Dragon Woman's Kitchen

The High Holy Day of Gluttony is over!!! Now what to do with all those leftovers?

2011-11-27T11:09:00.000-06:00

I didn't actually wake up this morning with any intentions other than maybe a bit of sweeping up and straightening... LOL Alas, then I turned on my computer and well, here we are!

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One thing I love about these big eating holidays is that there are almost always leftovers at our house. This is partially due to my diligent "no plate left unfilled"--ever--strategy.

I think that one of the worst nightmares I have is that I throw a party and there isn't enough food. So, naturally, I cook enough (as my mother used to say) for Cox's Army (whatever that was). lol In my due diligence, I cook more than I need to almost every time, because obviously, more is better. And then when the smoke clears and the dust settles and everyone is gone, I have loads of stuff to figure out what to do with.

This year, as I carved the turkey--(And when I say carved, I mean ripped that sucker to pieces!!) I had my trusty stockpot sitting there in the sink, so all I had to do with every bone or piece of deliciously roasted skin (and wings) was toss it over into the gaping maw. (sorry, but I don't hardly ever get the chance to say gaping maw, and this was probably it for this year). When my 2 turkeys (one was 20lbs and the other 10) were stripped and the succulent moist pieces were in my biggest crockpot, I filled that stockpot with water and set it on the back burner on low. And there it sat, all day long. Both of my sisters-in-law kept wanting to turn it off, because they obviously don't know the secret of a good stock. lol One of the secondary benefits to cooking all those bones for hours, besides leaching out all the mineral-y goodness, is that it softens them even more than the initial roasting and makes them suitable doggie treats. And before anybody gets excited, I will say here and now that I ALWAYS give my dogs chicken and turkey bones and they have never had a problem. (Well, except the one time that Caylee got a short bone wedged sideways in the back of her mouth and I had to risk life and limb to stick my hand in there and pull it out. I got it and she didn't bite my hand off. Success!!!! lol

Anyway, this year I decided to can my turkey broth instead of freezing it, as I'm trying to move away from using the freezer for anything but the essentials. I lost a freezer this year, and frankly, don't want to replace it if I don't have to. And I probably don't. lol I am drying and canning more stuff than ever. The picture above is the canned turkey broth--7 pints with turkey chunks in them and 4 that are just plain broth. Nothing much goes to waste in this house. Anything the dogs or chickens can't or won't eat, goes into the compost, which goes into the garden, and so the cycle of life continues.

I canned this the day after Thanksgiving, and we have a mudroom that is uninsulated and good for storing things in that need to be kept cold. So I had set the stockpot out there overnight.

The day after Thanksgiving, I made a shepherd's pie out of leftover turkey and gravy. The Irishman had been out cleaning up the garden and brought me in a basket full of tiny odds and ends that got missed, like carrots, beets and turnips. Oh, and a small potato. I chopped them up, added some onion and garlic. Threw in a couple of handfuls of chopped turkey meat and cooked it all together. Added just enough gravy to make it wet. Took some leftover stuffing and lined a pie plate, poured the mixture in and topped it with crumbled chunks of dressing. Baked it at about 350 for maybe 25 minutes and VOILA! supper.

Yesterday we had little turkey sandwiches on leftover rolls. My SIL brought Sister Schubert rolls from Sam's and they really were good...sweet and yeasty. You put them in the oven for 10 minutes and they're done. I put a little mayonnaise on the bottom of the roll, piled them with turkey and topped them with cranberry sauce. They were awesome. The Irishman ate 3 of them. I had one with some of my kimchi on the side.

I managed to put 2 pies into the freezer...one was a pumpkin and one was a regular 2 crust peach pie. They weren't touched. We had so much dessert...and everyone was so full...well--you get the picture. lol The Irishman finished off what was left of the lemon meringue last night.

We still have cookies and a part of a peaches and cream pie left...my sister baked chocolate chip cookies. and hers might be some of the best I've ever had. Oh yeah, I think there's still some bread pudding too, that my other SIL baked. It rocked, with a vanilla butter sauce on top. I'm thinking I could slice it up and toast gently on the griddle and it would be like french toast for breakfast, Basically the same ingredients, right??

I will bake another peaches and cream pie soon and do the recipe on here. I came up with it by the seat of my pants when I was baking the peach pie. I was afraid that I didn't have enough filling for my deep dish pie crust, so I opened a jar of canned peach slices from our trees and threw it in. Of course, then I had too much filling for one pie and not enough for two. So...I looked in the fridge saw cream cheese and sour cream, and the rest is history. You will be knocked out by this recipe, if you're a cheesecake fan....

Okay. I need to go look in the fridge and figure out what we're having for dinner. :) Might be a turkey pot pie in our immediate future!

Bon Apetit!

You can make your own bread!

2011-10-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd write a post today on bread making. The weather is cooling down around these parts and though I get out of the bread making habit in summer (when we eat more sandwiches--go figure!) I can think of nothing more heavenly than a steamy bowl of soup or stew with a slice of home made bread slathered in butter.

I've recently been using the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day recipe. It's extraordinarily easy and suits me The loaves are small, and not really enough for a family, but you can always make them bigger and cook them longer and feed everyone. Or make several at a time.

Now, you all know I love my bread machine, but truth be told, I have missed the mechanics of baking bread. Since this particular recipe doesn't include kneading the bread, it still lacks some of that. BUT...I still get to handle it a little and watch it setting on my counter rising and smell the beauty of it that is all yeasty and glorious. So, I'm going to put the recipe on here, and you can try it and let me know what you think.

The only thing I needed that I didn't have was a pizza peel. It's a shovel looking thing with beveled edges and a short handle that you let your dough raise on until time for it go into the oven. The reason for not raising it right on the cooking surface is that you want to heat the baking stone before you put the loaf to be baked on it. I happened to have a Pampered Chef baking tray that I use for this. (Pizza stone kits from department stores are much cheaper, I promise--but my daughter-in-law had a PC party and I had to buy something. lol) The stone gives your loaf that beautiful brown crispy bottom crust and allows the loaf to cook evenly throughout. However. I did happen to have some leftover glazed tiles that are about 12x12, that my wonderful son tiled my bathrooms in. You cannot bake on those, but you can sprinkle them with cornmeal and put your dough to raise. (A rimless metal cookie sheet would work as well.) And so I did. And one day, I will break down and buy the other thing, because I'm sure it's easier. But not today.

Looking at the bowl in my fridge, I would guess that this batch of dough will make about 4 small round loaves.

You'll need:

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1⁄2 tbsp granulated yeast (1 1⁄2 packets)
1 1⁄2 tbsp coarse kosher or sea salt
6 1⁄2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour
Cornmeal for pizza peel

In a large bowl, measure flour. I use a mixture of whole wheat and white and usually throw in a little wheat germ (because that's just how I roll), lol In a separate bowl or large glass measuring cup, mix the water, yeast and salt. Mix it good, I use a large wooden spoon and mix til it's together.

Now, cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, and preferably up to 20. This gives the yeast a chance to grow and develop those wonderful flavors we love. When this part is done, you can either hack off a chunk and bake some--OR put the dough into a covered bowl in the fridge. Don't put an airtight lid on it though...the gases need to escape. I used an old big square Tupperware with one side of the lid left unsnapped.

When you make bread, there are a couple of things to remember.

* Hot water will kill yeast. Lukewarm is the best.

*When you handle the wet sticky dough, keep your hands wet and it will be easier.

* It needs to be warm in your kitchen and not drafty. (Turn off the ceiling fan!)

*Set the bowl to raise where it won't be disturbed.

Now. After you make the dough, it needs to "nap" at room temperature for anywhere from 2-20 hours. You just cover it up and leave it alone. The little yeastie beasties will grow and the dough will swell and it will go it's merry way. While you do whatever else needs doing. You'll want to find a bowl with a cover to store whatever you don't bake in the fridge. Then, on days when you need to make another loaf, pull it out, hack it off and put the rest back in for next time. When it's time to bake, put it on your peel, let it sit about 40 minutes and into the oven. Easy Peasy.

Once you decide it's time to bake,(at LEAST 2 hours after raising) you need to get your spot ready (pizza peel, bathroom tile, whatever you're using). Liberally sprinkle the surface with corn meal. This helps keep the dough from sticking to the surface. Cut off a hunk of dough with a serrated knife, about the size of a grapefruit for a one pound loaf. With wet hands, stretch and fold the ends under until you have a ball. Place it on the surface, making sure there's plenty of cornmeal underneath. Set it in a warm place and let it rest for 40 minutes. The dough will raise some more. About halfway through, put your baking stone in the oven to preheat. You will have your oven at about 450. Put a large baking sheet on the very top shelf and pour hot water in it to create steam (about a cup and a half is enough). You'll want to bake your bread on the middle shelf. 20 minutes later, pull out the shelf with the stone and slide your loaf onto the stone. Help it along if it won't slide easily. I worry about jiggling mine too much and making the bread fall, but somehow it never does. This bread is not fragile. And it will raise some more in the oven. (Again: I am positive that actually using a pizza peel or a rimless metal cookie sheet, would work better than my tile. But, I've never been known to do things the right way, if I can do with what I've got.) lol

Next, you want to dash a bit of flour onto the top of your loaf and using that serrated knife, slash an X or a tic tac toe into the top of it. Not real deep, but deep enough to mark it.

So, slide your loaf onto the stone (I pull out the oven shelf-the stone is too hot to handle easily) and close the door as quickly as possible so you don't lose all that nice steam that's building up. That steam will give you a crispy chewy crust.

Bake it about 30 minutes (depending on the size you hacked off in the first place), check it for color and tap the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it's done!

Let it cool on a baking rack, if you have one. I jury-rig that too, usually, as I have a baking pan roaster that has a small metal rack in the bottom. I can almost never let mine cool all the way, as I want a warm piece of bread slathered with butter. If the Irishman's home, it's even worse. He almost stands beside the oven with a butter knife in his hand!

Once I made this bread a few times, I could do it with my eyes closed. Very simple ingredients, no sugar, and a beautiful loaf of bread. I think you'll like it. I bake a loaf about every other day.

*** I have been experimenting with adding ingredients like seeds and flax and herbs. So far, I've been doing it loaf by loaf. Today I made a new master batch, and put sesame seeds and flax seeds in it. I put wheat germ in too...just because I can. ***

Bon Apetit!

Let's SALSA! everybody!!!

2011-07-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Any salsa endeavor absolutely MUST begin with the reddest, ripest juiciest tomatoes you can find. I grow my own, own course, so it's often a matter of getting enough of them ripe and gorgeous at the same time to make a batch. I usually use a mixture of romas with regular tomatoes, because the Roma tomato is very meaty and less watery, thus making for a thicker salsa. Being the goof that I am, I usually hand chop all my salsa ingredients too, because I like the texture better.

So--here's the ingredient list to start making your own salsa, better than anything you can buy! Because I "guesstimate" so much, these ingredients are pretty close, lol. The best way to do your salsa is to taste it as you go. If it needs more salt, put more in. I also add ingredients depending on what is in my garden.

Tomatoes--ripe and red --15 pounds (+/-)

Onions--yellow--10 pounds

Green and yellow bell peppers about 6 large

Jalapenos--depends on how spicy you like your salsa, but at least 6 good sized fresh jalapenos

1 full head of fresh garlic, minced

Fresh cilantro and parsley-I use both, but you can leave them out if you don't like the taste of cilantro.

Ground cumin

Black pepper

Sea Salt

lemon juice, fresh or bottled, or you can use white vinegar-about a cup

As you can see in the picture, I only had some yellow peppers this year, so that's what I used. I'll make at least one more batch before the season's over, and I'll use green bells then too. (And yes-this is the amount of jalapenos I used in my batch.)

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NOTE: You will want to have rubber/latex gloves on hand for chopping and seeding the jalapenos. If you don't wear them, the pepper juice will scald your hands and you will be sorry!!!! Be very careful, because of the weather this year, the peppers are exceptionally hot.

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Right about now, I get out my big blue enamel water bath canner and fill it about 1/3 full of hot water. Put the lid on it and set it on the stove and turn up the heat. Because there is lemon juice/vinegar/hot peppers in this recipe, it is safe to use the water bath canner to can this tomato recipe. If you are canning plain regular tomatoes, always use the pressure canner to be safe from botulism.

Using a good sharp knife and cutting board and lots of counter space, core and chop your tomatoes. I never peel tomatoes for salsa...more nutritious that way and less work. lol Dice them into half inch cubes and throw them into your biggest pot (I use my dutch oven). BTW--you do know not to ever cook tomatoes in aluminum, don't you?? I have a cast iron and a stainless steel dutch oven.

Peel and dice the onions the same way, maybe even a little smaller.Toss 'em in the pot.

Same for the bell peppers, seed and core and chop finely. If you use greens and yellows, it looks really pretty

Now put this pot on the stove and turn on the heat to medium. While it is heating up some, go ahead and chop the cilantro and garlic and parsley. It should look about like this: by now:

Gorgeous, isn't it?

Now, put your rubber gloves on and get those jalapenos on the cutting board. Gently slice off the stem end and slit them lengthwise down the middle. Using your gloved finger, take all the little seeds out and put them aside. Depending on how hot you like salsa, you can add some or none or a lot of these back in. But for now, take 'em out. Dice the green pepper part finely and dump into your simmering pot. Stir well.

Bring to a slow simmer and keep on the heat for about 20 minutes. Put in the lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Is your kitchen smelling wonderful yet?

You're going to want to can this salsa in pint jars. I like the widemouth jars, but any will do. Wash and scald the jars, get a saucepan of boiling water going and put the rings and lids in it to soften the rubber seals and sterilize them.

Taste your salsa and see if the spices are right for you. If not add a little more.

Fill your jars with the hot salsa, leaving about a half inch of headspace. I can fit about 8 pints at a time in my canner.

Check your canner and see if the water is boiling yet

Take the lids out of the boiling water, and after wiping off the tops of the jars, put on the lids and screw the rings down tightly.

Make sure the boiling water is 1 inch over the tops of the jars, and bring to a hard boil. Boil for 25 minutes.

Then take the jars out of the boiling water bath, using a jar lifter, and set them on the counter on a thick heavy towel (I use a bath towel for this). The jars will begin to seal, you'll hear a little PING! within about 5 minutes. Leave them be for at least 24 and preferably 48 hours, to completely cool and finish the sealing process. Then label and store in a dark cupboard.

Aren't they gorgeous? Aren't you proud of yourself?

I make extra hot (2 jars) for my son, who thinks he is invincible. LOL This year I put 3/4 of the jalapeno seeds I'd removed into his 2 jars. We'll see if they're hot enough for him this year!

Bon Apetit!

It's that time of year again....

2011-07-22T12:22:00.001-05:00

...and the Dragon Woman has been busy as a bee.

In spite of the brutal heatwave here in the midwest, my garden is miraculously producing many things, although some have indeed fallen by the wayside. The cucumbers have burnt to a crisp. The squash is suffering, and the summer squash have all but disintegrated. The 'maters have lost a lot of their beauty, but are still putting out enough fruit that I have canned some, eaten a lot and given away a few. I have enough in there on the counter to make a batch of salsa today. I canned some whole ones, some diced ones and some with okra and onions in them. The potatoes are looking good, and I stirred the mulch around in the Red Pontiacs and found some really good sized ones. The basil needs to come out, the second planting of green beans needs to go in, and it is so hot out there that I can't imagine doing either. Today is like the 6th day in a row of dangerous and excessive heat, with no end in sight. For the second time this summer. We got a few days off in between.

I'm just finishing my breakfast/'lunch...that summertime treat of a bacon, mayo and fresh tomato sandwich on good whole grain bread. Oh lordy...is it the best food on the planet or what? lol I have some more beans to can in there and salsa to make and then I will call it a day. I've been doing household chores and playing around a lot. Gathered eggs this morning and fed the chooks. Hung laundry on the line, and it is almost dry by the time I get back to the house.

One of my favorite dishes this time of year is sauteed fresh green beans with garlic. It is easy and delightful. I start with a mess of fresh beans

This, of course, is more than one mess. lol Aren't they beautiful? You want to leave them whole, and use the youngest beans you can find. I nip the stem end off them and wash them and let them drain a bit. I mince fresh garlic...and I use a lot, because we love it. In a heavy skillet, (I always use cast iron, or my heavy gauge stainless steel wok), I heat enough olive oil to make the skillet good and slippery, but don't overdo it,. You can always put in more oil anytime you need to--can't take it back out! Put in the beans and turn the heat to medium high. After a bit of swishing the beans back and forth and they start to sizzle, put in the minced garlic.

You want the beans to be bright green and crispy cooked. Don't cook them too long, or you'll have A) Burned garlic--yuck! and B) mushy green beans. When they're done to your taste, grind black pepper and sea salt on them. Serve them hot and enjoy!

I know this is a short post...but I'm getting back in the water here...one toe at a time....lol

Bon Apetit!

Technobabe...this loafs for you...

2010-03-16T00:49:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...I just crack myself up.

This recipe is for a honey oatmeal bread that I make regularly in my bread machine. Now, I love making bread the old way, mixing and kneading and punching down the dough...but since I've started making all our bread and not buying any, I use the bread machine and save the old fashioned way for specialty breads.

I am notorious for adding extras to recipes like this. I have started using a white whole wheat flour made by Eagle Mills. It has 4 1/2 times the fiber of regular wheat flour and 30 grams of whole grain per serving. When I make this bread, I add vital wheat gluten and milled flaxseed. Sometimes I add extra wheat germ., just because I can. I also use Hodgsons Mills yeast specially for use with whole grains. I pay extra attention to the bread as it's mixing, and if it looks dry to me (because I have added so much extra stuff!) then I add a bit more water. The more times you make bread the more you'll understand the process.

I have some very dark honey from the bees we kept in North Carolina and I always use that in my bread. I also sea salt and real butter. Make sure you understand one thing about yeast, and you'll never lose another loaf of bread again. Believe me, I have baked a lot of bricks in my career..cold does not kill yeast. Too hot will kill yeast. I use hot tap water that I have run for a bit, and it's about the right temperature. Especially once I pour it into that cold metal bread pan!

Put these ingredients in the order shown into the pan of your bread machine.

Here are the ingredients:

1 1/2 cups + 3 tbsp. hot water

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. honey

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup oatmeal (quick or old fashioned-doesn't matter. NOT instant!!)

2 Tbsp. dry milk

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup milled flax seed

1 packet yeast

Make a well in the center, pushing the dry ingredients into the corners and put in the yeast.

Lock the pan into the bread machine, program it for the 2 lb. loaf, medium crust and whole wheat setting. Press start and you're on your way !!

This is one of the best breads for slicing for sandwiches, which is one reason I make it. The Irishman does love his sandwiches at lunch. It keeps well, and that may be because of the honey, which (as I'm sure you know) has antibacterial properties. It's hearty and nutty flavored and everyone that tries it, likes it. It has a beautiful crumb, fine texture.

Either that, or they're afraid to tell me. LOL

Bon Apetit !!

Irish Soda Bread

2010-03-14T15:17:00.001-05:00

This was one easy recipe. And the end result was lovely, with a fine crumb. I took a loaf to the Corned Beef and Cabbage St Patrick's meeting last night, and it was a hit. They ate every piece I took! I have to admit that I left about 4 pieces home for the Irishman...and that was after he ate 3 pieces. lol He told me this morning that a guy came in the door of the meeting last night and said --"Hey! I heard that somebody brought Irish Soda

Bread !! My grandmother used to make that all the time ! Is there any left???" And he got the last piece, cooing over it and the real butter that I brought to slather on it.

This recipe is made with buttermilk and the end result is beautiful.

Here's the ingredients list:

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

[1/4 cup butter, melted]

[1/4 cup buttermilk]

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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees R. (190 degrees C) Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and butter. Mix well. Stir in 1 cup buttermilk and 1 egg. Again mix it as well as you can.

Turn this out onto a barely floured surface and knead slightly. It won't be real smooth or shiny, but it will form a nice ball. Form the dough into a mound and put on the greased baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut a large X into the top of the loaf.

Now, mix together the melted butter and buttermilk and brush the loaf with this mixture. You'll have a bit of the mixture left over, and about every 15 minutes, pull the loaf out of the oven and brush some more on it. Right at the end, the last basting, I also sprinkle some white sugar on the top...just to make it prettier.

Bake the loaf in the preheated oven about 45-50 minutes. Insert a toothpick in--if it comes out clean, she's done! And she's a beaut--

After it cools, it's much easier to slice than when it first comes out of the oven. This makes a huge loaf, enough for about 20 servings (not at my house! lol). I cut it in half and then half again and make the slices about half an inch thick and 3 inches long.

This is a great bread to make when you don't have a ton of time...it's about 15 minutes prep and 45 minutes to bake.

Bon Apetit !!

Now..that's a spicy meatball !!!!

2010-02-15T14:09:00.002-06:00

As you may have heard, I threw a surprise Valentine's Day/birthday supper for my husband and about 15 of our closest friends. I decided to make it Italian (the culture of romance, right?)...which included a spaghetti with my favorite marinara (Putanesca) and a big bowl of Aglio e Olio, which is just spaghett dressed in a sauce made of an outrageous number of cloves of fresh garlic sliced very thin, and then sauteed in an equally outrageous amount of olive oil in a cast iron skillet. You have to be very careful with this, as not to scorch the garlic. Then you pour it all over the cooked spaghetti, add about 3/4 of a bunch of fresh chopped parsley, shredded Romano cheese, cracked black pepper and sea salt. Toss and VOILA! I also baked a bunch of bread and made a Trifle for dessert.
But back to the meatballs.

I made (ahead of time) a batch of about 8 dozen meatballs. I don't use ground beef much anymore, and have experimented a lot with different ways to make meatballs that would actually taste good with no beef in them. I always try to keep meatballs on hand in my freezer. I make them up, bake them off in the oven until they are about 3/4 done, then pull them out and cool. I put them in ziplock freezer bags (gallon sized) in nice orderly rows and store them flat in the freezer. You can pull them out and toss into sauce for spaghetti and meatballs, you can make meatball subs (the Irishman's favorite sandwich), or come up with any number of ways to use them as a main dish, like...meatballs and mushroom gravy over either mashed potatoes or rice. They are economical, tasty and a sure fire pleaser.

I like to make meatballs by the billions. LOL, just kidding, although I do generally make them about 8-10 dozen at a time. It's a bit of a messy job, and so I like to get it all done and get on with my real life. Here's the ingredients list:

3 pounds ground turkey

2 pounds bulk sausage

4 eggs

black pepper, garlic powder and salt to taste

oregano (again-how much do you like?)

About 4 cups of smashed crackers

2 medium, sized onions, diced small

Before I go any farther with this, I want to clarify a few things. One--I buy a good quality pork sausage made by our little local grocer. The turkey I buy is just the frozen 1 pound chubs of whatever I find on sale. But the sausage is important, so make sure you like the one you're buying, unless you make your own--(my 2010 summer project).

The other thing is this: I am terrible about measuring spices and such in recipes like this. I know that I like lots of garlic and black pepper, so I use good amounts of these. I know that I am sensitive to salt, so I use less of it. Remember that some spices diminish with freezing, and take note of that. Basil and Oregano both stand up relatively well, although basil can get bitter. I use my own organically grown dried basil, and I know what's there. I am on my last gallon sized bag of it that I grew over 5 years ago, and it's still wonderful. Always crush it between your palms as you add it to your food...

ANYWAY.

lol

Mix the ingredients, with your bare hands (okay--you can wear gloves. I always just take off my wedding rings and jump in up to my elbows.) Mix them up really well in a big bowl. If the mixture feels too dry, add another egg. If it's too wet, add some more crackers. [Side note here: I used to always use oatmeal in them like I do in meatloaf. I did it like this because my mother did. Everybody has their own idea about this. But one time, I had had a couple of parties and had several boxes of opened crackers of different kinds and well..I hate wasting stuff if I can find somewhere to use it. So, I took all those stale crackers, put 'em in a bag and rolled them to smithereens with my rolling pin. The resulting difference in the meatballs was remarkable. Now I try to always have crackers and use them.]

Once your meatballs are all mixed up, it's time for the fun part. I use a small ice cream scoop to measure mine. It makes the meatballs a good size for the subs and they are very manageable. So, scoop some out, wet your hand s a little, and start rolling them around clockwise in your palms. If you cup your hands just a little, it will make a perfectly round meatball. The picture above shows you a cookie sheet with about 2 dozen meatballs on it, all ready for the oven. I line the baking sheet with foil and spray with canola spray. There's very little fat from the turkey and pork sausage and the mess is minimal. I only bake one sheet at a time, as my oven is a little cranky and I want them all cooked evenly. Middle rack at about 350 degrees. It takes about 15 minutes or so is all.

Below is the finished product.

This picture looks a little darker than they actually are, but you get the idea. After they cool, bag and freeze.

Bon Apetit!

Spinach Quiche Alsace Lorraine

2010-02-06T14:55:00.001-06:00

Hmmm.. don't know what's going on here (the new blogspot editor, perhaps?) It won't let me move the pictures so I can write between them,. Arrgghh....

I laughingly call this quiche Spinach Quiche Alsace Lorraine, because it has spinach, onions and bacon in it. Alsace is the onion, and Lorraine is the bacon ingredient, and these names identify the quiche. I also put whatever else I want in it, because I can. In the first picture is the crust in the making...a bastardized version of a pate fraise. Pate Fraise is traditionally a rich sweet dough used with custards and such. Most people use a traditional pastry crust for quiche, and I use a combination of the two. I start with a typical crust for pie, but instead of water, I use buttermilk, which makes a richer pie crust. I add some sugar to it to sweeten it up, and then I crush a tablespoon or so of aromatic dried basil from my organic garden. Sometimes I add some garlic granules. Then I mix it up and add just a tad more buttermilk than the recipe calls for. It makes a softer dough and I then pat it into the pie pan. This is easier that rolling the crust out and it makes for a nice crust. You can see my fingerprints all over the bottom in the second picture. Then take a fork and prick the crust, bottom and sides, thoroughly. In another bowl, break 4 eggs. Before you mix these up, take a pastry brush and brush your pie crust with egg whites. This prevents a soggy crust and makes the top edges of the crust nice to look at as well.

The next thing you need to do is scald 2 cups of milk. After it's scalded, put it aside and mix up your eggs in the bowl. (Do you like my antique beater? I LOVE this one, and use it all the time.!) This third photo is the little darling. To your egg mixture, add about a half teaspoon of salt, half teaspoon of nutmeg, and a quarter tsp. of white pepper. Mix well. Add the scalded milk to the egg mixture and beat away.

In a heavy skillet (I always use cast iron) saute half an onion and about 4 pieces of bacon that has been cut into small bits. Add some minced garlic if you like. While this stuff is cooking, chop about 4 cups of fresh spinach. No need to cut it too much as it will cook down nicely. I also like to use sun dried tomatoes in my quiche, as they impart a lovely sweetness. Not a lot, and dice them up well if you use them. The ones I use are packed in olive oil, and I squeeze them out before cutting. Put this and the spinach into the skillet with the bacon and onion and stir until the spinach starts to cook down. Then turn off the fire and get back to the crust. It's time to put the spinach mixture into the pie pan, spread it around evenly. Next put the cheese on top. Most quiche is made with Swiss cheese. I make it with whatever I happen to have. This time I used a combination of colby/jack shredded cheese and shredded romano. The romano gave it a nice subtle bite and the shredded cheese melts really well. If you use Swiss, cut the pieces as small as possible, as in my experience it's not one of the most easily meltable cheeses. Now pour your egg and milk mixture over the top of it all. Then it's into the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes.

I always serve it with a salad. It's a wonderful supper and uses up some eggs and is high in proteins and you can never go wrong with spinach. We like it at our house, especially as the leftovers make an easily transportable breakfast or lunch food. It is best served lukewarm, but we like it cold as well.

Bon Apetit!

OMG...January's almost over !

2010-01-24T23:44:00.003-06:00

This is what's left of an 8x8 square dish of apple crisp I made tonight. It's a lovely dessert, apple crisp. These are some apples from the freezer that we picked with our grandson at a local orchard, a bag of combined Winesaps and something. We wound up with about 65 pounds of apples, I think, and I made apple butter from some and froze some for pies and crisps.

Apple Annie was a nickname bestowed on me by my friend Art. Art died 2 years ago, or was it three now? When we lived in North Carolina, a group of internet friends came to visit us for a weekend, and we took them sightseeing and to a couple of orchards. Art was the New Jersey KING of apple pies. He had retired to the NC coast, and I met him through a group of friends in Florida. He was a delightful little Italian man, who would bring huge homemade lasagnas every time we all got together. They were magnificent! He was the penultimate guest at our house, and he visited regularly. I saw him about 3 weeks before he died, he and his 2 dogs came to visit, and the Irishman took him to a baseball game. He was having a hard time then, it was easy to see that he was ill. He never came to visit empty handed, and this time he brought me a resin Squirrel hide-a-key, and we laughed until we peed when the dogs kept barking at it. Every year, he would make dozens of apple pies and freeze them, so that all he had to do when he wanted one was pull it out of the freezer. Sometimes he ate only apple pie all day, he told me. He bought the freezer boxes from a local bakery. He said baking pies was his hobby.

But, back to AppleAnnie's Apple Crisp!

Fill whatever size pan of apple crisp you need to make with enough sliced apples to fill it heaping full. I NEVER peel apples, but you can do whatever you want. I do, however, wash them thoroughly before I slice them.

Next, sprinkle flour over the slices, stirring as you go to coat the apples. How much flour, you ask? Just enough. Less if it's a small pan, more if it's a 9x13. Probably about half a cup for small and a cup for large. Then sprinkle in a little sugar--not too much, you want to taste the fresh apples, then sprinkle a little cinnamon over it too. Stir it some more to mix it up. Then I slice thin slices of cold butter over the top, dotting it with the slices. And yes, it has to be real butter. None of that plastic gunk, please.

IN a separate bowl, mix up the crisp topping. It is a combination of flouor (I cup), Oatmeal (2 cups), a stick of cold butter sliced into the bowl, about a half cup of brown sugar. Now, mix it like you would for pie dough. Use a pastry blender, if you have one. If not, the same result can be achieved by using 2 butter knives and chopping away . Cut the butter into the other ingredients and add cinnamon as desired. When the mixture is good and crumbly, and in relatiovely small pieces, throw in some pecans or walnuts for good measure. I love a nutty crunch to my crisps. The handful by handful, sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of your dish of apples. It needs to cover well, but not more than about an inch thick. If you have too much, put it in a container in the fridge where it will keep for weeks and weeks. The stuff I used on this crisp in the picture? I made the topping at Thanksgiving, and my oven went out and I didn't make it. So I put it in the fridge (I rarely throw anything away!), knowing the night would come when I'd ahve a yen for some apple crisp, and an oven that was working. lol

Bake it at about 350 degrees for an hour or so. You'll know when it's done...the house smells heavenly like apples and cinnamon, and the topping on the dessert is...well,...CRISP.

Cooking is not rocket science. In fact, I refuse to believe it's any kind of science at all...more that it's absolute MAGICK!

Bon Apetit!

A lovely pasta garden salad...

2009-07-28T15:09:00.009-05:00

Hanging her head in shame after re-reading her own last blog on this site....
I lied. I made a commitment to post here, and now it's been over 2 months ago. No more promises, okay? I'll do the best I can and just get myself back into a routine as best I can.

'Nuff said.

It's the end of July and there are lots of odds and ends coming out of the garden. Today, I'm making a pasta salad with some good junk in it from out yonder. I took my little pail out and pulled a lot of weeds and picked some very young [tender] green beans, some cherry tomatoes, some small onions, some okra, and some bell peppers. I have some farfalle pasta (little bow ties), which always makes a beautiful pasta salad, in my opinion. And they're good bite sized pieces.

And...this would be the produce inspector?????? He lives to serve! So, for this pasta salad, (which, BTW, can be eaten either cold or warm) I start with a good sized pan of boiling water, into which I have put a twist or so of sea salt and a smidgen of extra virgin olive oil. Once it starts to boil, add the pasta. I cook the farfalle about 11 minutes, as I like it al dente for salads. Drain, mix in about a tbsp of real butter or olive oil and stir well but gently to coat the pasta. Then you can set it aside to let it cool down.

I took the veggies from the garden and washed them, then cut them into small bite sized pieces. You can use any combination of vegetables you happen to have on hand. These were just picked, and are absolutely sweet and delicious.

Next I sprayed my trusty cast iron skillet with canola oil spray, then put in about a tbsp of butter and sauteed the veggies until they were crisp-tender. I ground a little sea salt and peppercorns into the mix. I also added some minced garlic, because that's just how I cook, lol. The okra got a little gooey, but not really bad at all. It's pretty young pods, and I know that makes a goo-factor difference. I couldn't possibly live without my cast iron skillet. And that's the truth.

About this time, I mixed in some chopped fresh basil and oregano out of my porch herb pot, mixed in some shredded parmesan and a little more cracked black pepper. I just finished eating a lovely bowl of it. Totally satisfying and I am full.

Total preparation time on this is about 25 minutes. Minimal clean-up too, which is always a plus.

It's a wonderful vegetarian dish, it's nutritious, and it's easy. And best of all...I'm not hungry any more.

Bon Apetit!

Pies and Cobblers, pies and cobblers...

2009-05-08T15:50:00.007-05:00

I got an email from a friend of mine, asking what's the difference between pies and cobblers? I said I had baked a peach cobbler and was getting ready to bake a blackberry cobbler, to take to a potluck. I realized that I have a very sloppy habit of calling my giant fruit pies that are baked in a 9x13 pan Cobblers....but the truth of the matter is this: IF it has a bottom pastry crust and topping or not, it is a PIE. Doesn't matter how big it is. It's still a pie. A cobbler, by its very nature, has a soft dough topping that is mixed and put on top of the hot filling and then baked some more. Almost like a dropped biscuit topping, only sweeter. They are very good, and are a quick and painless way to throw together a last minute dessert when you don't want a mess to clean up. lol Also-you can freeze poies, but not cobblers. Hope I have cleared this up a bit.

The first picture is a shot of my huge pastry board that I found at a yard sale for 2 dollars. It magnificent, even if only because it really helps to contain the mess of rolling out pastry. I often make pastry from scratch, but sometimes use the little boxes of Jiffy pastry mix if I can find it. It is very good, and saves measuring and cutting shortening into the flour and all that. You just mix 5 Tbsp. of ICE water (my tried and true trick for perfect pastry every time!). I put ice cubes and water in a coffee cup, and measure it from there. Flour, salt, shortening and ice water. Presto!--pastry.
After rolling it out, I fold it in half and transfer it to the oblong 9x13 baking dish. (BTW--you don't have to make it megalopolis sized...I do because I 1) go to a lot of big potlucks, and 2) because I made the mistake last year of freezing all my fruits in gallon bags.) Oy vey....

You can make cobblers and pies out of any fruit or fruit combinations you like. Old farm wives have historically mixed combos of whatever bits and pieces of fruits they had laying around at the tail end of harvests, like blackberry and pear, or strawberry and rhubarb, or apple and peach. I like mine baked with a singleness of purpose, for the most part. lol The frozen blackberries and the peaches both have a higher water content and so I am always erring on the side of caution when I mix the flour into the fruit. It's never been too thick. It HAS been too runny, almost like a fruit soup with a crust. lol I add sugar or not, and with peaches I add the tiniest bit of vanilla and ginger. Apple--cinnamon and nutmerg and cloves. Blackberry--no spices, just a bit of sugar, always depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sometimes I dot the tops with butter before putting on the top crust. But sometimes I don't.
[Rereading this, I realize I am no one to teach anything about cooking. You should just come here and eat. I love to cook, because in my kitchenworld, there are no rules, and basically I am an anarchist.]

I like this crust, it looks pretty and you can make it however you want, with whatever cookie cutter you want. Roll another 2 crust pie batch of dough out, but don't roll it so thin. Then I cut the shapes out (my faves are stars. I also like angels, and xmas trees). Lay them close together on top of your pie, and then brush them with milk and sprinkle with sugar before you toss that baby in the oven at about 425 degrees.

Voila!!! It's a crowd pleaser. And you feel llike a kitchen magician, because everyone thinks making pie is such a big deal, these days, and they ooh and ahh over you.

I promise, if anyone's still reading here (I don't think I would, after all this time!!) that I am going to get back to writing here. Starting RIGHT NOW !!!!!! This stuff really is my passion...

Bon apetit!

February 12, 2009

2009-02-12T12:50:00.004-06:00

[Early spring gardens-click to enlarge]

Today I have spring fever. I have been in the midst of this for a time...the temperatures around these parts have been strangley un-February like. lol Today is the mid-fifties. It has been high sixties. It is stunningly gorgeous out there.

I have a rose of sharon clump that is in dire need of trimming and needs to be done soon., before the poor confused branches start to bud out. This is a problem this time of year...the global warming sets things in motion, the (peach trees blossom early , for instance, and then there is a typical freeze that kills all the flowers and then there are no peaches.) You can see the problem. I just finished reading that the Arbor Day Foundation (you know them, right? The free tree planting people??) has reconfigured the hardiness zones based on the last 10 years of changing weather. I am sooo pleased to report that we have been upgraded from a Zone 5 to a Zone 6 !!! All that really means is that we can plant a little earlier and maybe not have to buy only plants normally for Siberian temps. lol

Mostly gardening is a trial and error thing anyway. You plant something. It grows, or it doesn't. Or it produces or it takes so long the frost kills it before the food is ripe. We have a pretty long growing season here in the southern midwest. Gardens start going in in April late and we harvest sometimes until Novemeber, and always into October. So, that's long enough (if you have the energy) to put in a couple of staggered plantings of beans and greens and some other things. That's almost half a year of growing time. And with things being the way they are these days, I am glad for all the time to grow all the things I can. I have 2 small freezers, one an upright and one a medium sized chest. Both are pretty full and I am in the process of inventorying and organizing them both, as well as my dry pantries. I have 2 large walk-in closets, one in this room that I use for the office and one in the guest bedroom. Both have shelving I have put in and are lined with jars of garden foods I have canned, as well as dry goods like beans and flours and rice and stuff. Jars of olives and artichoke hearts that I find on sale. Catsup. Bouillion. You know...indispensables. lol I want to buy a dehydrator this year too...I used to have a small tabletop one and when I didn't use it for several years in a row, I sold it at a yard sale. That and my (OUCH) Champion Juicer. It must have been a moment of insanity...

Well, better get back to my initial endeavors. I love to garden and plan to expand the herb garden this year as well. I have dried parsley, oregano and sage in the closet now that needs to come out an be packaged. So much to do....

Namaste.

February 4, 2009

2009-02-04T23:16:00.004-06:00

Here in the midwest, we are careening back and forth between bone rattling cold and mild heat waves. It makes my head spin.

Today was still in the BRC category, never making it above 20 degrees, and feeling even colder because of the wind. It's 12 right now...

So, for supper I decided to make one of my all time favorite comfort foods, and one of hubby's favorites too. Chicken Pot Pie. (And NO--none of my chickens were harmed in the making of this food. lol) It's an easy dish to prepare, it's pretty healthy and very filling. And I make a big batch of it every time so that there are leftovers for hubby's lunch and maybe one more meal.

I forgot to take any pictures of it. BooHoo. It was a beauty to behold.

So--here's my recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.

To make this dish, you'll need:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

Garlic granules and black pepper and salt to taste.

1/2 chopped onion

2 ribs chopped celery

3 cubed carrots

3 cubed potatoes (I like red best, but tonight I used russets, because that's what I had ).

1 can of sweet early peas (OR--you can use green beans)

1 TBSP dried basil

~~Corn starch to thicken

~~ 2 boxes ready made piecrusts (the ones that are rolled up, they come 2 in a box, and for the 9x13 baking pan I use here, it takes 2 boxes). OR--you can make the piecrust yourself, if you're a real purist. Enough for 2-2crust pies.

Cut the raw chicken breasts into 1/2 inch cubes. Put it into a large skillet with the olive oil and season with the garlic, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the chicken is pretty done. While it's cooking, chop the onion, celery, carrot and potato. Add it to the cooking chicken pieces. Put a lid on this skillet and cook these things until the vegetables are tender. Put about a half cup of water in so it doesn't burn, and stir occasionally. Add the basil. This mixture will need to cook for about 20 minutes.

While it's cooking, unroll the piecrusts and fit them into the 9x13 baking pan. Arrange them so they are covering the bottom and you can have them up the sides of the pan. At this point, put the can of undrained peas or green beans into the bubbling skillet. The mix the cornstarch with some water and pour that into the skillet, stirring well. Sometimes I use a little Kitchen Bouquet in it to give it a rich color. If you don't know KB--it's a caramel based food additive mainly for gravies and soups. It just makes it look pretty. And be warned--a little goes a long way, so use it cautiously. lol

As soon as it starts to thicken, mix it well and turn off the stove. You are now ready to pour this concoction into the pie crust. Put the other 2 piecrusts on top and pinch the edges to make a nice pie. Cut some slits in a starburst pattern on top.

Bake this bad boy at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. Serve it up hot with a salad if you're so inclined.

It's tasty,

it reheats well,

AND---you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Bon Apetit!

Friday January 30, 2009

2009-01-30T23:27:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow early, I have a potluck and speaker meeting to attend. I volunteered to bring bacon and some kind of bread, so I thought muffins woulod be a good and easy carry along. I spent a little time cooking bacon in the oven, which is absolutely the best and easiest way to cook large amounts of it. I cooked 3 pounds. Of course, I was the most popular girl in the house, with those smells wafting through the air! lol I use large cookie sheets lined with foil. Easy clean up is the best part, when you're a lazy cook like I am.

I made 2 different kinds of muffins. One is a banana crunch muffin with a streusel topping on it. It's a pretty basic muffin. I like them because they are moist and don't dry out as quickly as other muffins do when you don't eat them all the day they're made. :) There's only the 2 of us, so I like to make muffins like this. I always have overripe bananas in my freezer. When they start getting too ripe, I peel 'em and throw 'em in a ziplock freezer bag. Voila!

The second muffin is called Millie's Orange Blossom muffin. It's a recipe I use often because I like orange muffins. This is one of those recipes on a browned card in my recipe box, that someone gave me when I was a new bride. It's a little more labor intensive, just because you have to squeeze an orange. lol Actually, you could use regular orange juice, but I never have that on hand.

The picture above is Millie's orange blossom muffin. It's a lovely golden brown with orange flecks in it. It does have nuts--pecans--in it. If you don't eat nuts, you could easily leave that out.

So....for Orange Blossom Muffins, you'll need:

2 cups Bisquick or any baking mix 6 TBSP sugar~divided

1 egg 4 1/2 tsp. all purpose flour

1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup orange marmalade 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons canola oil 1 TBSP cold butter

1/4-1/2 cup chopped pecans

~~~Directions~~~~

In a small bowl, combine 2 TBSP of the sugar, the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut in butter until it's crumbly Set aside for topping.

Place the biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine the egg, orange juice. marmalade, oil and remaining 4 TBSP sugar. Mix well. Stir this into the biscuit mix just until moistened. One of the tricks to making tender muffins is to NOT over beat the ingredients. So, just stir until it's mixed. There will be lumps. Fold in the pecans with as few strokes as possible.

Coat the muffin cups with nonstick spray, or use paper liners. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm.

Bon Apetit !

January 28, 2009

2009-01-28T23:37:00.006-06:00

[Again...Lucy the wonder dog, barking at the snow falling off the trees]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today was one of those great winter days when the snow is still all white and sparkly and gorgeous. The traffic on our country road was almost nonexistent. It was only about 20, but the icy white reflecting the sun made it feel warmer. I took the little babydawg out on the leash several times and she frolicked and ran and dove into the snowbanks...it's getting almost impossible to keep her still. Lucy is our m,iddle dog, she's a lab mix, and she loves the cold. The little Jack Russell Terrorist--not so much.

It seemed like the perfect day for a hearty soup for supper. I knew I could throw the ingredients for a tasty herb bread on the bread machine, start the soup, and then do the rest of my housekeeping. So--here's what I did:

Lentil Soup

2 cups lentils

water to cover

1/2 tsp fresh ground salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

5-7 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half.

2 bay leaves

chicken broth (I freeze it by the pint and use it for soup stock)

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

Today I had some leftover bbq'd country ribs, so I cubed the meat and threw that in too. You could use ham or sausage or no meat at all.

I put this all in the crockpot and cooked it on high for about 5 hours. I did add a little more water at some point, but not much. I like my lentils thick and hearty, you might like yours more soupy.

Lentils are a great source of cholesterol lowering fiber, and they have a low glycemic index. They also have good to excellent amounts of 6 important minerals, 2 B-vitamins, amino acids and protein. As you can see, they're really little nutritional powerhouses.

There was a recipe for an Italian herb bread in the book that came with my bread machine, so I got that going as well. It was pretty basic, and spiced with oregano, basil, summer savory, grated paremsan cheese and minced garlic.

Then I saw some apples in the fruit bowl that looked like they were getting soft, so I washed and sliced them and made an impromptu apple crisp for dessert. Served it warm with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Mmmmmmm....Bon Apetit, baby!

January 27, 2009

2009-01-27T08:43:00.007-06:00

Good morning, campers. I had every intention of posting this last night, but my old worn out body just ran out of gas. So here I am now, all bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to go.

This first picture is the key to making the best cornbread in the world. It is my trusty cast iron skillet that I have carried around with me for over 30 years. I use this one piece of cookware more than I use anything else, I think. I have a wok--I like this better. I have baking pans-I like this better. And for cornbread, the even heating and density of the cast iron makes it the ideal vehicle to carry you to heaven.

First I preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Then I use vegetable shortening and lavishly grease the skillet, sides and all. Then I put the greased skillet into the oven and set about making the cornbread batter. By the time I am finished mixing the bread, the skillet will be good and hot.

For my favorite cornbread, the ingredient list goes like this:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

5 TBSP sugar or 3 TBSP honey

1 cup yellow corn meal

6 TBSP melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

Start by sifting the flour, soda, salt and baking powder together in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the sugar and the cornmeal. Melt the butter, beat the eggs and buttermilk together. Add the butter and beat some more. You can do this by hand, you don't need a mixer. Just use a fork. Stir this mixture into the dry mixture with a spoon, and use as few strokes as possible to mix it well.

Take the hot skillet out of the oven, and pour the bread mixture into it. It will sizzle and crackle nicely. One thing this does it seal the crust a little and insure a beautiful moist cornbread. Bake it at 425 for about 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Then butter and serve. Because it's a round skillet, I usually cut it into pie shaped squares. My hunky husband and I (with a tiny bit of help from 3 dogs) will eat the entire thing.

All day yesterday, I had a lovely batch of pinto beans simmering away in the crockpot. It was the perfect repast for a cold winter night...cornbread with beans scooped on top, chopped onion on top of the beans and cornbread on the side with butter.

It just doesn't get any better than that. A simple meal, good protein from the beans and the satisfaction of knowing that you can cook very basic foods with a great deal of love...and eat like kings.

January 25, 2009

2009-01-25T22:44:00.004-06:00

[My grandson, picking apples]

I am a recycler. I am a green green green person. I don't see this as being defective, the way lots of the people I know see me. They think I'm crazy.

Back in the '70's, when I was a wee thing, I was a subscriber to a new magazine called the Mother Earth News. It was published in the little town of Hendersonville, North Carolina. I didn't know that, at the time. In fact, I didn't know it until I actually moved to North Carolina much later, in the 1990's.. In the little town of Flat Rock,(which BTW you may know as Carl Sandburg's home called Connemarra, where they raise blue ribbon goats) . I had a PO Box there because I liked the name. I was always driving by this store front building that said "BackHome" Magazine on the side in big letters. One day, intrigued, I stopped and went inside. It was a small reception area in front and I just said "Hey." (I learned to talk southern while I lived there). The girl said "Hey". A guy came out from the back, and after exchanging more pleasantries, we started talking and he showed me their magazine and told me that the owners (he and another guy) were the original MEN staff...and that it was published right here, before it got sold to the highest bidder and moved to New York. I had no idea.

While I lived in NC, I went to several Alternative Energy Fairs and procured a few copies of BackHome magazine. It's a beautiful little thing. Lots of interesting articles and info on everything you never wanted to know. I subscribe to another homesteading magazine called Countryside too...it's my all time favorite magazine and I can't wait for it's arrival. When it comes, I read it from cover to cover in 2 days or less. It is the single most useful piece of literature I have ever seen. I think I have all the copies I have ever gotten, and I'm not sure how long I've been a subscriber.

My point here is this: I'm not a Johnny-come -lately when it comes to all this stuff. It's in my genes. My grandmother was one of the original recyclers and I am just carrying on the tradition. In her time, and she would have been about a hundred and four now had she lived, people used everything up until it was gone. There was no tossing something out because you didn't want it anymore. You made quilts with old scraps, and used even older blankets for the batting . You cut down kids clothes to make them fit the next kid in line. You saved things like wrapping paper and paper bags and whatever else there was. You cooked a meal that could be made into another meal with what was left over. And you ate iot until it was all gone. You fixed things that were broken. You believed that everything and everyone had a purpose.

When did it happen that we became such a throwaway society? We buy cheaply made goods for lower prices and then throw them away when they break or don't suit our purpose anymore. We buy more than we need, spend more than we make, never have enough and can't understand why that hole in our soul never gets filled. I know women who have more than 20 pairs of shoes ! No one needs 20 pairs of shoes. I nearly had a stroke a few years ago when we were having Thanksgiving at my brother's son's house and just when we were finished eating, his wife started throwing all this leftover food in the garbage can. I said "My god--what are you doing????" She said, "we don't eat leftovers". It was more than my delicate constitution could take.

I have been trying to live more simply in my life and be more mindful of things. Some of it is pretty politically correct stuff, like buying Fair Trade coffee and using ecogroovy cloth shopping bags. But most of it is just daily life stuff, like composting and using reycled paper and green cleaning products. I do save wrapping paper. I do reuse plastic bags. I do grow my gardens organically and raise my own eggs. I do conserve water.

Mostly, I try to leave the earth a little better than I found it when possible, and always try to do no harm. I live in harmony generally and I like it that way. I bake bread and I grow flowers and I love my husband. I won't win any awards for my life, but I am happy.

And in the end, that's all I ever wanted anyway.

Namaste.

January 24, 2009

2009-01-25T00:28:00.003-06:00

I have a confession to make.

I am absolutely addicted to do-it-yourself books. Doesn't matter of it's crafting books, first aid for chickens books, household cleaning products books...all of them. Any of them. Alternative "folk" medicine books. Teach yourself to knit books. Clutter free your home books. Live on a shoestring books. Watercolors 101 books. Native American beading books. Debt proof your life books. Rag rug making books. Cockatiels for dummies, books.

Oy vey.

Let me interject here that I am not doing any of these things (hardly) that I have bought books about.

My intentions are always good (and you know what they say about good intentions ...), but somehow, I never get past my adoration of the book itself, it seems. And as soon as I have finished reading it, I'm on to the next one.

I live on a tiny homestead out in the country. We have gardens, we have chickens, we have a stocked pond. We have fruit trees, we have berries, and we have nuts. I have plenty to do, taking care of all this. I plan, cultivate and care for my organic gardens. I can and freeze and dry all manner of vegetables and herbs. I feed and care for my chickens. I take care of all my pets. I manage a house of about 1700 sq ft and one darling, if sloppy husband. I mow the grass, I plant flowers, I do laundry and I vacuum like a madwoman (3 dogs, 6 cats and a bird). 'Nuff said.

And yet, I want to learn to do things, like crochet and make rag rugs and paint. I want to be productive, I guess. I never learned to sew or do any of those things that mothers used to teach their daughters. Now I wish I could. I could take a lesson or two, but that would probably ensure that I would never make a stitch of clothing in my life.

I'd love to learn to knit just so I could make those big thick rag wool socks that I pay 10 dollars a pair for. I met a woman once in an AA meeting somewhere...maybe Oregon...who would sit and knit socks all through the meeting. Beautiful, colorful wonderful big socks.

After I got hurt and the decision came down from on high that I would never work again, I started doing all kinds of artsy-fartsy stuff. Things that I had never had the time or opportunity to do before. Lettering handmade cards. Making and painting wooden refrigerator magnets. Making Christmas ornaments. Painting bottles and cups and cannisters with flowers. I always said and believed that I had no artistic talent in me at all. I know now that I just never had the time to even try. I was a restaraunt manager most of my life, and when that's your job, you work anywhere from 50-70 hours a week. I started taking lessons to learn to play my beautiful handmade dulcimer, made by a friend of mine, especially for me. Everything in my reality started to shift.

Today, I am living a life I never dreamed would be mine. I still work a lot, but at a different pace and level than I ever did before. I take time to do things I have always wanted to do. To try things I always wanted to try.

And it's all good.

You just never know what tomorrow may bring....enjoy the ride!

January 23, 2009

2009-01-23T22:46:00.005-06:00

[A Lovely cake made by someone else for our going away party from North Carolina]

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Sheesh...the past few days have slipped by. A whirlwind of life, as always. Sometimes I am grateful when time moves so slowly, the way it did when I was a kid. It took forever back then to finish a week. Now the years fly by and it's getting more interesting all the time. There must be a time/spatial event that happens...perhaps the result of an energy shift or a hormonal balance-- that changes the way we view the passing of time. The older I get, the more I want things to slow down...and there was a time when it took all my energy to get things moving as quickly as possible. How things change as we traverse these rocky roads of life.

I thought I would give you the recipe for the cake I took to the meeting on Thursday. It's a Pina Colada cake...aptly named because it incorporates orange and pineapple and coconut. I'm going to give you the official recipe, lol, not exactly the one I wound up making. First off, I messed up and put 2 cans of mandarin oranges into it. Then I had to use about another 1/3 of a box of yellow cake mix to make up for the extra liquid. Then there was the frosting...which I had to improvise because I didn't have all the ingredients. Sigh...I'm not the world's most organized cook, I'm afraid. Of course, the bright side of that is that I appear adventurous when I make things up. lol

There was a time when I was such a food snob that I never ever used mixes or such, always baked everything from scratch. Now I'm just so lazy that I am much more open to convenience when it's reasonable. For instance, I would never use hamburger helper. But I do make cakes from mixes from time to time. Especially when I find one as luscious as this.

For the Pina Colada Cake, you'll need:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small can mandarin oranges + juice

3 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Put these ingredients into a bowl and beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes in a greased and floured pan.

Cool the cake thoroughly.

Frost it with this yummy topping:

1 LG can CRUSHED pineapple in it's own juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1 box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Whip these ingredients together until the pudding starts to thicken. Mix in (by hand) one tub of Cool Whip. Frost the cooled cake.

Sometimes I toast coconut and sprinkle on top as well, but that is entirely optional. (Can you tell I LOVE coconut???)

This cake is delightful and gets rave reviews every time.

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I started making cakes like these because I bake a lot of cakes for anniversaries at meetings. Most of the cakes I bake from scratch are exceedingly costly and labor intensive. I like this one because I almost always keep these ingredients in the pantry and I can throw it together at the last minute.

The other night when I made it, I realized I had no whipped topping in the freezer (I guess I used it at Thanksgiving when all my "peeps" were here). So I improvised, using cream cheese and butter and powdered sugar and vanilla pudding. Everyone loved it.

Bon Apetit!

Tuesday January 20, 2009

2009-01-20T15:38:00.000-06:00

[First year, lasagna gardens. See beehives in far back? ]

It's a crisp and cold midwestern day here. Every now and then the sun peeks out, but mostly it's that grey winter slate color. These kind of days come often enough and this is when the daydreaming starts.

I am an avid gardener. I have planted gardens for years, starting as a child with my own private pumpkin patch when I was 8. I had to dig the plot myself, break up all the clods, pull out all the weeds. My grandmother showed me how to make hills and plant 3 seeds in each hill. Then it was my job to water them daily and learn to nurture the young seedlings as they sprouted and reached for the sky. I remember how miraculous it seemed to me when they first sprouted. For days, nothing but brown dirt, brown dirt, brown dirt. Then suddenly there was a whisper of green, and by the next morning there was a real pumpkin plant. I harvested pumpkins like crazy that year, and sold them for One dollar each, and fifty cents for the small ones, all up and down our street. I earned enough money to buy a little radio.

When I was 18 and married with a baby on the way, I remember squatting down to pick green beans, much to my old German neighbor's dismay. She thought I shouldn't be doing any kind of labor when I was that pregnant. The garden was flourishing that year and I was dreaming of producing enough food to be able to make my own baby food and can it. (Incidentally, after one of those bean picking marathons, I did actually go into labor. I thought I just had a backache from picking beans!)

As the years passed, I moved around and lived in different places and different climates. I always grew something, even a couple of years when it was only tomatoes and herbs in pots on a patio. I learned that gardening is a lot like cooking, where you can try all kinds of wonderful things and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. I had yards with plenty of space and yards with none. I had good soil and I had hard clay. I had plenty of sun, or I had none, or I had too much. Too much water--or not enough because of droughts or arid conditions. I have learned that you can't break Mother Nature no matter how hard you try. But if you play by her rules, you can be gratified and completely surprised.

About 15 years ago, I was reading through an old classic by Ruth Stout called The No Work Garden Book: Secrets of Year Round Mulch. It sounded good to me ! I was always an organic gardener. I was one of those back to the landers from the 70's. About 10 years ago, I came upon a book by a woman named Patricia Lanza, called Lasagna Gardening. It was basically about building rich organic soil through composting and layering different substances like straw, manure, peat, leaves, grass clippings , compost--just like you'd do when you make a lasagna. Her premise was that if you built these layers, you could have garden soil ANYWHERE that you could lay things down and pile them up! And you didn't have to till the soil, you just lay down a bunch of layers of either newsprint or any other good paper and wet it down thoroughly and start piling things on. We were lucky to work in a plant that used a heavy brown paper stock that came in 5 foot wide x 11 foot long sheets. And it was free for the taking. She uses this method for vegetable and flower gardening. She said that when you were first beginning your lasagna gardens, you could plant directly into the mulch. I didn't believe that, although the premise of the layered composting made sense to me. That first year, we spent about 200 dollars on finely ground mulch and composted manure from a landscaping place. (Lots of it). We followed her directions, and made the beds about 4 foot across (this is so you can reach to plant and harvest and not stomp down the beds.) and about 25 foot long, because we had the space. I bought some plants and sowed mostly seeds. Right into the top layer of the finely ground mulch.

We had the most incredible garden that year, and I kept dragging people out to show them that I had this garden that didn't have any dirt in it, we didn't till the soil, AND LOOK AT THESE PLANTS !!!!!! I was flabbergasted.

Every fall, once you get these garden beds started, you keep all your garden waste (spent plants, etc) and just pull them up and lay them down. When the leaves start falling, rake them up and add to the pile. After that first year, we didn't buy anything anymore, except straw bales. Throughout the growing season, I used straw to mulch. This keeps the weeds down and helps the beds be much more water conserving and efficient. When it's time to put the garden to bed, I just spread that straw out . And as the last bit of work, I put a good heavy layer of straw down to compost over the winter months.

By the time we moved to Illinois, I had the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. About 3 foot high and 4 foot across, with the richest black organic soil you can imagine. It broke my heart to leave it all. (I tried to convince hubby that if we rented one more small Uhaul, I could bring most of it with us!) MY neighbor there, a lovely woman named Mary, asked if she could have some of it. I told her to go for it, and she spent the last few days we were there hauling wheelbarrows full of it from my back yard to hers.

I have been here for 3 full years now. My gardens are slowly but surely coming along, as I've had to start from scratch. There was also a lot of prep work that had to be done in this yard. The first year here, there was almost no garden. The second year was much better. This past year was phenomenal...until the tornadic winds came and sent a tree crashing into my garden, busting the green beans trellis and smashing most of the plants to smithereens. We'll have to rebuild a trellis this coming spring. I'm starting to dawdle over the seed catalogs that are showing up in the mailbox. I have saved seeds to start 2 different kinds of apple trees that Iplan to start indoors and hopefully have them ready to plant by spring. I will start the butternut squash as well-that worked like a charm last year. And I think I may try some more exotic vegetables too...

This is what these winter days are for. I will end with a great quote by Ruth Stout on winter:
"There is a privacyabout it which no other season gives you...In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other, only in winter, in the country, can you have longer quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself."

Namaste.

Monday January 19, 2009

2009-01-19T08:20:00.000-06:00

Snowed some last night. Interesting patterns on the chicken fence..
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Cold and 16 degrees F here on the Prairie this morning. Supposed to be warming up in the middle of the week to the mid 40's . Days like this are good ones for making one of our favorite dishes, chicken and rice casserole. It's pretty easy to put together, basic ingredients, and it is in the oven at a low temperature for 3 to 3.5 hours. SO...you get the added advantage of the tantalizing aromas swirling around your house for most of the afternoon. It is easy, it is hearty, and it reheats well. Since I am always looking for ways to stretch the food budget, I really like that you can make this casserole with your choice of chicken pieces. You could use a cut-up fryer, or all boneless skinless breasts, or like I do usually-leg and thigh quarters. Our local stores have bags of the leg and thigh pieces on sale regularly for anywhere from 49-69 cents a pound. You cannot buy usable protein at a better price than that. Even dried beans, which are a good combinable protein are more than that these days! When they post the sale, I will buy from 20-50 pounds (calm down-they come in 10 lb bags!) and bring it home, wash the pieces, and repack it into dinner sized portions. I freeze it and there you are. I always have it on hand. We like dark meat. If you don't, buy the boneless skinless breasts. (I buy those too, when I find them on sale at $1.99/pound. ) A note: this is one of the few times that I use things like canned soups. I simply have not found a better or more economical way to do it and get the same wonderful taste.

Ingredient List for Dragon Woman's chicken and rice casserole

2 cups uncooked rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 soup cans water
6 thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 finely chopped onion
1 stalk finely chopped celery
3/4 cup slivered almonds
salt and pepper (preferably fresh ground)
granulated garlic (optional)
1 stick melted butter
chicken of your choice--8 breasts or a cut up chicken or 6 legs and thighs

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Note: I usually use long grain brown rice. It's nutrition content is superior, it's taste is heavenly-all nutty and chewey. However, you can use white rice or whatever you like, the measurements stay the same. If you insist on using white rice, I would recommend Basmati, which smells like buttered popcorn as it cooks, or Jasmine rice, which is also good.
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Butter a 9x13 baking pan. Pour the dry rice in the bottom. Add the cans of soup, mix in the water, mushrooms, celery, onions and almonds. Mix this concoction as well as you can. Dip the chicken pieces in melted butter, and lay on top of the rice mixture. Season the chicken pieces with the salt, pepper and granulated garlic.

Put this pan into a preheated 250 degree oven and bake for 3 hours or so.
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Get all your housework done while it's in the oven...or read a really good book. I have just started a new Amy Tan book called "Saving Fish From Drowning"...so I'll be over there in the wing back chair with a cup of tea beside me.

I usually serve this with a simple salad or a big helping of home grown and canned green beans. Hubby is partial to those green beans, but I rarely ask him. lol I check my pulse and see what sounds good to me today. He is always a willing participant in this experiment. I rarely serve bread with it, because of all the starch and carbs from the rice...but you do whatever feels good.

Let me know how you like it! (It's what we're having for supper tonight!)

Bon Apetit!

January 17, 2009

2009-01-17T23:00:00.001-06:00

I find it much easier to make this delightful bread when my assistant is away on a vole hunting trip. This time, she insisted on helping!

Rosemary garlic bread is one of my all time favorites. It's a wonderful accompaniment to simple soups and to lavish salad main courses. An added bonus is the way it smells up the house while it bakes. It's best made with fresh rosemary if you have it, but dried works just as well, especially if you rub it between your hands to bruise it nicely before adding. For simplicity's sake, I'll use the dried amounts in this recipe.

I am a huge fan of garlic, so you might adjust this as well, to your own tastes of course. I also always use fresh ground black pepper and fresh ground Meditteranean sea salt. I can taste the difference. Maybe you can't and if that's the case, then use what you have on hand.

You can use this recipe in a bread machine or make it the traditional way. I like to shape round loaves and bake them on a cookie sheet. But I have made it this last time in the bread maker and it was wonderful.

The ingredients are:

1 cup warm, not hot, water (Note-hot kills yeast. Everytime.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground sea salt
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp frsh ground black pepper
2 TBSP dried rosemary
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp active dried yeast

After getting the cat out of the bowl, rinse it well. Pour in the water and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. At this point "proof " your yeast by mixing it into the water/sugar mixture. Let it stand about 5 minutes or until you can see the yeast activity starting to bubble. Now you know that your yeast is good and you won't waste all the rest of the ingredients on a loaf that will not rise. (Trust me-I have done this a dozen times! It's very frustrating.) I never trust yeast anymore. I want PROOF!)

Once you've done that, add the olive oil, the herbs and spices, and start stirring in the flour. It will be a wet dough. If you're using the bread machine you'll never know this, but if you're doing it by hand, you'll think it needs more flour. IT DOES NOT. After the flour is mixed in, knead it until shiny and elastic. Put in an oiled bowl without a cat in it, cover with a dish towel and put in a warm place. Let it rise until double in bulk, about an hour and a half probably.

After the first rising, punch it down and make it into a ball. Or put it into a loaf pan if you prefer. Do anything you want with it. Sometimes I bake it in soup cans if I'm taking it somewhere with a soup or stew. Just make sure you oil the pan you use. Let it rise again until about double and then pop it into the oven and bake it at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. When it comes out, brush the top with melted butter. Let it stand for at least 15 minutes before slicing into it, if you can. If you can't--then dig in. Rip off chunks of it. Butter it, or dip it in olive oil.

Let me know how you like it. I think it's fabulous. My second favorite bread is sun dried tomato and basil. We'll do that one another time.

Bon Apetit !

January 16, 2009

2009-01-16T14:42:00.000-06:00

Oh, dear....I have such apologies to make !

One of my favorite sayings is "Man makes plans and God laughs." I had such grand ideas for yesterday's blog here. Right from the start, omens began presenting...first, the batteries in the digital camera were all dead as a doornail. And I had laid out my beautiful handcrafted wood cutting board and French knife, lying next to 3 sticks of real butter, and a handful of the more beautiful onions. It was a beautiful still life.

I went to get the camera, and -dead batteries. I put in the spare set, and - dead too. I went into the spare room where we keep all sorts of batteries, in all sorts of sizes. None were the AA size I need. I took the right sized batteries out of the remote for the dvd player. I knew they had been in there a while, but they worked. I put them into the camera, and they didn't have enough juice to even zoom out the lens all the way before shutting off the camera. Exasperated, I put the rechargeable batteries into the charger and plugged it in.

So then, I thought...well, I'll go ahead and cut up the onions and just take some pictures of the soup while the onions are caramelizing, or after it's all done and looking all wonderful in one of my Fiesta bowls. I got the onions all sliced, put the butter into the soup pot and dumped all the onions in on top.

I used about 5 pounds of yellow onions, peeled and cut in half and then sliced into strips about 1/4 of an inch wide. (I like to FEEL my onions when I eat them in this soup--any thinner than this and they start to disappear. lol) But hey--you do what you like. Remember Rule #1: There are no rules in cooking that can't be broken sometimes.

Melt a stick and a half of butter in a heavy bottomed soup pot. (And shame on you if you use aluminum cookware). I have a choice of my stainless steel one or a cast iron Dutch oven. I love them both.

Dump in the sliced onions, turn the fire on low and stir. Keep stirring every now and then. With this much onion, it takes awhile for the caramelizing to begin. You just continue to cook them until you think they're way overdone...and then you cook them some more. At the stopping place, they will be all dark brown and gooey. Perfection!

I must interject to say at this point, plans changed. A knock on my door, and a man near tears saying he had just hit my littlest dog, and he was sure he had killed her. I turned off the stove, grabbed my coat (5 degrees outside) grabbed a flannel sheet off the shelf and followed him out. She was not where he had left her, he said there's no way, I hit her hard and square on. We looked, his brother helped look, and finally after half an hour, I sent him on his way. I would keep looking. I was so sorry for him as much as for me....it's a horrid feeling to take the life of an innocent animal. As I trudged, crying, back up through the yard, something made me turn and look and there she was, huddled under my husband's little truck. I couldn't reach her. I struggled with what to do. She had started shivering in the cold and I'm sure she was in shock as well. There were injuries I could see and she couldn't crawl out to me as I called her. So--I went into the garage and found a broken down cardboard box and crawled under the truck from the back, under the bed. I scooted the cardboard ahead of me and got close enough to wrap the flannel sheet over her back and legs. I couldn't tell what was hurt...I assumed it was back and hips, pelvis maybe. I got the backboard under her about 2/3 of the way, and holding the flannel sheet in one hand and the cardboard in the other, slowly pulled her out from under the truck and carried her inside the house. My husband was at work and his cell phone was in the car. My neighbors weren't home. I cried and prayed and tried to check her out. I didn't know if she would live til he got home in 2 hours, but all I could do was talk to her and pet her and cry. I got another old coat of mine that was hanging in the mudromm and used that to cover her up as well. I knew that if she was in shock I needed to keep her warm. [We waited to see if she would live through the night. Hubby and I took turns laying out here with her, encouraging her and loving her and giving her little sips of water. This morning, first thing, we took her to the animal hospital about 30 miles form here. They xrayed her and are going to sedate her so they can stitch her up. They sent the xrays off to a radiologist, but the initial look by the vet says there are no broken bones. It's a miracle.]

I turned the stove back on and got the onions going again. I debated making the rosemary/garlic bread, and decided that if I used the bread machine, I could do it. I will share that recipe tomorrow.

At this point, you are ready to add enough water to cover the onions. If you care to, use beef broth as well. I prefer to use a magnificent vegetarian beef -style boullion that comes from Australia called Massels. It is without a doubt the best boullion I have ever used. It has all natural ingredients, it has very low sodium. And in a pot this size, I usually put 4 cubes in. I then add fresh ground black pepper, and simmer the soup for 45 minutes or so.

You can serve it with bread or croutons in the bottom of the bowl and some wonderful gruyere cheese on top, or just plain with some warm bread and butter...peasant style.

It's easy. It's nutritionally sound. It's inexpensive to make (especially compared with what you pay in restaraunts). And it is one of the most soul satisfying dishes in the world.

Onions have a natural antibiotic ingredient in them, as does garlic. It's called allicin. It's praises are sung far and wide for alleviating viruses and helping lower cholesterol and preventing heart attack an d stroke. It also contains a substance called quercetin, an antioxidant and cancer fighting ingredient. And lastly, an onion contains as much Vitamin C as an orange.

An update: Little baby Caylee is staying overnight at the animal hospital so they can make sure she is able to use the bathroom on her own. The vet called and said she is doing well otherwise, although the radiologist they sent the films to called back to say that although there are no broken bones, the little wings on the sides of a couple of her vertebrae have small fractures in them. She will require indoor bed rest for at least 4 weeks. We'll do our best.

Bon Apetit!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T15:21:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when you encourage me....

2009-01-13T13:56:00.000-06:00

A glorious harvest of potatoes...fingerlings, Kennebecs and Red Pontiacs.
These are from the end of the garden in North Carolina, potatoes are one of the last vegetables to harvest before the frost.
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I have been wanting to write a kitchen blog for sometime now. I never knew exactly what I wanted to do about it, and now here I am. Two of my favorite people in the world have encouraged me to do it, so here goes.

I am still not sure where this will go, although I am sure that it will be an interesting journey for me, anyway. I have been wrestling with everything about it--the name, the recipes, the idea. Playfully wrestling, like you do with your puppies.

I decided on Dragon Woman because I was born in the year of the Dragon. The Chinese Year starts in late January or early February, and I was born in early January. I always go by the Dragon which is actually 1952, but I feel more like a dragon than a snake. And there you have it. I decided on mystical meals because of the alchemy that is produced by the combination of spices, love, kitchen goddesses and adventure.

I love to cook. I love to cook because there are no rules. Because the possibilities are endless (which is something that gives me great hope). Little doses of hope on a daily basis. I love to cook for the same reason that I suspect most people do who like to cook: it is an opportunity to recreate the nurturing and love and security that nourishes our souls every single day. I love fresh food. I love creating bliss out of flour and butter and honey. I love the looks on peoples faces when they eat something extraordinary that came from my kitchen. I love the attention, I love the magick, I love to eat. I love to feel the silky richness of Creme Brulee on my tongue. I love the smell of rosemary and garlic when they are baking into bread. I love the look of a well made paella with all it's textures and colors and shimmers.

So. A kitchen blog it is. And a home blog. And a garden blog. And a blessings blog.

And whatever else may find it's way here. Plenty of room for possibility.

Salud!