Venison broth and French Onion soup

I had a few requests today to know how I make Venison bone broth and French onion soup. This is one of our favorite cold weather months comfort foods. Nice on a cold wet slushy day like today was here in Minnesota. French Onion Soup will warm you from the inside out.

Every fall around this time I buy  50# or more of onions to carry us over the winter, I put the onions one at a time into nylon knee highs and tie a knot between each onion. They are then hung from the rafters in the canning room in the  basement. I have had some of the onions remain fresh a year later stored this way. My canning room stays around 60 degrees in the winter months and about 70 in the summer.  I also keep a 50# bag of  potatoes and several squash in the canning room over the winter. I some times keep apples in there as well. But usually keep them on the steps to the uninsulated attic. It is a good feeling to go into the winter knowing I am well stocked and will not have to go out on a cold snowy day, other than to feed and water the rabbits, unless I want to. I am thankful to God that we are able to do this.

Venison bone broth

Venison bone broth is made pretty much the same way I make any bone broth with one exception. I do not add vinegar. If I am making  turkey or chicken broth I do not add the cloves or I half the amount and I do add a couple of tablespoons of white or rice vinegar.  I add the vinegar when making beef broth and the cloves.  

First fill a large stock pot (mine holds nearly 3 gallons)  with Venison bones with or with out meat on them. If there are leg bones I use a hammer, well really it is a 3# hammer, and break all the leg bones to expose as much marrow as I can. All the bones are covered by a couple of inches with water.  I simmer on low for a couple of hours skimming off any foam that forms.

After a couple of hours I add
 4 or so bay leaves,
2 t whole cloves,
4 cloves of garlic crushed
2 t dried thyme leaves
2 t rosemary leaves
1 lg onion corsley chopped
2 to 3 large carrots sliced in coins
6 stocks celery
1/2 c wine, I often use a white wine but a dry red is nice here or a sherry
1 T whole pepper corns
 3 good sized tomatoes chopped
1 T salt 
This is all simmered for  at least 12 hours and as long as 2 or 3 days, add a bit more water if needed if bones start to get exposed. (poultry broths I simmer no longer than 18 hours, usually more like 10 hours or so)

Once done cooking, strain. Reserve any meat pieces if you wish to add them back to your broth. At this point add salt to taste. I can my broths in quart jars for 90 minutes at 12# of pressure (recommended pressured poundage for our area). If I want to make a soup base with the broth I add 1/4 c diced carrots (or less), 1/2 c diced celery, 1 to 2 T diced tomatoes  and 1/3 c diced onions with any meat pieces to each jar before canning. Sometimes I add up to 1/3 c  raw barley pearls for a nice barley soup. 

Nanna's French Onion Soup

3 large onions coarsely diced
1 stick butter
Cook onions in butter till soft and add
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
2 t fresh thyme leaves or 3/4th t dried leaves
continue cooking till onions are golden and add
1 quart of venison broth (can use beef broth in its place for a total of 2 quarts broth for the recipe)
1 quart of beef broth  (or 4 t bullion and 4 cups water)
leaves from 1 sprig thyme or heavy pinch dried
1/4 t ground rosemary or 3/4 t dried leaves crumbled
1  1/4 t minced garlic or 2 minced cloves garlic
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1.2 c Sherry (I do not use cooking Sherry but if using cooking sherry please taste as you  may need to omit adding any salt)
1/4 to 1/ 2 t salt according to taste
bring all this to a nice simmer and add
1/4 c corn starch mixed with 1/2 c water
bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute

To serve place a slice of  a nice crusty chewy bread on  top of soup in a oven proof bowl and cover with a couple slices of smoked provolone cheese and place in a 400 degree oven till cheese is bubbly and  starting to brown.

Pumpkin Pudding

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FALL IS HERE!!!!! I love fall! I love the cooler weather and the colors and  the foods! Seems this time of year my cooking changes to more homey, heartier, slow baking to warm the house sort of foods. Plus pumpkins! I love pumpkins! So in honor of fall I am posing my first pumpkin recipe of the season. Pumpkin  Pudding Paleo Style. I have a few additions that are optional that are not true Paleo but makes the recipe more user friendly. This makes a wonderful Sunday morning brunch or a great desert for the holidays with much less calories than a traditional pie but just as tasty or even better! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pudding Paleo Style

1 can pumpkin or 1 qt home canned pumpkin
1 c coconut milk (or 1 c cream for non paleo)
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t ginger
pinch ground cloves
2 T tapioca flour
3 eggs
3 T honey  or maple syrup

Mix well and pour into a 9 inch square pan that has been buttered and bake at 400 for about 50 minutes or till  knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Serve warm or cold with whipped cream if you wish that has been sweetened with a bit of honey or maple syrup but this is not true Paleo.

Green Beans with Bacon

Rain rain Beautiful rain! Coming at the perfect time too. I thought I was going to need to water the garden and now I don't. Beans will be ready to pick in a few days, might have enough for a meal tonight. mmmm Green beans with onion and bacon!

1 # fresh green beans
1 large onion sliced
6 strips of thick cut bacon
pinch of pepper
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1 rounded t of Nanna's seasoning mix (Recipe is on my blog page)

Snap tips off of the beans and place into a kettle and add about 1 1/2 inch water. Plae onions on top of the beans and sprinkle seasonings and sugar on top of the onions. Add diced raw bacon on top of the onions and cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Simmer with lid till things are starting to get tender, remove lid mix well and simmer at high simmer till water is nearly gone and beans are good and tender of not nearly over cooked. Mix carefully as not to mash and serve hot.

Lemon aid Stand

My 8 year old grandson asked me the other day if he could do a lemon aid stand. I asked him what he planned to do with the money he earned. He said  he wanted to buy a toy with it and it would be fun. I told him I thought it would be better to earn   the money to give to a need instead of for a toy when he is overflowing with toys already, He thought  that was a good idea. So I told him of  cause I thought would be a good one to consider and he agreed. He will be earning money for the Quinn Seymour Chapel at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital. http://www.quinnscrusade.org/quinns-story-2/ 

Epidermolysis bullosa (ep-ih-dur-MOL-uh-sis buhl-LO-sah) is a group of skin conditions whose hallmark is blistering in response to minor injury, heat, or friction from rubbing, scratching or adhesive tape and baby Quinn had one of the worse forms of it, "Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa (H-JEB) is an inherited disease that causes severe blistering on the skin. Infants with H-JEB frequently also have internal blistering on the lining of the nose, mouth, esophagus, trachea, rectum, stomach, intestines, and eyes. These symptoms are present from birth. Occasionally people with the disease survive into their teens, however 87% die in the first year of life." *

Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa – Herlitz

Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa – Herlitz

. Quinn spent most of her life in the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital. You can read her story here http://www.quinnscrusade.org/quinns-story-2/ Please consider to this worthy cause. We will be letting you know the date and time of the lemon aid stand if you prefer to give that way. I believe this will be a good experience for my grandson (and the neighbor kids who are helping him) on giving of themselves on behalf of others. I am  happy to think of how this chapel will bless so many ill children and their family and friends.


We are going to start baking cookies for the sale this week while it is so nice and cool out. The cookies we have chosen to make so far are Chewy Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodles (he choose that one due to  the fun name, had no idea what they were, lol) and Ginger Snaps.



Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies 

2 1/4 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
2 eggs
1 c butter
1/2 c sugar
1 c packed dark brown sugar
1 t salt
1 t coffee ground to a  powdered
2 c chocolate chips

mix all ingredients together well and  drop by even sized spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes.Remove from oven and whack the bottom of the cookie sheet on the counter to flatten the cookies.  Remove from the cookie sheet and cool on a rack. Better to under bake the cookies a bit  than over  bake if you want a softer cookie.


Snickerdoodles

1 1/2 c sugar
1 c butter (or 1/2 c butter and 1/3 c coconut oil)
2 eggs
2 3/4 c flour
2 t cream of tarter
1 t soda

1/4 t salt

 Mix well and then roll into 1 1/4 inch balls and roll into a mixture of 

1/4 c sugar

2 t ground Cinnamon

Place on cookie sheet  and bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Ginger Snaps

1 c butter softened

1 c packed dark brown sugar

1 c sugar

1/2 c molasses

1 egg

3 c flour

2 t baking soda

2 T ground ginger

2 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground alspice1/2 t salt

heavy pinch of ground cloves

1/4 t ground black pepper

Mix dry ingredients together first then add remaining ingredients and mix well. Form into small balls (less than an inch) and roll into sugar before baking. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes (they should puff up and then start to deflate that is when they are done) cool on a wire rack.

Lemon Aid made ahead of time

2 c sugar
1 c water
Cook till sugar is dissolved and bring to a boil. Cool to room temp and add
1 c lemon juice
zest of a lemon
 let sit over night and strain out lemon zest and add 1 gallon of water, mix well and serve chilled or over ice.



* https://www.counsyl.com/diseases/herlitz-junctional-epidermolysis-bullosa-lamb3-related/

Epidermolysis Bullosa

Flowers

Tonight when my hubby got home from work he stopped the car at the end of the driveway and started to honk the horn. I asked my grandson Devin to see what Pappa wanted thinking maybe a bike was left in the drive. Devin came back from the car with a lovely bouquet of flowers!!! This was such a unexpected surprise as it is not my birthday, anniversary or anything! When hubby got in the house I gave him a big hug thanking him for the lovely unexpected gift and asked him the reason for the surprise. He then informed me they were leftover funeral flowers and he thought I would like them. Hummm, it's the thought that counts right?

Salty baked potatoes

Coach and I have been pretty much doing the Paleo Diet. Easiest way to explain it is it is a low carb diet where you eat no grains, mainly eat veggies, meats and limited fruit.  The best veggies are high density nutritional ones such as sweet potatoes over white potatoes. Problem is Coach would eat white potatoes for every meal and as snack in between, he loves potatoes. Keeping that in mind and knowing you also need to enjoy your food or you will not succeed on any diet, I have been serving potatoes once a week. . 

Tonight we are having steamed broccoli, baked chicken with salty baked potatoes. I learned the trick of Salty Baked potatoes many years ago, I do not remember who or where I learned it from so can not give  credit. To make them I wash the potatoes (I am using a sweet potato for me as I prefer them) and while wet I poke with a fork to keep them from blowing up  in the oven. While still wet I heavily sprinkle the skins with salt. Next i place a half a pat of butter on a piece of tin foil and place the potato on top of that and the remainder of the butter on top of the potato and wrap the foil around that. Place on oven rack with seam side up and bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Check to see if they feel squishy. Once tender remove from oven and serve. The skins are wonderful to eat this way. You can use a seasoned salt and even pepper them as well.

The chicken I poured some soy sauce on top before sprinkling it with minced onions and some of my Nanna's Seasoning mix. Nice simple, tasty and easy. To steam the broccoli I will place in the top of my steaming pan  with water below and drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top and some Nanna's seasoning mix with some salt and pepper. This is wonderful this way.

The left over chicken bones with be placed into a freezer bag with other chicken bones till I have enough to make broth. I love to make a good chicken stock and can it for easier quick meals with high density nutrition. It is great for making soup, cooking veggies in, as a hot drink, for when some one is sick and  needs a light meal, add some scrambled eggs for a egg drop soup.... so many possibilities.

Kraut Making (old post from a old blog, about 3 years ago)

Today was such a lovely day I decided to make a batch of kraut in my outdoor kitchen. My outdoor kitchen consists of a long table, lawn chair, the hose and my trusty 2 burner wood cook stove. I had my lovely assistants helping me.


Making kraut is fun and easy. I like to make a verity of krauts such as the ones I made today. Carrot and onion kraut and Apple onion kraut. There are endless things you can add to your kraut such as caraway seeds, peppers, Dill, fruit and herbs.

To start I peeled 2 # of onions from my garden.

I cut them in half and sliced them thin. Now there is a myth out there that the cabbage needs to be sliced as thin as a dime, not true. You can chunk, slice or dice your cabbage. I just like to have nice sized pieces, not too big and not too small.


I next peeled and shredded 2 # of carrots.


Next I cut 2 large heads of cabbage into quarters and remove the core.
For this batch I sliced the cabbage into thin strips.



As I finished slicing each quarter of cabbage I added it to my pot and tossed in a handful each of the shredded carrots and onions and about 2 t salt over it all. I repeated this layering with each quarter of one head of cabbage then I mixed well.


Once I had one cabbage worth done and in the pot I mixed well with my hands. I slice and layer the remaining cabbage using the same method. Once I have the last of the cabbage, onion, carrots and salt in the pot I mixed well again.

Once mixed well cover with a cloth and let it sit a good hour or two. At this point it will be moist and you can squeeze water out of it easily.

While I let the cabbage mix sit, I peel and shred 8 apples. I add a couple of teaspoons of salt to the apples and mix well, cover and set aside. Now it is time to start packing the cabbage mix into the jars. I add a couple of huge handfuls of the mix to the jar and then push down firmly with my fist. This releases lots of juice. I add in a couple more handfuls of the mix and press down firmly again. I repeat this till I have used half the cabbage mix.

By this time there is a lot of juice on top of the cabbage. This is what you want.

I add the apples to the remaining cabbage mix and mix well.
I do the same method of packing this batch as the previous one.
I now fit a quart sized zip lock bag so the bag is in the jar and the top is open. I add 2 teaspoons of salt to this bag and 2 cups of water. I zip it closed removing as much air as I can and then smooth the bag over the top of the cabbage. This will help to weigh the kraut down during the fermentation process as it tends to like to rise and needs to remain under the brine.

The bag is weighted down with a glass of water.


I cover a cookie sheet with sides on it with plastic garbage bags. This is in case the brine over flows during the fermentation process. Not a fun mess to have, much easier to toss a bag then do all the scrubbing.


I cover the jar and glass of water with a gallon food bag that you use a twist tie with and secure with a binder of sorts. I use a rubber band.
The finished jars are placed on the covered cookie sheet and then covered with a towel to keep light out ( I have thicker towels under the light weight one)

This is left for 2 weeks to ferment. At that time you can place it in the fridge and it just tastes better with age (6 months is wonderful!) or you can can it.

To can heat kraut in a stainless steal pan until l nice and hot (add water if there is not much brine). Ladle and lightly pack into sterilized jars. I use pint sized jars as it is just me and hubby here. Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.

Recipe I used:
9.5# cabbage
2# onion
2# carrots
about 8 T salt
8 apples

I'll do a picture post of the canning process in two weeks! LOL

Natural homemade deodorant

Got this site from my friend Karen on how to make homemade deodorant. I have seen many different recipes in the past but this is one of the best i have seen and the ingredients are ones that would really stop the bacteria growth that causing order and bentinite clay that would not only stop order but help with wetness as well. Plan on making this soon. Now to find empty deodorant containers to fill with the good stuff..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8xSldsxP-Q&feature=share

Shoshanna's Kitchen - Episode 95 - Natural Deodorant

Get Shoshanna's recipe here: http://www.bulkherbstore.com/articles/natural-deodorant-recipe?id=uFzFzcTJ&mv_pc=1483

Review of the Creamy Cauliflower Sauce and how I made it

This recipe is a WINNER!!! We all loved it. I made it a bit different than the recipe I got. My DIL said she used Greek yogurt and I did, added lots of flavor. I added some of my seasoning and a bit of Romano cheese. Mr I will NOT eat veggies ate 2 huge helpings of noodles mixed with spaghetti squash. Devin loved it too. I am thinking of making it a bit thinner and adding some mushrooms to it and have it as a soup. There is endless possibilities with this as a base recipe and will be a regular recipe used in our home. (Renamed for my changes)

Nana's Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

To 7 cups of chicken stock add one good sized head of Cauliflower cut into pieces. Add 8 peeled cloves of garlic and 1 small diced onion.   Simmer  till the Cauliflower is fork tender.

Scoop cauliflower into blender and add 1 cup of the cooking broth, 1/2 c Greek Yogurt, 2 to 3 T butter, 2 to 3 T Romano cheese, 1/3 t salt, heavy pinch of pepper, 1 & 1/2 t Nanna's seasoning mix (recipe below)   Blend till nice and smooth. Add more cooking broth if  too thick.

Nanna's seasoning mix

1/2 c paprika (smoked or non-smoked)
1/4 c salt
1/3 c brown sugar
2 T mustard powder
1/4 c chili powder
1/4 c cumin
2 T black pepper
1/4 c garlic powder
2 T pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1/2 c onion powder

Mix well and store in a air tight jar.

Will he eat his veggies?

Oh do I have a recipe for you all! This was posted by a couple of lovely ladies I know and I am going to try it out tomorrow night for little Mr I will not eat veggies Jayden. I'll let you know how he likes it. Think he will love it over noodles, I'' have it with spaghetti squash.

Creamy Cauliflower Sauce
Author: Pinch of Yum
Serves: makes about 5 cups


Ingredients

8 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
5-6 cups cauliflower florets
6-7 cups vegetable broth or water
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
½ cup milk (more to taste)

Instructions

Garlic: Saute the minced garlic with the butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned (browned or burnt garlic will taste bitter). Remove from heat and set aside.
Cauliflower: Bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain.
Puree: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower pieces to the blender. Add 1 cup vegetable broth or cooking liquid, sauteed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, and milk. Blend or puree for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more broth or milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Serve hot! If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.

Notes
I like to add a little bit of olive oil for the flavor and to help keep the sauce really smooth. Several other readers have mentioned that they really liked the addition of Parmesan cheese as well.

1/2 c is 50 calories, 3 g fat, 6 g carbs, 2 g protein

I might eliminate the milk and add Romano cheese instead.  Thinking this would be good
with mushrooms or poured over chicken and baked, poured over potatoes.........

What a wonderful day!

Oh what a wonderful day! After several days of heat and high humidity we have a comfortable low humidity day and I am LOVING IT!

Sorry I have not been here much but I was blessed for a week and a half of out of town company. I just wish they could have stayed longer but am thankful for the time we had. Now though, time to get back into the swing of things.

First things first. I will continue doing this FB page but will copy all the entries onto a new blogger page i created with the same name as here. I realized the need to do this in a blog format when I wanted to refer to a former recipe I posted and had a hard time finding it. With the blog, i can refer to it for easy access to old posts and am categorizing the recipes into a recipe file. Think that will make it easier for all.

This weekend if anyone is looking for a small town fun thing to do consider going to the 44th annual Agate Festival in Moose,http://www.mooselakechamber.com/agate-days-and-art-in-the-park.php Lake MN. Here is a good site for other such festivals in MN http://www.festing.com/state.cfm?state=MN

I am hoping to make some strawberry jam later this week but would like to do a low or no sugar jam. I have never done this before so if anyone else has please post any advice how to do it.

My goal for the rest of this week is to make some bread and work on a quilt top or two.

Moose Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

www.mooselakechamber.com

Grain Free Breads

Got this great site from one of my daughters. I am going to try some of these. http://www.healyrealfoodvegetarian.com/top-10-grain-free-bread-recipes/

this and that 7

After bible study today Devin and I went to WalMart and picked up a kiddy pool to put out on the patio. I am excited as it is big enough for me to sit and soak too! 8 foot round and 18 inches deep. We then went to the library to get a few books and planned on heading home for a late lunch. WELL.... Jim the Juggler was there so we just HAD to stay and watch the show. He was wonderful! It was totally a kids show but he was so good all the parents and grandparents were laughing as hard as the kids. We came home with an armload of books and ate lunch at 3. God blessed us with a wonderful day so far.

I had gotten my computer back from getting work done on it last night and it is not working on internet. Sent it back and the bad news is it has a malware that malwarebites can not remove nor will it allow us to remove and reload the program. UGH.

I am wondering what sort of things you would like to hear about on my site here? Many of you know I tend to be a bit of a "Jack of all trades". I do a little of lots of things and not an expert in anything. So what do you want to know about me, about the different things I do, my faith, family, critters, health? I'd love to have some good conversations here too so please join in! I just ask for everyone to be respectful of each other.

I am off to get the pool set up, feed and water the rabbits (who I think are big enough to butcher finally) then do some cleaning before Coach gets home and I hope gives me a nice back rub, hehe. Love that man of mine.

Rhubarb sauce for ice cream

Rhubarb sauce for ice cream

4 c thinly sliced rhubarb
2 T butter
1/3 c honey

mix well and cook over medium heat till rhubarb is tender.

Elderberry Syrup

Of all the recipes I have posted this is the most requested one. I got the recipe from my daughter Amber a few years ago and have adapted it to my own liking. I have put all the dried ingredients into a jar so I can make a quick batch when ever needed.

Elderberry Syrup

½ c dried Elderberries
1 to 2 t whole cloves
2 to 4 cinnamon sticks
Several large pieces of candied ginger
dried lemon or orange zest (optional) 
to this add:
2 c water

Mix together and simmer in a covered pan on low for 20 minutes. Strain and squeeze out any extra juice and discard berry mix. Add:

1 c honey to the juice

Mix well and bring “syrup” to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 1 minute. Can be canned while syrup is hot by placing in sterilized jars, covered with a lid and ring. Turn jar upside down for 5 minutes then flip upright. Allow to cool.

To use:
Adults take 1 to 3 teaspoons morning and evening. Great added to tea or hot water with 1 to 2 T raw apple cider vinegar, and more honey to taste if you like. Pinch of salt added will help you sleep. A shot of brandy (I prefer blackberry brandy) will help you sleep even better, LOL.

Lemon, Ginger Mint tea

Lemon, Ginger Mint tea

2 quarts boiling water, add to that 6 T (or 8 teabags) of dried Peppermint leaves slightly crumbled, 2 to 3 T finely chopped candied Ginger. Let sit till lukewarm. Strain into serving pitcher and add 1/2 c lemon juice. Pour over lots of ice or chill well before serving. This is wonderfully refreshing and though very little sugar (from the candied ginger) it tastes rather sweet.

This and That 6

Been another busy day here. Had to get Devin off to Safety day camp then hit a couple of rummage sales and scored a nice find. I got a low carb cookbook that has a lot of Paleo friendly recipes! Can't wait to sit down and find a few new recipes to try.

I have the kids/guest room all ready for my company that are coming this weekend. Went through all the toys and got rid of any broken or parts missing things and have all of them in totes and under the bunk beds.

We got a few ripe strawberries, Coach and I shared them Romantic I know, LOL. There was a few more ripe-ish ones that seemed to spoil over night. They were not ready the day before and then over ripe the next day. So we missed them. We only had 6 plants so every berry is highly prized.

I have enough rhubarb to make a batch of jam and might get to that next week. I am excited as this is rhubarb I grew from seeds from the plants my mom had when I was growing up. It is one that gets a nice long thick stock and is green with a lot of red on it too. I like this one the best of all the ones I have had. I have another one I got a few years back from my friend Tracy and that one is all green. It makes a good blend the one I grew from seed.

Think the rabbits are getting close to butchering size finally! We might do the smallest one next week and see how much he weighs out at fully dressed. The other two are sold to a lady waiting on them getting big enough to butcher. I am thinking I might try to get a New Zealand buck to use with my Californian does and see if that will speed up the growth rate to butchering size. I recently read that Californians can be on the slow side and mine are proving so. I do not want to feed them any longer than needed or they are not cost effective.

I am off to finish cleaning the bathroom and then on to the living room. I am leaving the kitchen to last!

This and That 5

Been a busy morning. Devin and I have been going though and sorting all the toys. Whew what a chore. I am now left to finish on my own as he helped a lot but was gnawing at the bit to get outside and play with Nick. So I let him go and play. We are blessed with a neighborhood full of boys who would rather be outside than in the house in front of a game.

I finished my spinning job for a gal in my knitting group. Think I am happy with how it turned out. I had to soak the finished yarn in hot water for a while this morning and have it blocked and drying to give to her tomorrow. She is going to make a hat for her aunt who lost her hair from chemo. I will get some pictures up soon.

I made some ginger mint tea this morning that will be chilled for ice tea. Very refreshing drink on a hot humid day. Will add some lemon juice to it too for extra flavor. No sweetener though.

Off to do more cleaning!

Sauerkraut soup Recipe

Sauerkraut soup Recipe

1 pound of smoked sausage, I used smoked Polish sausage
sliced into rounds about 1/3 inch thick and brown in a large pan till caramelized. Once caramelized, add
1 large onion roughly diced
1 to 2 ribs of celery sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
cook till tender and add
1 T minced garlic
cook for 2 minutes and add
1 bottle of hard cider
cook till reduced by at least half and add
8 c low sodium chicken broth
1 (32 oz) jar (1 quart of home made) sauerkraut that has been drained and slightly rinsed
1 c diced potato
3 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves only
1/2 t pepper

(My soup was not as tart as I am use to for sauerkraut soup so I did add 1/3 c of Apple Cider Vinegar aka ACV)

at this point I brought it to a boil and transferred to a crock pot and cooked on low for 3 hours.

I am thinking of making a larger batch of this but once I bring it to a boil I will place into jars and can. I figure 10# pressure for 75 minutes for a pint, 90 for a quart.

Enjoy!

This and That 4

Went with Coach, Larry and the guys to the new Star Track movie, other than too loud was a really good and exciting movie. Did break Paleo with some popcorn and really regretting it now as did not think about the steroids causes high blood sugar levels to go high as is and with the popcorn it is up to 255! yikes!!!!!! I have a headache to go with it too. My levels were running between 110 and 140, good for me. Ugh stupid decision with the popcorn.

This and That 3

Church was good today. Pastor talked about Daniel as a young man when he refused to eat of the Kings food and asked for veggies instead. 10 days later when he was checked he was healthier than the ones who ate the kings food and all the young men were given veggies. The point was he held true to his faith and did not eat foods that went against it. He stood firm on God's word as we all should even when other things seem better they not always are.

We went to Emily's after church to check her cat out. She is over 20 and in her last day or days. It is always so hard to loose a pet let alone watching the dieing process. You always wish you could do something but there is nothing you can do other than comfort.

I know we have put animals down and we have also allowed them to die naturally at home. I prefer to let them go on their own. God has created an order to death. There are stages of death that are hard to watch but it is a part of life. I know how hard it was to be there while and when my Dad was passing. I wanted to take away all pain and help him breath when he was struggling. But all that could be done was pain meds and comfort measures. Having allowed pets to pass away at home helped me to know and understand what was happening to Dad. I am so thankful I was able to be there when he went home to Jesus. We did not even realize at first it had happened, it was so peaceful, he just stopped breathing.

I do not know how people who do not have a faith handle the death of a loved one. Knowing Dad was saved and knowing he was going home to Jesus gave such great comfort. I always had a peace about his cancer and his leaving us. I miss him with my whole heart but I will see him again as I have Jesus as my Savor.

The little girl I asked for prayers for yesterday has been placed on hospice care. She is only 6, so young. Keep praying for healing for her please. I really do believe God can and will heal her, I just want her healing to be here on earth for now. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jocelyndickhoff

I am going to start making some Sauerkraut soup soon for our supper tonight. Will have burger on hand for Coach who is not such a kraut fan, lol. I love the stuff and am excited as i will be using some of my kraut I made last fall. Yummo.

Going to the basement today to do some more cleaning. Ugh so much to go through but will be so nice once the job is done. I also have to go to Mom's and get the pad for the bunk bed Lorraine will be using when she comes this weekend. May need to find a pad to the upper buns for Vic. We will see if it is comfortable for her first. Us old people need soft! hehe

I am off to get the rabbits fed and then to the deep dark basement!

This and That 2

Coach (aka as Terry) tried to fix the washing machine today but looks like we will be needing a new one. So will be calling the landlords. I was so wishing I could use it when I took the sheep's skin I have been working on out of the bag and it stunk so bad I nearly choked! I took it outside and hosed it down well and will be hanging it up to dry for a bit. I need to oil the skin tomorrow and then it is the pulling and working the leather to get it to stay soft and not shrink while it drys. Doing it according to this site: http://www.rivercottage.net/forum/ask/processing-and-other-crafts/25881how-to-curetaw-a-sheepskin/ I have had to freeze it a few times as not enough time to work it. Now I am ready and it stinks as we had it left out for a couple of days. Not a smart move in this warm weather. OH, will keep at it and hope for the best. I want to use it for the Journey to Bethlehem live Nativity I am taking part in at Family of Christ Church. I will post more on that closer to the date.

I am so itching to bake something but do not want any tempting baked goods around the house while we are doing the paleo diet. I have also had some serious carb cravings today too, First ones really since starting a week ago. I really want an ice cream cone. Might have to have a little bit of yogurt tomorrow if this keeps up. Been pretty much 95% paleo and 5% not quite Paleo (OK, I sunk 16 M n M's). Not bad I think considering what a sugar addict I am. I do love to bake and will have to find someone to bless with some of it.

I am itching all over with a good case of poison oak or ivy, Doctor was not sure which it is. On Prednasone and have a cream to put on it.

We will be heading to church in the morning, think we will go to Solid Rock here in Anoka.

Going to do lots of cleaning this week as I have my friend and her daughter coming next week for couple of weeks. I am so excited!

Off to get a salad.

This and that 1

We went to the Minneapolis farmers market today and came home with LOTS of goodies. Fridge is stuffed full of the good stuff. We snacked on snap peas the whole way home. Yummy.

Going to make a late lunch of cooked cabbage and kraut and some nice lean breakfast sausage. Might toss in a onion and some garlic too.

Then it is off to the basement to sort through things for a rummage sale, salvation army or to keep. We are working hard to simplify by weaning down what we have. Figure we really do not need 50% of what we have. Just tired of the clutter too, can always use the money from selling things. :-)

Garden is doing OK, weeds are doing better. Have a couple of strawberries that should be ripe in a couple of days. So looking forward to that. Might only get a couple dozen or so from our 6 plants this year but once they send out runners we will have more plants and more berries for next year. Raspberry plants are looking good and should set a nice crop of fall berries this year.

Please keep a sweet little 6 year old girl named Jocelyn in your prayers. She has been dealing with cancer for some time and is in the hospital now with pneumonia and fluid around her heart. There is a tumor that is pressing on her Trachea making breathing even harder. Please read back on her journal and get to know her, she will capture your heart. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jocelyndickhoff