Quiet Before The Storm

We move next week! I'm taking a few moments to enjoy a quiet morning while waiting for the carpet people to show up.

A Slutty Little Wine

With a name like Sexual Chocolate, I should have known this wine would be reeeeally easy.

What I'm Canning Right Now

The good and bad news about making long-term canning projects is you have plenty of time to decide when you want to deal with what you’ve made and it never seems to happen at a convenient time.

I currently have a 5 gallon batch (from left) of Skeeter Pee (Hard Lemonade), Peach Wine, and Spicy Garlic Dills happily fermenting in the basement, which is fine and great except for that whole moving thing going on right now. It just so happens that I need to do something with all of these babies before the big moving day comes and that takes time to coordinate.

Both the Skeeter Pee and Peach Wine were started about 3 months ago. I’ve never made Hard Lemonade and wasn’t completely bowled over from my initial tastes of this batch, so it might not make it. The Peach Wine is a Jack Keller recipe and I know it’ll take a little time to age before drinking. I used all those frozen peaches I had stored in my deep freezer from last summer.

The Spicy Garlic Dills are a traditional fermented pickle recipe from The Joy of Pickling. I started those about 4 or 6 weeks ago. How do you know when they’re ready? When they taste ready! As a matter of fact, I gave one big cuke a try tonight and they’re perfect. Not as spicy as last year’s batch, but I can add more pepper flakes to the jars when I process them.

The green, flappy looking thing on the top is a raft of fresh grape leaves; those help keep these babies nice and crisp. No one likes a limp pickle! I use a glass pie plate with two full quart jars on top to keep everything weighted down.

Looks like I’ll be canning this weekend whether I like it or not!

We Did It!

We did it!  We are officially homeowners and have been for 9 whole days.  We've been super busy getting things prepped, coordinating with contractors, and trying to get ready for the big move.  So far, we've had radon mitigation in the basement, the AC ducts cleaned, the painting started, the back 40 bush-hogged, and have had about a gazillion carpet estimates.  Tomorrow we get the gutters cleaned and the house power washed. 

What is it with carpet companies?  We've had estimates that have been all over the charts...from $5k to $10k for approximately 170 square yards.  Some of these people are on drugs if they think we are going to pay $10k for friggin carpet!  We bit the bullet and are trying Lowes.  I know, I know, but they have the Mowhawk Smartstrand carpet and cushion I want.  The installers are legit (from what I've researched).  We'll see...

Meanwhile, the areaway drain outside the basement is backing up and flooding into the basement when it rains really hard.  So that means, the basement finish is on hold...plus there's the whole financing thing.  'Nuther time.

AND! Hubby got his first tick.  Welcome to the country!

Close-us Interruptus

So, umm, yeah,  about that closing thing.  Our closing has been delayed due to the seller having to remove some fallen trees that damaged the neighbor's property. 

So, get this...the seller initially wanted US to take responsibility for taking care of this and to reimburse the neighbor for damage!!!!  Can you believe that shit boys and girls???  Um, hello WE DON'T OWN THE HOUSE!!!  I may have been born in the morning, but not THIS morning.

Sheesh.

So, needless to say, we are in a holding pattern until Coldblood Banker gets their crap together.

And So It Begins

Can you believe it?  I am closing today or tomorrow, or next week…depending on if the seller is going to be a complete ass about the tree that fell over on the neighbor’s shed.  Apparently, they seem to think that even though we don’t even OWN the house, we should pay for it.  Ummm, yeah, riiii-ght.

I have paint picked out, contractors on stand-by and I’m ready to get this REAL party started.

Green Light

The radon test for the well and water came back normal!  Looks like I will be homeowner in less than 30 days (God willing).  All that's left is the appraisal and termite inspection.

Woot!

Planet Radon

So the radon test they did in the basement came back very high...like over 2 times the highest safety amount high.  So, since the house is on a well and septic system, we researched that it was highly recommended to have the groundwater (well) tested for radon too.  The house can be mitigated, no biggie, but if the water tests come back high, we are going to walk away from the sale.

Surprisingly, it's been a pain in the patootie to get the water tested for radon.  We've probably spent close to $500 with three different tests to find this out.  The first test just tested the well water for e-coli and other scary stuff (came back fine); the second test, called an Alpha/Beta test will test for all kinds of radioactive crazies (will come back in the next day or two), and the third test, which will test specifically for radon will come back by the end of the week.

For the radon test, hubby had to drive all the way to Richmond to deliver it to a specific laboratory.  Sheesh.

Cross your fingers!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

I am often confused at the universe. On one hand, I believe that anything that’s worth having takes work. On the other hand, I believe that when something is meant to be, it comes easily. I have found both of these beliefs to be especially true these past few weeks.

We’re buying a house ya’ll!

More to the point: I’m buying a house! Ever since that whole “short sale thing” in Florida, my husband is ineligible to be approved for a mortgage for a minimum of 2-3 years. We thought that we’d be renting again for at least another 6 months to a year before we’d be able to co-apply for a mortgage, BUT since I am a veteran and since I’ve never used my VA loan benefits for a mortgage, the bank was able to approve little ole me completely for a mortgage.

Here it is and it’s gorgeous. And it’s ON FOUR ACRES!! I can hardly grasp how this is all happening so fast, but it’s been almost effortless. It’s a foreclosure and we stole it hot-handed from the bank. The previous owners hardly lived in it at all and it’s practically brand new.

It needs some paint and a few minor upgrades, but other than that, it’s everything we’ve ever wanted. It does need the basement finished, but we are working on getting that going. We close the first week of July. I can hardly contain my excitement thinking about the gardening fun I’m going to have!

Things are going to be picking up around here!

Spring Has Sprung!

Literally over night! After this long, wintery break from blogging, I’m ready to start a new year with new thoughts, ideas, recipes, and pictures. But I’m not sure if this is the right venue. I know I need to update my blogging platform and make this site more searchable and sociable, but I just don’t have the interest at this point. I’d rather be doing other things. I’d rather be in it, getting dirty, and sharing later.

What have I been up to lately? Cooking for sure, just not much of it. Last weekend I put up 18 quarts of the most fan-friggin’ awesome homemade, home fermented sauerkraut. I started fermenting it on Christmas day and it took almost 3 months of low and slow to really be something special. Next want to start up ye’ olde wine making equipment and do something with all those pounds of frozen peaches in my freezer from last year’s harvest.

I’ve been into painting lately, specifically pop/modern stencil art like this, and this, and this. I’m still very new, but I love how you can take everyday things and make it into art…part whimsy…part message. I love how I can make something to hang on my walls that doesn’t cost a lot of money. Plus handmade art makes great, customized gifts.

I’ve been working a lot at my job, especially last December and January, but it’s all good and I like my job for the most part. It has its moments like every job, but it’s been the best so far.

And that’s really about it, for the most part. I plan to do more outside type stuff this year, venture into new interests, and build on the old ones. Stay tuned!

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

MMmmmmm...I hadn't realized it, but I wrote about this recipe before. It's definitely a keeper! The one thing I did differently in this batch, which totally gilded the lily, was to add Spiced Candied Walnuts into the mix instead of plain, roasted walnuts or pecans. You should hear the moaning here at the office!

I used a different recipe to make the spiced candied walnuts, but this recipe from Simply Recipes will work just fine. To spice them up, add a teaspon of cinnamon to the sugar mixture while you're melting the sugar, or just simply dust the walnuts with cinnamon powder before the candy hardens.

Candied Walnuts
Recipe Source: Simply Recipes

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Use middle rack in oven. Lay walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5 minutes. Test for doneness. If not quite toasted enough, toast for 1 or 2 more minutes. Be careful not to burn. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a rack.

Pour sugar into a medium saucepan with a thick bottom. Have walnuts nearby, ready to quickly add to the pan at the right time. Cook sugar on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon as soon as the sugar begins to melt. Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is a medium amber. As soon as sugar is melted and the color is a medium amber, add the walnuts to the pan, quickly stirring and coating each piece with the sugar mixture.

As soon as the walnuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, lined either with a Silpat non-stick mat, or parchment paper. Use two forks to separate the walnuts from each other, working very quickly. Sprinkle the nuts with the salt. Let cool completely.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Bustin a Rhinestone

Happy Halloween, mama!

Well, today is Halloween, BOO to you! I dressed up like Elvis for work because we were doing this whole 50’s – 60’s theme for costumes at work….wouldn’t you know it that all the people who nagged about dressing up didn’t???!!! So here I am with my white jumpsuit with the rhinestones, wig, sun glasses, and red scarves and no one else is dressed up. Hey, didn’t I have a nightmare like that once? Except I was also late for a calculus exam and in my underwear. FAIL!

Potato, Bacon, and Leek Soup with Horseradish

This is the view we had for an impromptu picnic at Linden Vineyards this past weekend, isn’t it gorgeous?


We spent the afternoon drinking mulled wine, nibbling on some cheese, and pinching ourselves for the fact that we are actually able to experience fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains in person. Every day is like Christmas up here.


The weather is finally cooling off and what better way to celebrate than with a hearty bowl of soup? I found the New England Soup Factory Cookbook by Marjorie Druker and Clara Silverstein a few months ago and have been drooling over the recipes. This recipe for Potato, Bacon, and Leek Soup with Horseradish is a modification from their original recipe in the book simply because I had some gorgeous leeks that needed a home.

The soup is like an over-the-top baked potato soup and isn't as heavy as it looks. The horseradish really makes is something special. It is definitely a keeper recipe and would be transcendent with a roast beef and cheddar sandwich.

Potato, Bacon, and Leek Soup with Horseradish
Recipe Source and modified from: New England Soup Factory Cookbook

2 tablespoons butter
4 whole cloves garlic, peeled and minced
*2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, then sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 cups chicken stock
2 tsps onion powder
2 tsps garlic powder
1 cup sour cream
2 cups light cream (I used whole milk)
4 tablespoons bottled minced horseradish
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes hot sauce
1 cup crumbled, cooked bacon
1 bunch fresh chives, minced or 2 green onions sliced small
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

*Note: Be sure to rinse sliced leeks well, as they tend to be very sandy

In a stockpot melt the butter over med-high heat. Add the garlic, leeks, and celery. Saute for 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the butter and vegetables. Add the chicken stock, onion and garlic powder and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are soft and tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the stove and puree the soup with a hand blender or working in batches with a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream, light cream, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Puree once again until everything is incorporated. Return the pot to the stove and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with the chives/green onions and bacon.

Testing...

This is a test post from my phone...oh the possibilities!

Turkey With A Death Wish

This turkey's days are numbered...37 to be exact.

A Sink Full of Apples

Hey everyone, this is my 200th post! In honor of the occasion, I bring you apples!


The onslaught of fall apples has begun. This sink full of Jonagold and Honey Crisp apples (1 peck) were turned into the first 7 quarts of applesauce of the season. Mmmmmmm…

Applesauce, applebutter, apple pie jam, apple pie filling, apple conserve, here I come!

Grilled Flatbread

Oh my gosh you guys; fall is finally here! When I left my office building last night, it was cold and blustery outside and simply wonderful! I know there will probably be a few days of hot before we settle in for winter, but man does fall feel good!

Hubby and I had already planned to grill a London broil on the gas grill last night, so it was the perfect opportunity to try out this soft flatbread recipe that I found at Deanna's blog Marzipan last week. Let me tell you, it changed our lives.


I had a ball of the dough sitting in the refrigerator from the day before. I had made it and had originally planned to dry fry it on the stove, but grilling it sounded SO much better. The dough mixed up so easy; in fact, I don’t even think I’ll need the Kitchenaid for next time. I pinched off 4 balls and they rolled out like a dream; no shrinking, and very pliable. We casually tossed them on the grill; I didn’t know what to expect since this was a new recipe.

They puffed up beautifully, with perfect grill marks, in less than five minutes without any sticking. One flip over, 2 more minutes, and they were AMAZING. We couldn’t help but tear into one straight off the grill, with puffs of steam coming out of our mouths from the combination of hot food and cold weather. It was one of those HOW HAVE WE EVER LIVED WITHOUT THESE moments.

They were so amazingly delicious; we rolled out the remaining dough and grilled up the rest for future lunches. I plan to have a ball of this dough ready in my refrigerator at all times from now on.

Make these today; I mean it!

Soft Flatbread
Recipe from: Marzipan

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup potato flour OR 1/2 cup potato buds or flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast

1) Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

2) In a separate bowl, using a fork, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and the remaining 1 cup of flour with the salt, oil and yeast until a crumbly mixture forms.

3) Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes by hand to form a soft dough. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky. Add additional flour only if necessary and keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled to prevent sticking.

4) Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.

5) Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. The dough may be wrapped or placed in a baggie and then refrigerated or frozen after dividing if desired. Bring to room temperature before starting the next step.

6) Roll each piece into a 7"- to 8"-circle (a rolling pin helps here), and dry-fry them (fry without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out.

7) Transfer the cooked breads to a rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately (recommended), or cool completely before storing in a plastic bag.

11 Months - The Power of Booze

Every year I make my annual besotted fruitcakes and every year I have some left over. It's not that they're bad, they're DELICIOUS! As a matter of fact, each year I have to make more to accomodate the demand.

Anyway, I always over estimate and we have some left over. Usually, the things sit wrapped-up in our spare refrigerator for a couple of months until we are over the holiday bingefest, then we'll break them out and share again with friends. The longest they've sat was until June or July AND THEY WERE STILL GOOD!

Last nite, we realized we had last year's cakes still wrapped up in the refrigerator. You guys, these were made in October LAST YEAR, and yep, they were still good! The yellow one was a little dry, but nothing that a little basting with cherry brandy didn't fix right away.

I think I'm going to take them into work tomorrow....sshhhh, don't tell my coworkers.

Chili Paste

While I’m on a roll regarding the time limit for summer’s produce, I have yet another condiment to share that I cannot do without. You will think this too once you make this Chili Paste.

I love Asian food. I love spicy food. Even better, I love spicy Asian food! So much so that I go through a bottle of Sriracha sauce and its cousin, garlic chili sauce, every few months (sometimes weeks).


Neither one of them are expensive and they are fairly easy to find in the grocery, but as a rule, food tastes so much better when you make it yourself. When I first made this chili paste, I was like, “¡Ayi Chiuaua! ¡FUEGO! ¡FUEGO!”


It was hot! But after just 24 hours, it mellowed out into a wonderful sweet, garlicky chili paste with some nice heat. Plus, it literally took minutes to make.

Hubby and I have eaten it on stir fry, soups, stews, take-out-Chinese, burritos, chili, nachos, salsa, really anything where you want some extra heat. So, get your hands on some fresh chili peppers before they are no longer available at the farmer’s markets. This will definitely keep you warm over winter!


Chili Paste
Adapted from Andrea Nguyen

3 cups of chili peppers, any variety of your choice ( Jalapeno, Thai, Habanero, etc.) washed and stemmed
8-10 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon distilled vinegar (I used probably 3)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Note: This is a fresh chili paste that is meant to be stored in the refrigerator.

Roughly chop chillies if using large peppers. Add chillies, garlic, vinegar, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse until coarsely pureed. Adjust sugar, salt and vinegar to taste. Makes about 1, 12 oz. jar and will last several months in the refrigerator.

Tomato Basil Butter

The kids are back in school and that means the days of fresh, summer produce are getting shorter and shorter. August and September are an avalanche of tomatoes and basil, so if you can, take a few minutes to whip up a big batch of Tomato Basil Butter. You’ll be SO glad you did.


This amazing compound butter is fantastic on fish, grilled vegetables, garlic bread, and heck even as a base for non-sauced pizzas. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg….stir it in to mashed potatoes, soups, sauces, rice, put a dollop on a searing, grilled steak, smear it on grilled corn, mix it with spinach and use it as a filling for chicken breasts or thighs, OH MY!

Heck, I've even just spread it on warm bread and dug in...mmmmmmmmmmm.

This freezes amazingly well, so you can dip into this lovliness until next summer!

TOMATO BASIL BUTTER

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/ 2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (about 1 lb.)
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/ 2 cup sweet butter softened
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/ 2 tsp. salt
1/ 8 tsp. pepper
1/ 4 cup minced fresh basil

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the tomatoes and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes form a puree that will mound. Let cool.

Put the butter in a mixing bowl and beat in the tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated but best served at room temperature so that it will melt quickly. Freezes well, make a "log", wrap in waxed paper, then Ziploc bags.

Wise Guys

See what my wise guy counterparts in California sent me?!! Hmph!

Happy Anniversary

Although we’ve only been married 4 years and together for almost 10, I can’t imagine my life without him or what life was life before him.

Happy anniversary to my bread and my knife, my pigeon on the general’s head, my red-rover-send-Grover-right-over, my sweet guy.

Earthquake!

Whoa! That was scary! I'm in Dumfries, VA, which is an hour north of the epicenter and about 25 miles south of Washington D.C.


I work on the 3rd and top floor of an office building and I had just gotten back from lunch. I was typing away in my cubicle and I felt this rumbling...at first I thought that maybe it was a sonic boom (memories from Florida) or some sort of explosives training going on at the base at Quantico (they do that at times), but then it kept going and getting stronger.

I looked to the man who works across the cubicle isle from me and we looked at each other like, "WTF is THIS???!! Holy crap this is an EARTHQUAKE!" Things were falling off the wall, potted plants were crashing down, the building was moving, and the windows were cracking.

I never ran down flights of stairs in heels as fast as I did today! Our whole building evacuated and our company closed for the rest of the day.

At home, I live 2 miles away from work, pictures had crashed off the walls, the kitties were freaked out, but nothing was lost that was valuable and everyone is o.k....shaken (pun intended), but o.k.

I've never been through an earthquake before and it is not something I want to experience again. Hey, I moved up here to get AWAY from natural disasters!

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting

I know I promised you pie, but these little cuties are sweet enough for now. Don't 'cha just want to gobble them up?

I might ask Santa to get me Just Dance 2 for Christmas this year....that and a 52", flatscreen t.v., oh, and a Wii as well. :-)

Summer 2011: Season of The Itch

I know, I know. I’ve committed a blog owner’s carnal sin; I left without even telling you what’s going on. I know it will take time for you to trust me again, and I can promise you it won’t happen again. Please accept my humble groveling.

So much to say…I’m working a real-honest-to-god job now. No more cleaning up shite, well at least dog shite. I’ve promised myself that I would not get myself into the same job situation where I was before, which was basically working for a company that treated me like shite. I’ve been here for a little over 2 months and I’m still trying to feel my way around, but it sure is nice to have a paycheck again.

Secondly, I found out what real-honest-to-god poison ivy can do to a person. We have it growing in a few patches within the ground cover in our front and back yard. FUN TIMES! I wrestled with a rash for over 8 weeks this summer, including a point where I had A BLISTER ON MY EYEBALL! That was swell.


Thirdly, I am in real-honest-to-god canning and preserving country up here. A place where I can say, “I put up 8 quarts of tomato sauce this weekend,” and people won’t look at me like I grew a second head. Now, they look at me and say, "What?!! Only 8 quarts?!!" Almost every weeknight has been dedicated to putting up all the wonderful, local goodies I nabbed over the weekend. I’m in heaven!

And lastly, it’s real-honest-to-god HOT ! C’mon winter!

That’s all the proselytizing I have for today. Stay tuned for the most awesomest Peach Pie recipe EVAR!

Oh, The Hills! Enough With The Hills!

One of the beautiful things about living at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains is the hills. They are breathtaking in more ways than one.

To supplement some spending money and as a source to get out and explore, I’ve taken a part-time, mid-day dog walking position in my neighborhood. The job market is very good up here, except I’m adamant about not having to do the “D.C. Crawl” every day in a commute, so I’m being very picky about my job search options. Plus I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

Anyway, back to the hills. There is not a flat, level road in my entire neighborhood community. After 2 weeks of this dog-walking thing, every day for 2 hours, I’m SO OVER the hills! My knees are like, DUDE WTF? Advil, Osteo Bi-Flex, and Centrum are daily necessities and I feel old. This is nature’s Stairmaster at its best.

Dutch Baby, Baby!

When hubby and I lived in Florida, we had a sort of superstitious tradition of going to a certain Chinese restaurant for take-out whenever a hurricane was coming to the area. It started as a tradition of necessity when the 2004 hurricane season left us without power and the Chinese place around the corner had a kick-butt generator. There was a customer line out the door, and we gladly waited an hour to eat something hot and cooked by someone else.

Now that we’re in Virginia, we make a Dutch Baby (a.k.a “Snowday Pancake”) every time we’re faced with something like this:


I know, it’s nothing, but it’s a fun excuse to start a new tradition. This yummy breakfast treat is a mix between a pancake and a cooked custard. The outside puffs up light and cakey like a pancake, while the center is a rich and dense custard. It’s a bit like magic, really, and the final presentation is gorgeous.


All it takes is one bowl, a whisk, and a glass baking dish. Or, if you want, you could dispense the batter into individual ramekins for more pizazz.

Dutch Baby
(a.k.a “Snowday Pancake”)
Recipe Source: I don’t remember

4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg
6 tablespoons butter
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix eggs, flour, milk, vanilla, salt, and spices in a bowl with a whisk. The batter may be slightly lumpy, but that’s o.k. Also, the batter may be made the night before and kept in the refrigerator.

Cut butter into pieces and place in a 9” x 13” Pyrex or casserole dish. Place the casserole dish in the oven and allow the butter to melt until it is slightly browned. Be careful, as the butter can go from slightly browned to burnt very quickly. This extra step gives the pancake wonderful flavor!

Once the butter is melted, take the casserole dish out of the oven and pour the batter over the melted butter. Place the casserole dish back in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown and very puffy. When finished baking, remove the casserole from the oven, cut the pancake into serving sizes, and dust each serving liberally with confectioner’s sugar. Serve with pancake syrup and jam.

Valentine's Day: What a Crock!

So, Valentine’s Day came and went at our house. Hubs got me a gift card and I got him a neat tool-thingamajig, which turned out to be something he couldn’t use.

Romance, we haz it.

As I was returning and exchanging the tool, I spotted a kickass collection of brand new pickling crocks sitting on a dusty shelf in the back of the hardware store. I promptly whipped out my gift card and grabbed a 5 gallon crock right up. Well, more like lugged it right up…that thing is heavy!

Sauerkraut heaven, here I come!

See? Romance can be found where you least expect it. Love you sweetie!

Kitty Bling: Save Your Furniture With Kitty Caps

I have forgotten what it's like to have a rambunctious kitten running around the house. A kitten with needle-honed claws, waiting to pounce on a naked, passing ankle or brand-new pair of panty hose.

I'm opposed to declawing. After having it done to my sweet, late kitty Wayne, I swore I would never put another cat of mine through that kind of trauma again. But what do you do when the little darling decides your brand-new couch is much more tempting to claw than that designer scratching post you just lugged home?

Kitty Caps (aka Soft Claws) to the rescue!

I was hesitant to do this for obvious reasons. You see, I'm very attached to the skin on my forearms and my fingers. The thought of pinning down one of my cats and basically gluing a version of Lee Press-On Nails to its claws left me cold, so I asked one of the staff members at my vet's office if they would do it. Uh, yeah...for about $50!

Fortunately, there is a hold maneuver you can use on your cat that will make this easier (note I did not say EASY). The staff member showed me how to hold my kitty down, which by the way, does require 2 people to put on the caps: one to hold kitty down, and one to apply.

Our kitten, Lucy, didn't mind them at all and I'm tickled pink about the outcome! They are the most adorable things I've seen and actually WORK! She licked her paws for exactly 10 minutes and then was off to terrorize our other kitty Chaz.

Now, where are those panty hose?

An-tici-pation!

The weather was nice enough to open a window or two last week. That lasted for about 6 hours before the icy weather showed up again like an unwelcomed houseguest.


I was surprised to find that if I put a little bit of bird food on the deck, the squirrels will come right up to the screen. They earned their keep, it's the only thing that will keep these little stinkers occupied for more than 5 minutes.


You could have carved the kitty tension with a knife. Lots of chitter-chattering, meowing, and tail-swishing. But the squirrel was Joe Cool and didn't seem phased at all. At one point, they were even sniffing each other through the screen!

Brave squirrel.

New Digs

I once figured the entire amount of counter-space I had in our old house measured out to the length of our coffee table. Really! It still amazes me that I managed to cook so much, can and preserve, make wine, and bake wedding cakes in that kitchen.

To say I love my new kitchen is an understatement. I have OODLES of counter-space, granite, AND TWO OVENS! It’s the kitchen that sold me on the place, although we are renting for now until we learn the area. The bathrooms are still stuck in the 1970’s, but hey…I spend more time in the kitchen anyway.

The parties we’re going to have here are gonna’ be fierce!

You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby

Oh, hey guys. What’s going on? So, we moved to the semi-great-white north and things have been getting on fine. I’ve put my Florida feet away.

We’re loving it up here. I love that I can blow-dry my hair and not end up in a giant ball of sweat afterwards. If I get hot, I just open a window. What a concept!

We now have these two little fur-balls to keep me busy during the long, cold wintry days. They both came from the ASPCA and a rescue group. Meet Chaz and Lucy! Lucy is the kitten and I forgot what a handful kittens can be, but she’s sweet too, so that helps. I know...they look exactly alike...I'm anal that way.

I’m on a new job hunt. Basically, I’ve been out of work by choice for one year. My last job completely burned me out to where I woke up one day and said, “¡NO MAS!” That job literally made me sick and I had to make a choice between my sanity and a pay check.

Since the age of 14, I’ve never not had a job…or two…or even three at a time. This past year has been completely new and alien to me, but a well-needed recharging. Plus a good portion was used to help sell our house and relocate up here. I also did a bit of volunteer work and watched wayyyy too much of the Military History Channel. I slept a lot, and spent days where I didn’t even shower, and it was all deliciously wonderful. I couldn’t have done it without my hunny bunny husband, who is a doll and supported me every step of the way.

Happy New Year!

Spicy Cranberry Chutney

Can Jam Challenge #12

Has it already been a month since the last Can Jam topic? Has it already been a WHOLE YEAR doing this challenge every month? Man, I can’t believe how fast the time went by!

I’m always surprised when I make a new recipe and claim it to be my new favorite, especially since many canning and preserving recipes have the same flavor profile/ingredients, but BOY OH BOY is this good!


I wanted to kick-up the heat factor in this chutney (plus I just don’t like garlic in chutneys) by substituting the original garlic for horseradish (this is allowed as long as you don’t increase the total amount of non-acid ingredients). The spicy combination of the gingerroot, horseradish, and cayenne really brought this chutney to a whole new level. The tartness of the cranberries, with the sweetness of the pineapple, orange juice, and raisins balance out the spiciness and make this chutney fan-friggin-fabulous! I can’t wait to try this on a ham, turkey, or deli-chicken sandwich!


So be sure to get your hands on some cranberries while they are still available and stick them in your freezer. Then, you’ll be able to make this amazing recipe at any time during the year. This chutney is going to make some friends of mine very happy this Christmas.

Happy canning everyone!

Kathy's Spicy Cranberry Chutney
Recipe source/modified from: “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving”
Makes 6 half-pints

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 ¼ cups finely chopped onion
1 ¼ cups chopped, candied pineapple
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (Note: original recipe called for 3 cloves garlic, minced)
2 tablespoons fresh gingerroot, minced
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (use zested orange)
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves (Note: I think this could be reduced to ½ teaspoon…my preference)
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a large, stainless steel saucepan, combine cranberries, onion, pineapple, horseradish (or garlic), gingerroot, orange zest, orange juice, and red wine vinegar. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook till cranberries become soft and burst, about 15 minutes. If you choose to have a less “chunky” chutney, mash about 2/3 of the cranberry mixture with a potato masher.

Add sugar, raisins, water, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Boil gently, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. Mixture should be slightly runny and will thicken when cooling.

Ladle cranberry mixture into prepared canning jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Process in a BWB for 10 minutes.

Apple Pie Jam

Can Jam Challenge #11

Apples and fall go hand-in-hand, don't you agree? I'm so happy that this month's canning topic is apples! This chunky jam is one of my most all-time favorite apple recipes next to my Caramel Apple Butter. I've mentioned it before in the past and it's worth being in the spotlight once more.


This jam tastes JUST like fresh apple pie filling and is truly sinful when it's warmed up and spooned over vanilla ice cream. If you really want to gild the lily, top that with some crumbled graham crackers or ginger snaps. Spoon it over some hot oatmeal, eat it with an achingly sharp gorgonzola cheese, or simply spread it on a toasted bagel with cream cheese, you'll love every bite!

Linda Lou's Apple Pie Jam
Makes 5-6, half pints

4 cups tart apples, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
4 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 box pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter

Add water to chopped apples to measure 4 cups total. Measure sugars and set aside. Place apples and water into large, heavy saucepan. Stir in lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice. Stir pectin into fruit. Add butter. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in both sugars. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Ladle quickly into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands on finger tight. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Fresh Blood

The great thing about moving to a new place is “what’s old is new again”. We set the standard low this year as, number one: we are still scrambling to find things, and number two: there’s no place to go from here but up! Halloween was everything I had ever imagined it could have been when we were living in Florida. It was dark (no streetlights), chilly, lots of leaves, pumpkins, lots of giggling kids, and thankful parents.

Still, I’m sure there were over a 100 disappointed kids at our old neighborhood on Sunday night. We had established a pretty solid reputation as being the “It House” for Halloween. Bittersweet.

Habanero Gold Jelly

Can Jam Challenge #10

You guys, it’s been crazy around here. You KNOW I must be committed to this Can Jam challenge when I can barely find my shoes and definitely not my iron, but will not let you down without a recipe! We moved to this house a little less than a week ago and I did manage to keep a sharp eye out for my canners, jars, and canning paraphernalia. It was all rounded up somewhere between the garage, basement, and kitchen. Pictures will have to come later because I am just too darn exhausted to photograph any jam/jelly food porn for you today.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed in this month’s canning feature. Chili peppers? Really? I wanted apples, darn it! What is fall without apples! Apple Jelly, Apple Butter, Apple Pie Jam, Apple Chutney, Apple Sauce. APPLES, APPLES, APPLES! Wahhh!

Someone needs a nap, ya’ think?

But in the scope of things chili peppers do work. I’m now living somewhere that is actually cold during the month of October, so maybe a little capsaicin to heat things up is a good thing.

For this month’s challenge, there’s gold in them thar hills! Habanero Gold Jelly. I have literally sold cases of this jelly to friends, family, and admirers near and far. I’m pretty sure it’s a Ball recipe, and it’s a definite star on the Harvest Forum for sure. A few years ago, a few of my canning Jedi Masters put their beautiful heads together and scaled this recipe up to make more half pints. I think the original recipe only made 2 or 4 half pints, but this makes 6.

Big Batch Habanero Gold Jelly
Makes 6 half pints

1 cup minced dried apricots (1/8" dice)
Note: Could use dried peaches or pears instead.
1 1/4 total cups minced red sweet pepper and minced red onion (1/8" dice), approximately half-and-half.
1/4 cup Habanero peppers
Note: For extra-hot, increase Habaneros to 1/2 cup and reduce red sweet pepper/red onion combination to 1 cup total.
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
6 cups sugar
1 3-oz. pouch liquid pectin (I used Ball, which I've decided I like better than Certo.)

Prep apricots, peppers and onion. Place in a large, stainless or other non-reactive pot. Add sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil and cook 5 minutes. Pull off the burner; allow to cool, cover and let sit overnight. Stir occasionally if convenient.

Note: 4-6 hours would be plenty, so the time doesn't need to be any greater than the soaking time for apricots in the original recipe.

Next day, bring the mixture back to the boil. Stir in liquid pectin. Boil hard 1 minute. Pull off the heat. If necessary, skim foam. (I did need to skim a bit.) Let cool 2 minutes, stirring to distribute solids. Pour into jars. Stir to distribute and remove air bubbles. Process in a BWB 10 minutes.

When jars are sealed, "agitate" to distribute solids throughout the jelly.

Leaf Peeping

This is my first time experiencing fall. I mean really living it instead of visiting it from far away. And I am loving every drizzly, frosty, fallen amber-leafed moment of it. I can’t get enough. No more acting like it’s fall in the middle of July.

This past weekend, hubby and I took a self-indulgent, entire day away from unpacking boxes, climbing stairs, and wondering where the drinking glasses are to drive out to the Shenandoah National Park. It wasn’t quite the peak for leaf-peeping opportunities, but entirely breathless and beautiful all the same.

Several years ago, I wrote a Ray Bradbury inspired poem about fall. I hope it inspires you to enjoy this wonderful season, wherever you are.

October
The month of burning leaves.
People bustled into dim houses carrying pumpkins and corn stalks.
Skeletons dancing, bats flying, candles flamed,
Apples swinging in empty doorways.
The acme of Horror.
The month of shadows and ghosts.
Triangle-eyed faces peer into empty October nights.
Masks leering in black attics and damp cellars.
Children giggling and vanishing off among a street of moaning trees.
I can almost see it, even in the scorch of July.

How To Lose 10 Pounds In 10 Days While Eating Anything You Want!

It’s so simple! You’ll see the pounds melt away right before your eyes! All you have to do is follow these simple rules:

Rule 1: For the first 6 days of the diet, find a house 4 states away from your current residence, paint 3 rooms, and sealcoat the garage floor. Return home via a 14 hour train ride.

Rule 2: For the remaining 4 days of the diet, pack-up your entire household for relocation in 4 days or less. Return to new residence via a 14 hour train ride.

Rule 3: During this 10 day period, you may eat anything you want, as much as you want; however, limit yourself to eating once a day, preferably at a time in the evening when you are too exhausted to care.

Rule 4: Climb and descend the 2nd story and basement stairs no less than 1,492 times.

Rule 5: Limit yourself to no more than 5 hours of sleep per night.

Rule 6: Arrange for emergency carpet cleaning, air conditioning repair, and backup moving companies at a moment’s notice. Burn extra calories by keeping your adrenaline revved!

Disclaimer: Due to higher-than-average weather temperatures, residents of Southern California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama will experience the best results from this diet.

The State of Things

How many girls can say their husband gave them the state of Virginia for their 40th birthday? Not many; I know. I’m lucky and very grateful.

Internets, friends, lovers, Maytag repairmen, I’ve been holding out on you. I am moving to Virginia! The big day is only weeks away, which seems like only days, hours, minutes. There are so many things to do!

Also, another secret…I haven’t worked since January of this year! Big reasons for that as well, but I will keep you on the edge of your seat until the time is right.

You see, this has been in the works for months, but I didn’t want to announce it until the line was drawn in the sand. Hubby got a promotion with his company that is requiring us to relocate. Unfortunately, we are having to short-sale our house, which is a very big sore spot for us. We’ve had a contract on our house since April, with a buyer who is willing to pay $20k MORE than what the houses are going for in our neighborhood. We’ve already signed 3 extensions for a closing date, but still the banks drag on.

We can’t afford to pay 2 mortgages, and I don’t even want to entertain renting our house out of state. Every single house that has rented in our neighborhood has been trashed, causing the owners to invest even more money into their house to fix it up. If we lose our buyer due to the bank’s negligence, we are prepared to do what we need to do to move on with our lives to better jobs, communities, and opportunities.

It’s come down to a business decision, plain and simple.

Zesty Peach Barbeque Sauce

Can Jam Challenge #9

I remember the first time I made this sauce and spooned it over a home-roasted, pulled pork sandwich with a dollop of homemade cole slaw. I think I exclaimed, “Holy crap, this is GOOD!" although I may have used more colorful adjectives.

I’m a sweet BBQ sauce southern girl, and this Zesty Peach Barbecue Sauce is just the ticket! It’s good over chicken, ribs, and would even serve as a wonderful dipping sauce for chicken fingers. It’s sweet, fruity, and has a tiny bit of heat, but I like it that way.

One thing I’ve noticed about many canning and preserving recipes is they all seem to have the same flavor profile in one form or another (cinnamon, allspice, mace, dill, peppercorns, etc.). I try to find different flavor combinations so it doesn’t feel like I have a gazillion jars of the same thing.

Now I know that BBQ season is almost over, but peaches are at the end of their slurpy best right now, so don't miss out!

Zesty Peach Barbecue Sauce
Recipe Source: Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Yield: 8 half pints

6 cups finely chopped, pitted, peeled peaches
1 cup finely chopped, seeded red bell pepper
3 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 ¼ cups liquid honey
¾ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons canning salt

In a large, stainless steel saucepan, combine peaches, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, honey, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper flakes, mustard, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a light boil/simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened to the consistency of a thin commercial barbecue sauce, about 25 minutes.

Ladle hot sauce into prepared canning jars, leaving ½ headspace. Process jars in a BWB for 15 minutes.

Green Is Beautiful

I am in love, love, luuurve with this Basil Vinaigrette recipe I found on Simply Recipes the other day. Like most of you, I have TONS of basil growing in my garden right now, which require frequent harvesting before they get leggy.


I boiled up some chopped, golden potatoes and drizzled this green jewel of scrumptiousness over them while they were still warm. Total HEAVEN!

Basil Vinaigrette Recipe
Recipe Source: Simply Recipes

Ingredients
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup roughly chopped basil leaves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil

Method
Place the salt, sugar, mustard, shallot and basil in a blender or food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Scrape the sides of the blender down with a spatula. Add the vinegar and pulse again.

Turn the blender on low and take off the cap in the center of the blender’s lid. Slowly pour in the olive oil. It may sputter a little out of the open cap, so hold you hand over it to minimize splashing.

When the olive oil is incorporated, turn off the blender and scrape the sides down one more time. Cover and purée everything for 1-2 minutes.

Store covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Makes a little more than one cup.

Give Me A Hand

So, what’s the difference between a bunch and a hand of bananas?

See, this is why I’ve (mostly) stopped drinking coffee. I end up Googling obscure, useless information that will be permanently burned into my brain forever. But on the brighter side, this gives me awesome mingling skills at parties!

But mostly people think I’m some kind of nerd. Anyway…


My next door neighbor brought me this GORGEOUS piece of edible art yesterday and I almost don’t want to touch it. Almost. I had two of the ripened ones yesterday for a snack as I was doing yard work and I was surprised to find that they didn’t really taste like bananas at all. They had more of a neutral, fruity flavor, with maybe just a hint of “banana-ness” and their texture was meatier than the marshmallowy bananas you find at the store. In my opinion, they were exactly what a banana should be.

I don’t know what kind they are, but I know my husband and I will eat every single one!

Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce

Can Jam Challenge #8

The thing about canning and preserving is when you first start out, you put up almost anything you can get your hands on. After a while, you finally realize and say to yourself, “What am I gonna do with 20 jars of hot-dog relish?” That’s where friends come in, right?

Eventually, even your friends are like, “What am I gonna do with all this hot-dog relish?” So, over time you learn to make the recipes you REALLY like and use regularly, and just as importantly, the ones your friends REALLY like too.


There are a gazillion recipes out there for home-canned tomato sauce, but I really like this one from "The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving"; I’ve talked about it before. I’ve used this sauce on pasta, in soups, pizza, even pot-roasts.

It’s a very versatile and delicious sauce, and only the most tasty and cherished home-grown tomatoes get the honor of being used to make it. I don't even bother making other tomato sauces because this is so good!


It's so hard to come by a really good, honest-to-god homegrown tomato down here unless you grow it yourself, which is what I do, twice a year. One of these days, when I have tomatoes to spare (is that even possible?), I'm gonna have to be a little more adventurous!

Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce
Recipe Source: The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
Yield: 8 cups

8 cups (2 L) coarsely chopped, peeled tomatoes (about 9-12 tomatoes)
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
2/3 cup red wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (5 % strength)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon pickling salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 6-oz/156 mL) can tomato paste

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, wine, vinegar, basil, parsley, salt, sugar and tomato paste in a very large non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring frequently.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of rim (head space). Process 35 minutes for pint (500 mL) jars and 40 minutes for quart (1 L) jars in a BWB.