilaf, peas

~Saturday~

Blueberry Coffeecake (new)

Venison Stew, European Peasant Bread

This post is linked to Menu Mondays.

A Christmas Giveaway!

2011-11-10T21:32:00.001-08:00

Dear Mister,

I really, really, really, really would like to have one of these. Actually, it's not even really about me. You know those unmentionables that are hanging from the ceiling rack you devised in our family room? The ones that every Christmas dangle right over Grandma's head?

Yep. Those would be the unmentionables that no one mentions, but all see. They try not to look, but can't help themselves~they have to make sure those previously unmentioned items don't fall on their heads while they're sippin' on a glass of nog.

It's time for a new plan. A new way to dry our laundry. A new way to keep your socks out of Nana's teacup.

It's an act of kindness really.

So, I'm going to head on over to Forgotten Way Farms, where they're giving away one of these lovely drying racks!

And I promise, if I win, I will wrap it up with a big red bow and sign the card,

"Love, Santa".

Love, The Missus

xoxoxo

This giveaway ends at midnight, November 14, 2011, so hurry and enter!!!

♫You Take the Good, You Take the Bad...♫

2011-11-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

If you've followed my blog for very long, you'll know that we try to adhere to a whole foods diet. This doesn't mean that we do it well, but we try to do it the best that we can. I've been very candid about my struggles with food, both in the over-eating department and in my addictions to Reese's, Starbucks, Frito-lay, and favorite uncle's, Ben & Jerry.

I still struggle. Daily. Sometimes more than once.

What I won't do though is give up. That's not to say that I don't think about giving up, but it's not in my nature to do so. I see the same advertisements for skinny jeans, string bikini's, and push-up bras that you see. I see the tiny-waisted, uber-tall runway models sporting the latest fashions and I think to myself, "Self, it's time to get physical, eat some lettuce, (iceburg only because it has 0 calories), grow your brunette hair blond, and pamper yourself with acrylic nails and a nice painted-on tan. Then you too can strut yourself on that runway."

When I hear my family laughing hysterically, I realize that I've said this out loud and they are giving me a true reality check. It doesn't matter how many hours I exercise because at the age of 44, I will never have less wrinkles and stretch marks than I do now. My growth spurt happened at the age of 5 and I've been stuck looking at belt buckles since, and my hair isn't completely brown, but flecked with "blond" highlights. (Or gray, if you want me to be honest and accurate.) Acrylic nails are perfect breeding ground for the chicken poop that will eventually get under them, and a spray-on tan in Washington state is just begging for a puddle of brown water pooling up in my shoes. And face it, there's nothing that can be done to iceburg lettuce to make it even remotely appetizing, especially when you know how good baby romaines and spinach are. I need to focus on better health and activities that involve my entire brood such as, biking, hiking, snowshoeing, etc... I need to stop listening to what Hollywood deems as the "perfect body", and stop comparing myself to the touched-ups, photo- shopped, and surgically-enhanced crowd.

That's not my reality.

Sometimes I would love to have somebody that's not related to me, understand. Someone who gets why I have 5 gallons of beef tallow and coconut oil in my pantry. Someone who understands why my freezer door is loaded with jars of rendered pig fat. Someone who understands why I buy my avocados in bulk, and always have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for quick snacks. Someone to validate that what I'm doing isn't so crazy because there's science to back it up. Someone who...

Wait. What's this? I remember "The Fats of Life"! I loved Tootie! (You'll only understand this if you have as many wrinkles and stretch marks as me.☺)

The 4th column is for Trans Fats, which incidently, are not recommended.

Does this mean that I no longer have to smuggle my red palm oil out of the store in a cloth bag, while wearing a ski mask, hoodie, and sunglasses and answering only to the name of George?

The "Four Foods to Consider" are considered staples in my kitchen!

Yes. Yes it does. My favorite part of this article that ran in our local newspaper is this:

Saturated Fats

Sources: Meat and whole milk dairy as well as coconuts and palm.

What they do: Raise bad cholesterol levels, but also good cholesterol.

The debate: Reductions in saturated fats have not produced better cardiovascular health but have coincided with a rise in obesity. Since many have swapped saturated fats for refined carbohydrates, experts are debating the wisdom of continued reduction recommendations.

Daily recommendations: 10 percent of calories or less

(Underlined emphasis is mine.)

Okay, we haven't arrived, but we're getting there.

And I no longer feel so alone.

*I tried to find the article online but was unable to locate it. The original article ran in The Chicago Tribune and was written by Monica Eng. If anybody searches and finds it, I'd appreciate the link so I can include it here! ☺

Creamy Turkey & Rice Soup

2011-11-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

Now that it's officially turkey month, I've been on the lookout for some new recipes that will use up any Thanksgiving leftovers we might have. Of course, that's assuming there will be leftovers, but just in case, I need to be prepared.

Leftover turkey without a way to use it is the equivalent of Ben without Jerry, chips without dip, movies without popcorn, books without pages...wait, forget about that last one, Amazon already did that. But you get it, right?

Recently I attended a Pampered Chef party where Turkey & Wild Rice soup was one of the featured foods. As a turkey farmer (ha!) and food connoisseur, I feel I am qualified to give an opinion on this very special soup.

IT WAS SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!!!

~describing any quality that is so indescribable that you have no real word to say it with~

I should be a food critic because I know what I like. And I can spell big words like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I also know what I don't like, so this recipe that I'm sharing is my version of the Pampered Chef soup. Even though the original was good enough to bring out my inner Julie Andrews (or is it my inner Dick Van Dyke?), I needed to change a few ingredients to make it more whole foods friendly. And because I have 2 huge cabinets full of spices, I added a few of those too.

Because that's how I roll.☺ (Mmmm...rolls.)

~Creamy Turkey & Rice Soup~

adapted from a Pampered Chef recipe

~The Players~

2 large carrots, shredded

8 oz. package of fresh mushrooms, sliced

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 Tb. unsalted butter

1 cup soft wheat pastry flour

8 cups chicken stock

2 cups whole milk (or half & half)

4 cups cooked blend of wild & whole grain brown rices (I used Lundberg Wild Blend)

2 cups diced cooked turkey (I used more!)

1 t. dried tarragon

1/2 t. dried thyme

fresh ground pepper, to taste

sea salt, to taste (This will depend on the broth/stock used. Taste first!)

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Melt butter in bottom of a dutch oven or large soup pot. Add carrots, mushrooms, celery, and onion; cook 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir in flour. Gradually add stock, and milk, whisking until blended. Add tarragon and thyme. Bring to a soft boil. Stir in cooked rice and turkey. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 5 minutes.

While soup simmers, toast slivered almonds in an oven or a cast iron pan on the stove. Just toast until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Watch closely because they will burn quickly! (Or so I've heard...) Stir almonds into soup just before serving.

Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!

*Unless you're allergic to nuts, the almonds make this soup extra special. You'll have to trust me on this one!☺

Meal Plan & Prep Work 11/7/11

2011-11-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

I receive a lot of comments about my meal planning. I've heard my share of, "I could never be so organized", "I would spend more money than I need to", "It takes too much time and thought", and my personal favorite, "Are you OCD?"

So, here's my answers. Yes you can, no you won't, depends on the current noise level in the house, and my middle name is Monk.

Okay, not really, but meal planning doesn't have to be so difficult. I find that if I have a plan in place, I'm more likely to use up what's in the fridge, pantry, and freezers, I can better utilize my limited supply of thinking time for the greater good of mankind, and it gives me extra time to do the important things in life.

The end of a very long day...for both of us!

Now you know the real reasons. I'm an over-achiever.

Meal planning is especially important if you prepare foods in a traditional way. And I'm not talking about popping the plastic tray into the microwave either. Sometimes, in the busyness of everyday life, I forget to do some of the prep work required for whole foods cooking. Forgetting to soak the beans, make broth, start the sourdough sponge, or put together the breakfast casserole the night before can throw a real kink into the plan. With 11 hungry people in the house again, no food could mean the end of my life as I know it.

They're a vicious bunch I tell ya.

So, here's what's cooking this week, with my side notes. Fortunately for you, the computer doesn't scribble them into the side bar like I do...

☺☺☺☺☺

Breakfasts~Pumpkin Spice muffins, Cranberry/Orange muffins, Raspberry Almond muffins, eggs, Yogurt Smoothies, Simple Soaked Oatmeal

Lunches~Planned leftovers

~Sunday~

Cincinnati Chili, roasted brussel sprouts

*Soak black beans~pm

~Monday~

Black Bean Soup, Kim's Kornbread

*Grind cornmeal~am

*Start pot of chicken stock~am

*Put prime rib roast in fridge to thaw~pm

*Start sourdough sponge for bread~pm

~Tuesday~

Prime rib, roasted potatoes, green beans, salad w/ Citrus Vinaigrette, Sourdough bread (traditionally prepared with no yeast)

*Cook turkey breast~am

*Prepare dough for European Peasant Bread~pm

~Wednesday~

Turkey & Wild Rice Soup (new!), European Peasant Bread

~Thursday~

Pasta Bolognese, Caesar Salad, Garlic European Peasant Bread

*Start sourdough sponge~pm

~Friday~

Chicken Noodle Soup, Sourdough bread

~Saturday~

Sloppy Joes on homemade buns, Salmon dip (Hmmm...thought I'd shared this recipe, but I can't find it~will share it next week!) chips

*Make buns~am

We are also roasting pumpkins, canning pears, making apple butter, and rendering the last of the lard.

See why I have to plan?

If you're new to meal planning, visit Menu Mondays at I'm an Organizing Junkie for more ideas.

The Long Walk Down the Green Mile

2011-11-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

Warning: If you believe your food comes from a grocery store, factory, or a box, you may want to skip this post while I share with you the other side of farming.

The part that not even the farmers want to talk about.

Butchering day.

While grass-fed meat is always a better choice, raising one's own beef (or any other meat!) comes with a price. The animals have faces. And if you have children, the animals also have names.

Angus was born on August 1, 2009, beneath the shade of a large maple tree. We knew that Bailey was "with calf", but had no idea as to her due date. In the past, we've named our calves; Meatball, T-Bone, Big Mac, Stella, and Liberty. (Stella & Liberty were heifer calves, so they got the cutesy names.) Because the little bull calf was destined to become a steer, we named him Angus, just to keep things in perspective.

From the beginning, Angus was a real charmer.

Bailey loved him. In fact, she loved him so much that she continued to allow him to nurse until we finally sent her to the "Swingin' Singles Spa"...last week.

Did I mention that he was two years old?

As people who raise our own meat, we do NOT look forward to butchering day. We try not to think of our meat animals as pets, but it is inevitable when you are responsible for their food and well-being. It is difficult to not become attached to a 2,000 lb. animal that stands at the garden gate waiting for produce that is past its prime. It is near impossible to not feel some kind of affection for an animal that stands vigil by your side, while you repair the very fence that just minutes before he broke through.

Because we made the decision to raise a steer for meat, we had to finish what we had started.

It was the responsible thing to do.

And while it is with great sadness that we look out into a field that Angus is no longer a part of, we are thankful for the time we had to enjoy him. Without knowing it, Angus is helping us move away from the grocery store mentality, and put thought into each and every decision we make on our little hobby farm. We were able to observe the butcher as he skinned, gutted, and eventually quartered our beef. We saw the mistakes that were made by our poor planning (too much fat), and the areas that we did exactly right (The marbling is perfect!). With every animal that is processed from our farm, we see ways to improve. And we know that even when it is difficult, we're doing what is right for our family.

Even when butchering day inevitably arrives.

Thank you Angus.

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.

Spicy Cowboy Fries

2011-11-03T21:34:00.000-07:00

Forget for a moment that you're now looking at a partially eaten plate of food. My dinner to be exact. I got so excited about the sweet potato Cowboy Fries and the fact that after dishing up 10 other people, there was still enough left for me that I forgot to take a pre-noshing picture.

I'm a simple gal who likes fries. And salad. And deer steak. With a side of organic ketchup.

Getting simpler by the moment too.

I don't know why we started calling these "Cowboy Fries"; we're not cowboys, don't own a horse, and only eat on the trail if we're lost and stumble upon a huckleberry bush. I "swagbucked" Cowboy Fries and came up with several recipes that look nothing like mine. That said, it would be weird to change the name now, so unless I'm threatened with a copyright lawsuit, the name stays.

Besides, I'm much too lazy to come up with another name now.☺

~Spicy Cowboy Fries~

~The Players~

4 Tb. grated Parmesan cheese (in the can)

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. sea salt

1 t. paprika

1 t. chili powder

1 t. chipotle chili powder

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

Mix ingredients together.

Use or store in a sealed bag in the refrigerator.

This is enough to season 2 cookie sheets full of fries.

To make fries: Cut potatoes (regular or sweet) into wedges or fry strips and place in large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil making sure all the potatoes are covered.

Sprinkle with seasonings; stir to coat.

Place on cookie sheets and bake in a preheated 450F. oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on size. If you like them on the crispy side, it may take a little longer.

*I've used this on roasted veggies, as a barbecue rub (without the Parmesan), and to season green tomatoes before frying. If you want to cool down the spice a little, decrease or leave out the chipotle powder.

Enjoy!

New Orleans Red Beans & Rice

2011-11-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

New Orleans, Louisiana

While I have never personally been to Louisiana, I am rather fond of a dish that was made famous there.

Of course, I'm rather fond of plates of food that were made in every state, but that's beside the point.

Red beans & rice became a staple when it was created to allow the womenfolk plenty of time to do the weekly laundry. Traditionally served on Mondays using the leftover ham/bones from Sunday's dinner, it remained popular even after the designated day of laundry became obsolete.

Personally, I think the demise of washday can be attributed to feminism, the washing machine, and the knowledge that everyday can be washday. (I have a feeling that there are many southern men who now know how to run a washing machine...on Tuesdays...and Thursdays.)

This dish can be prepared in a slow cooker, on the stove, using dried kidney beans or canned, and ham can be substituted with Andouille sausage, or left out completely. Very versatile, comforting, and delicious.

Even without the laundry pile.☺

~New Orleans Red Beans & Rice~

~The Players~

2-1/2 cups dried red kidney beans

9 cups of water

~or~

3 (15 oz.) cans of kidney beans, undrained (no added water)

1 large bay leaf, torn in two

1 quart stewed tomatoes (or equivalent of)

3 Tb. tamari soy sauce (wheat-free)

1 large, sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 t. turmeric

1/2 t. ground cumin

3/4 t. ground coriander

1Tb. unsalted butter

1 Tb. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. Andouille sausage, rope sausage, diced ham, or leftover ham bones (remove before serving)

Cooked brown rice

If using dried beans, soak overnight. The next day, place beans in stockpot and add the water. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover with lid and simmer until beans are tender.

If using canned beans, dump entire content of canned beans into pot.

In a separate frying pan, add butter and olive oil and heat. Add onions and celery and cook until onions are translucent. Add spices and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes. This will bring out the flavor of the spices.

Into the stockpot, add stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, and bay leaf.

Ask your helper add the sliced sausage or diced ham. (Precooked only.)

Oops. It seems my helper needed to take a much-needed potty break.

Apparently it's in the contract.

Maddie is sitting on a stool just like the one I used to sit on at my Grandma's house.

When she returns, have her add the onion/spice mixture to the pot and stir well.

Allow to simmer for 2 hours or more; the longer the simmer time, the more flavorful it is.

Serve over rice.

If you like a little heat, add a couple of dashes of hot pepper sauce!

Enjoy!

Spiced Applesauce~Chunky Style

2011-11-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

Jars of spiced and unsweetened applesauce

It's apple season again, which means that it's time to make applesauce. I've always assumed that everyone knew how to make applesauce, but was recently informed that that's not true. It's surprising to me because saucing apples is about as American as apple pie, just a whole lot easier.

There are many ways to make applesauce. Some like it smooth, with just a hint of apple-y sweetness, while others prefer chunky with the added bonus of a little spice.

I'm the latter. I mean, I prefer the latter, not that I was identifying with the latter.

Because that would be weird.

And I'm already weird enough.

Back to applesauce since I'm clearly not having one of "those moments".

On our way to hunting camp, we passed through a little town by the name of Naches, which is known for their apples. Maybe not as well known as its neighboring town of Yakima, but since we were already driving down their main street, we stopped. And since their main street is also the highway, we knew we wouldn't get lost on some weird little side-street.

Because then we'd have to stop to ask for directions which would almost be worse than my Mister being caught by one of his buddies holding my purse in the bra section of Sears.

Or so I've been told.

Since October is the peak of apple harvesting, but the ending of the fruit stand sales, we were able to pick up boxes of apples for $5/piece.

How could we not buy all that they had? (Actually, we left 2 boxes just in case another family was passing through on their way to hunting camp. I think that was down-right kind of us, don't you?)

Needless to say, I've been making applesauce. And a lot of it. My plan is to try and stay one step ahead of this little one.

Emily likes her applesauce mixed with yogurt.

So far, Em's keeping up pretty good!☺

~Nana's Applesauce~

~The Players~

32 large apples (Any apples or a combination of favorites!)

1/2 cup water

juice of 2 lemons

3/4 cup sucanat*

1 Tb. ground cinnamon

1/2-1 t. ground nutmeg

2 t. pure vanilla extract

Optional: Vanilla beans from 2 or 3 beans

Peel and core apples. Cut into large chunks and place in large stainless steel cooking pot. Add water and lemon juice.

Cook covered until tender, about 30 minutes.

Using a potato masher, carefully mash apples. Do this slowly so you don't get burned!

Add sucanat, cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir until sucanat dissolves.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. If using vanilla beans, add them now.

Spoon into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe rim and seal. Process in water bath canner for 20 minutes. (Wait for water to boil!)

~OR~

Spoon applesauce into freezer containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Store in freezer up to 1 year.

~OR~

Spoon applesauce into bowls. Add yogurt and enjoy!

I have it on good authority that that way is best.☺

*I use sucanat because it gives the applesauce a molassesy flavor. You could use brown sugar or white if you prefer.

Meal Plan for 10/31/11

2011-10-31T09:16:00.000-07:00

Since this week will be our first full week of school, I have started planning lunches again. Not that my children weren't eating lunches during the summer, but I left it up to them on most days. That meant that they decided, created, produced, and cleaned up.

You know, the good 'ol days.

Other than school, this week will be busy with appointments, a butcher truck, apple butter, and weighing turkeys.

Weighing turkeys? Yep, you heard right. I'm not entirely sure how one goes about weighing a live turkey though. Will they stand still on a typical bathroom scale? Do I need to weigh them first thing in the morning, before they have breakfast? Will weighing them start a terrible cycle of yo-yo dieting that will only lead to depression and low self-esteem?

Oh wait. We were talkin' turkey. Never mind. Forget I said anything...you're getting sleepy...

I tend to overthink, overplan, and overreact to situations. When someone asks what the live weight of a turkey that they are buying for Thanksgiving dinner is, I panic. I think of industrial-sized scales. I think of lassos and nets. I think of wearing chain mail and carrying a sword.

(photo credit)

And then someone reminds me that these are not full-sized turkeys. These are the equivalent of oompa-loompa's or munchkins in the turkey world. And then I calm back down and decide to lose the chain mail.

I'm keepin' the sword though. Just in case.☺

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

~Monday~

Kodiak pancakes, caramelized apples

Summer sausage, cheese slices, crackers, sliced apples, Peanut Butter Dip (new)

Chicken strips, Spicy Cowboy Fries (I'll share this week!), green salad, biscuits w/ honey

~Tuesday~

cereal, English muffins

Tuna sandwiches, sliced apples

New Orleans Red Beans & Rice (still new), cornbread, green salad

~Wednesday~

Pumpkin Spiced Muffins w/ yogurt cheese, Yogurt Smoothies

Baked bean dip, pita chips

Ravioli Soup, Sourdough bread

~Thursday~

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Crispy Cheese Crackers, Summer sausage, apple slices

Crockpot Salsa Chicken, green salad

~Friday~

Overnight Mexican Eggs

Nachos

Baked Potato Soup, Apple Dumplings (Eat Your Way Through the USA/Washington)

~Saturday~

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

???

Cincinnati Chili, green salad

~Sunday~

cereal, toast

leftovers

Navy bean soup w/ ham hocks

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

A Week in the Life

2011-10-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Last week was so busy, my thoughts haven't yet caught up to me.

I thought I'd do a post on the importance of voting. (It is and you should.) Then I thought I'd do a post on the changing of the season. (It did, but I missed it.) Of course, I could always share my delicious recipe for apple butter. (It's awesome, but the apples are still in the box.)

Instead, I'm going to tell you about cows.

Because tonight, that's all I've got.

Cows. They're big. They're stubborn. And every 21 days, they get cranky. Especially if there isn't a man cow to keep them in line. And by man cow, I mean, not him.

Angus, who is 2, had a difficult time weaning himself from his mama, so in order to help him graduate to the freezer, we had to take matters into our own hands.

He showed his appreciation by busting up one of our wooden gates and bawling for 3 nights in a row.

Right outside our bedroom window.

The butcher truck comes on Saturday.

Bailey, Angus's mama, needed some "me" time. So we sent her to the cow spa known as "The Hay Field" where she is currently getting some much-needed girl time.

It's difficult to be the new cow on the block, but the others seem to like her.

Oh wait. Why are they chasing her? This is not the restful vacation she had planned!

"Hey girl, we just wanna talk!"

While girls can be catty, it's really the boys that need to be watched.

"Hey baby, how you doin'?"

Bubba the Bull is a real friendly guy. Apparently, he really likes Bailey.

Nope. Definitely not the vacation she had planned.

But maybe, just maybe, she'll come home in a couple of months a little less cranky.

That'll teach her.

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.

First Day of School Cider

2011-10-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons that I love the Pacific Northwest is the greeness that lasts throughout the summer. But with that greeness comes water.

Lots and lots of water.

As in torrential downpours.

This is also the reason that I have been trying to talk my Mister into moving to the east side of the state. Where it's drier. And I've been talking for years. It is also the reason that we just began our 2011-2012 year of homeschooling.

If you live around here, you'll understand me when I say that summer doesn't officially begin until July 5th. Apparently, July didn't get the memo, so this year summer didn't really start rolling until the beginning of August. Good if you don't care for extreme heat (and by extreme, I really mean anything over 80 degrees!), but bad if you are expecting much of a garden harvest.

Do you know how difficult it is to maneuver through a farmer's market with an umbrella in one hand, basket in the other while balancing a warm treat from Starbucks, and attempt to pick up things to put into the basket? Thankfully, the farmer's at the market understand. They were very helpful. And dry. Because they watched the weather and thought to put up awnings.

Over-achievers.

Once summer got rolling, we got busy. With life. Mowing, weeding, planting, harvesting, canning, fishing, camping, hiking, home-improvement projects, fence building, hunting, etc... So while we weren't officially on the clock yet with schooling, our children were being educated. Without the books.

So, with the ending of our "unschooling vacation", we begin the book-learning portion of our school year. And because it was the first day of "school", we made popcorn and hot spiced cider, read our books by the crackling fireplace, and stayed in sweatpants all day.

Because after 18 years, tradition counts for something.

And it was raining.☺

~Hot Spiced Cider~

~The Players~

1 gallon organic apple cider (or fresh-pressed at home!)

1 quart organic apricot juice (I found some that was apricot/mango by Santa Cruz.)

1 large can pineapple juice

1/4 cup sucanat

4 cinnamon sticks (or more if desired)

1 Tb. whole cloves

1 Tb. whole allspice

2-3 star anise

1 stainless steel tea ball or cheesecloth and kitchen twine

Place the cloves and allspice in the tea ball or cheesecloth. (If using cheesecloth, tie off with kitchen twine but leave long tails.)

Pour juices in stainless steel pot. Add sucanat and stir. Add cinnamon sticks, star anise, and tea ball/cheesecloth bag, but hang tea ball on edge of pot. If using cheesecloth, place a long wooden spoon over top and tie bag to that. Make sure the ball/bag is fully in the juice.

Heat on medium-high until bubbles form, but is not boiling. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Remove cinnamon sticks, star anise, and tea ball/bag.

Give it a stir and carefully ladle into mugs.

And enjoy!

Pumpkin Seeds & Spiced Lattes

2011-10-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

After such a crazy gardening season, I was surprised to find 19 sugar pie pumpkins down in the garden. Surprised, because I had only planted 2 plants from seed. Surprised, because I had also planted Sweet Dumpling Squash and ended up harvesting pumpkin from where the squash used to be. Surprised, because now I had to figure where to put all that pumpkin!

Isn't that a terrible problem to have?

If you've never roasted a pumpkin before, go here. It's a painless process that results in a far superior product than the canned stuff.

And the best part? You get to keep the seeds!

Pumpkin seeds provide many health benefits. They help protect the prostate, are high in magnesium (which most people are lacking in), help to lower cholesterol, and contain L-tryptophan, a compound that is a natural anti-depressant.

I don't know about you, but that's good enough for me. Now I know why pumpkin seeds make me so happy!☺

Here's how to roast the seeds...

After scooping out the seeds, rinse them off. Soak the clean seeds in a jar of filtered water with some sea salt added. They only need to soak for a couple of hours, but it's okay to soak them overnight. Drain in a colander, but do not rinse. (The amount of salt is to be determined by the amount of seeds you are roasting. I used about 1 t. per pumpkin.)

Preheat the oven to 325F. Drizzle a little olive oil on a cookie sheet.

Dump the drain seeds onto the cookie sheet; stir to coat with oil.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until seeds are lightly browned and crispy.

Then try not to eat them all in one sitting.

Notice, I said try.

Most of our pumpkin gets placed in plastic freezer bags in quantities of 1-3 cups. This makes it convenient when it comes time to use the pumpkin in a recipe. Of course, if you like to make homemade Spiced Pumpkin Lattes, you'll only need 3 Tb. of pumpkin at a time. My solution?

Perfect.

Enjoy!

Meal Plan 10/23/11

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the name Carrie Vitt? Well, until a couple of weeks ago, neither had I. She is the author of the blog Deliciously Organic and if you've never visited it, well, you should. Go ahead, I'll wait...............................................................................................................

Carrie, who doesn't know I exist, cooks with whole foods. Minus the 20% of junk. Minus the refined sugar. Minus the white, organic flour. She uses coconut oil, palm oil, butter, raw milk/cream, fresh ground whole wheat/pastry wheat, sucanat, maple syrup...everything that I already have in my pantry. But she is something that I am not.

Consistent.

And that is about to change.

While on our recent hunting trip, my tummy didn't like me too much. In fact, I got to see it's rebellious side and it was not pretty. It's easy to justify using ingredients one would not normally use while camping. There isn't room or time to prepare everything from scratch unless my plan was to stay in the camper the entire week.

At least, that's what I told myself. The truth? I saw the Nutella and couldn't stop myself. And then I saw the Fritos. And the white buns. And the sugary creamer. And the....well, you get the idea. Four of the six who went on this hunting trip also ended up getting the flu. While camping. Coincidence? I don't think so.

My meal plan for the week will look a little different. I'll be using several of Carrie's recipes that are found in her cookbook, "Deliciously Organic". Since these recipes aren't mine, I won't be able to share them with you, but do yourself a favor and get the cookbook. You won't be disappointed.

Unless of course you're looking for Nutella recipes.☺

(Carrie's recipes have an * by them.)

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

~Sunday~

*Raspberry Almond Muffins, granola

Toe-Warmin' Chili, *Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread

~Monday~

*Sour Cream & Lemon Pancakes w/ Blueberry Puree

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Soup, Sourdough bread, fresh applesauce

~Tuesday~

Steel-Cut Nutty Oats

*Loaded Baked Potato Soup, Green salad w/ Orange Vinaigrette

~Wednesday~

Coconut Berry Smoothies (new), Peanut Butter Breakfast Muffins

Mac & Cheese, meatloaf, steamed broccoli

~Thursday~

Pumpkin Spice Muffins, homemade hot chocolate

Chicken Strips (new), Cowboy fries, Marinated Tomatoes w/Basil (new), fresh applesauce

~Friday~

Pennsylvania Dutch Baked Oatmeal

New Orleans Red Beans & Rice (new), Kim's Kornbread

~Saturday~

Speltcakes w/ caramelized apples

Ravioli Soup, Sourdough bread

~Sunday~

Granola, toast

*Spicy Black Bean Soup, Sourdough bread

For a little menu inspiration, visit Menu Mondays!

Venison Breakfast Sausage

2011-10-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

Last year was our first experience making our own sausage. We loved it so much that it seemed to disappear within minutes. Okay, maybe not minutes, but close. Of course, we had sausage every morning and sometimes for dinner, but it still went fast.

Fast forward to 2011 and we're making sausage again. This time it is twice the fun since 2 of the boys got their deer. (We're still holding out hope for Annie Oakley and the Mister!) Twice the fun means twice the work, which translates into twice the spices, but everyone knows that 2 is always better than 1...unless we're talking squash, then I beg to differ.

Back to sausage...

Since it is deer season over much of the United States, I thought now would be a good time to share our recipe for sausage. While we didn't actually create this explosion of spicy goodness, I did write it down.

Minus the origin of the recipe. Because that's how I roll. It's an illness really. I get so excited about a recipe that I just jot it down on whatever is handy...the edge of the classifieds, the copyright page of a book I'm reading, junk mail, a napkin, my arm...

Don't judge.

In order to make this sausage, you'll need to pay a visit to the butcher. Because venison is so lean, a fatty meat needs to be added. Last year, the butcher recommended adding pork butt. Something you should probably know, because I didn't, is that pork butt does not come from the rear end of a pig. It in fact comes from the shoulder, which oddly enough makes it a lot more appetizing if you're just thinking about making this sausage. Of course, once made, it wouldn't matter if the added meat was rat. It's that good. (A big apology to my niece Gracie who just got a pet rat for her birthday. I'm sure it's a lovely creature. Honest.)

~The Players~

6 lbs. ground venison

2 lbs. ground pork butt

1/4 cup meat tenderizer (MSG free!)

1 Tb. ground black pepper

1 Tb. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 Tb. dried sage

Mix seasoning in a bowl. Add to meat after first grind. Mix well. Put meat and spices through grinder again. Pack and freeze.

Enjoy!

This post is linked to the Homestead Barn Hop!