Sour Cherry Picking

Last weekend, hubby and I went and did our annual sour cherry picking expedition and picnic. Sour cherries are only available for a very, very short time up here in Virginia (less than 2 weeks), so we make sure to make time to go picking. I’ve rarely seen sour cherries available at the farmer’s markets and if they are there, they cost a fortune, so it’s worth going out of our way. They are also a very delicate fruit, so you will never see them in the grocery store outside a can or freezer case. The orchard we go to charges a dollar a pound, which is a total bargain as far as I’m concerned.

Before last year, I had never even SEEN a cherry tree, much less pick cherries. I was again amazed at picking such wonderful and exotic fruit (to me) that wasn’t citrus. I get the same feeling about apples, pears, and peaches, as I didn’t grew up around these kinds of fruit trees in Florida. Sour cherries are THE ultimate pie and canning cherry to use, as the sour flavor is tamed by all the sugar used in both recipes. To me, the epitome of cherry flavor comes from sour cherries and it’s one of my most favorite fruits.

The orchard was packed and it was a perfect day for cherry picking. Hubby and I initially staked out a tree, and then moved around the orchard to find the “perfect” tree. Some trees had smaller cherries and some bigger, some riper, some greener. We made our way around, occasionally popping one of the darker, riper, less sour cherries in our mouths. In the quieter part of the orchard, we’d pick in silence while eavesdropping in other people’s conversations. I loved hearing what people were going to do with the cherries when they got home. Were they going to make a pie, ice cream, jam? Surprisingly to me, there was an unusually large amount of Middle Easterners in the orchard; I remembered that from last year too. My guess is that sour cherries are very prized in their culture for desserts. My favorite part was watching new comers taste the cherries for the first time then scrunch up their faces and spit them out. I guess they didn’t know they weren’t sweet! We’ve had so much rain this spring that sweet cherries weren’t even available, but that’s perfectly fine by me.

After picking just shy of 30 lbs, we put up a small picnic spot in the shade of one of the trees and enjoyed a bottle of wine while watching young and old sour cherry enthusiasts busy themselves in the orchard. Later, when we got home, we pitted our entire haul and divided it into quart-sized freezer bags for the freezer. This will last us all year for pies, jams, sauces, and whatnot. Raspberries are next!

How To Grill Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Without Drying Them Out

Grilled chicken really is the little black dress of your meal planning repertoire. You can eat it on its own, make salads with it, chop it up and throw it in some cooked pasta, soups, fajitas, wraps, sandwiches, appetizers, even breakfast burritos. The only dish I haven’t been able to fit grilled chicken into is dessert, but I’m sure it’s been done SOMEWHERE.

But the problem with grilled chicken, especially boneless and skinless breasts is that it is often over cooked. The end result is tough and dry and not worth doing much more with than chopping up and smothering with mayonnaise for chicken salad. Poor boneless and skinless chicken breasts; they removed all your fat and bones to make you healthier and easier to cook, but left you an outdoor grilling pariah. My litmus test for any really good BBQ joint is how well they can do their chicken; it’s a bitch to get right.

But the fix to this is so easy you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it all along. I know I did. The solution to leathery, dry grilled chicken breasts (or any grilled chicken) is brining. Here’s how:

1. BRINE: Take two tablespoons of kosher salt (not table salt) and add to about a quart of warm water in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt. Add whatever flavoring you would like your chicken to have to the brine (just make sure it’s salt free). I am using an Italian Herbs blend from Penzeys. You could add fresh herbs, lemon zest, a little white wine, whatever floats your boat.

Add your chicken breasts to the brine, making sure they are all submerged, cover the bowl with Saran Wrap, and place the bowl in the refrigerator. Chill for ONE hour. Be sure to note the time because you do not want your chicken breasts to become too salty by being left in the brine too long.

2. GRILL: After an hour, remove the chicken from the brine and discard brine. Do not rinse chicken, but simply allow them to drip dry over the bowl as you pull them out then place them on a platter. Preheat ONE HALF of your grill on high and leave the other half off. When at temperature (about 400 degrees), place your chicken breasts on the hot side of the grill and allow to sear for approximately 4-5 minutes. Flip breasts over and sear the other side for the same time. After searing, move the chicken to the unheated side of the grill, close the lid, and allow the chicken to cook from the residual heat for another 5-15 minutes. Total time should be around 20-25 minutes. Test for doneness by taking a quick peek inside one of the breasts with a knife, or use a thermometer (160 degrees).

3. REST: Take chicken off the grill, place on clean plate/platter, and cover with tin foil to allow to REST for about 10 minutes. This is important! This allows all the juices in the meat to redistribute and not run out if you immediately cut into the meat. I like to cook up a whole package of breasts at a time and graze off them all week and they are juicy and flavorful all week long. I leave them whole until I’m ready to use them for whatever.

After I’ve started doing this, I will never, ever grill chicken the same again. Even if you are grilling bone-in, skin-on breasts, give them a little time in a brine, they’ll thank you for it and so will your friends and family!

How to Gift Home Canned Foods

Years ago when I first started canning, not very many people were doing it and it hadn’t received the “in thing to do” popularity that home canning has today. So, I have learned some things along the way about giving my precious home canned food as gifts to friends and family. The purpose of this post is to ensure that your canned goods are going to be well received and eaten, which makes everyone happy!

If you would like some tips on how to pack and ship home canned goods for the holidays, check out my other post here:

How to Pack Label and Pack Canned Food for Shipping

But if you're wondering WHO and WHAT you should give, here’s a few of my suggestions:

Are They Worthy?

When I first started out, I was SO proud to share what I had made with everyone I knew. I remember one year I gave every single person in my office a jar of homemade jam for Christmas. Later, I found out that most of what I gave away was tossed in the garbage because my jars didn’t have a familiar food label on them. When I would share a jar of jam, salsa, pickles, whatever, many people would look at me like I just picked a booger and offered it to them on the end of a stick.

Again, this was BEFORE the recent “Canvolution” took off and many people viewed home canning as something that hillbillies or hippies did. They had no idea that what I was offering was by far better quality, better tasting, and healthier than anything they could purchase in a store. So, much of what I had worked so hard on was tossed away and not appreciated.

Today, more people are receptive to receiving home canned goods, as the craft has received a lot of attention lately; however, I have learned to regularly give my precious and delicious canned goods to people who I think are worthy to receive them. You’ll know who these people are, as they will tell you how much they loved what you gave them last. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get the empty jar back too, which is canning lingo for “Thank you; please refill!” I still share canned goods with people I don’t know that well, usually as “thank you” gifts, but I have learned to be picky about whom I give my canned goods.

Please don’t interpret this as sharing with people who only give me positive feedback. I know the act of sharing is to give without any expectation, and I often do. It’s just that when you spend so much time, money and effort to pick, skin, pit, chop, cook, and can what your making, not to mention if you went further back and grew or raised that food, you learn to be more discriminating and choose to regularly give to people who appreciate what went into what your giving. Now that I live in Virginia, I have found more “jar worthy” people up here as home canning is pretty common, which is wonderful!

Selection and Size

Now, I know you feel that your home-fermented Wild Juniper Sauerkraut is the BEST thing since sliced bread, but your “jar worthy” friends might not feel the same. When giving home canned goods to people you don’t know that well, it’s best to stick to common foods that are less exotic. Usually, this is limited to jams, jellies, and pickles. Relishes are good too, but not too exotic. Once you learn what your friends and family like and they are more open to trying new things, feel free to share that quart of Wild Juniper Sauerkraut! Also, think about presentation. That jar of beef stew may be the bomb, but I bet it looks like a scary science project to someone who is not familiar with how food “really” looks outside of a tin can.

Which brings me to size…

Start with giving pints or half pints as gifts. A big quart of sauerkraut or pie filling can be intimidating to the uninitiated, which may lead to your food not being eaten. Start them slow and small.

Labeling

Another thing I’ve learned about giving canned food as gifts is that people want to know what they’re eating. Not only does this help people identify ingredients they may not like or have allergies to, but in general, people will be more receptive to eating home canned food if they know what’s in it. When making canning labels, be sure to list the name of the item and the ingredients (if they will fit on the label). If an ingredient’s list won’t fit on the label, make a tag and tie it to the jar.

And speaking of labels, for the love of baby Jesus please don’t use the adhesive labels that are meant to be stuck to the sides of the jar! If you have any hope in getting your jars back or don’t want to spend hours scrubbing off adhesive glue, use round labels that are stuck to the lid (which are disposed after the jar is empty). I’ll even admit that I would rather throw an empty jar away (recycle) than spend the time it takes to soak and scrub the label and glue off.

Avery makes round labels that are easy to design and print. If you can swing it, use a laser printer to print your labels so the ink won’t run from condensation in the refrigerator. Labels made with ink jet printers will run.

Quantity and Variety

I’ve been guilty of giving people 7 types of jam all at one time. Unless they have a horrible sugar addiction, a very large family, or a bed and breakfast, most people will take a long time to finish a single jar of jam or jelly. Over the years, I’ve learned to give my regular “jar worthy” friends and family a variety of canned food and not bombard them with 6 quarts of pickles at one time. I’ve also learned to make in quantity of what people like. My salsa, apple butter, B&B pickles and pepper jellies will disappear before the jars are barely cool enough to handle; however, my pickled asparagus, fig preserves, and sauerkraut won’t get second requests (no matter how much I love them, so I make them for me!).

So, there you have it. These are some of my suggestions for successfully gifting home canned goods. With luck, your friends and family will rave and beg for more, but if not, that’s okay too.

Do you have any suggestions for gifting home canned foods?

Talk Dirty To Me

Oh Ryan Gosling, you sure do know how to get a girl all worked up!

Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Bars

So, about this time of year, I'm busy clearing out the deep freezer and canning larder to make room for the onslaught of produce that's just around the corner. I always have a few extra jars of jam tucked away, or I'm making jam with the frozen fruit from last year to make room in the freezer. Either way, I'm never without jam.

This recipe is a WONDERFUL way to use up any stray jars of jam you may have, not to mention it is super easy and scrumptious. It's a Pioneer Woman recipe and was on my wish list of canning and cooking recipes to try this year.

And feel free to use any flavor jam you want. I made these with some fig preserves a while ago and the bars came out like nubby, yummy fig newtons!

Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Bars

1 & 3/4 sticks Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 &1/2 cups Oats (quick or regular)
1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 jar (10 To 12 Ounce) Strawberry Preserves (or any flavor you wish)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 or 8 x 10 baking dish.

Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs (I just use my fingers). Sprinkle half the mixture into the pan and pat lightly to pack it a little tight.

If your preserves or jam have an especially firm set, take the band and lid off your jam jar and heat your jam in the jar in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds, or until the jam can be stirred easily with a spoon. Spoon strawberry preserves evenly over the surface, then use a dinner knife to carefully spread it around. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly again.

Bake until light golden brown on top, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan. When cool, cut into squares and serve. Yum!

Don't Make Fun of My Rice Cooker

I have this commercial sized rice cooket that I use for parties and social events. It can make like 60 cups of rice....hey when you need it, you need it! When I bring this into work for pot lucks, I always get teased.

Hmmphf!

The Grounghog LIED!

Snowed in...no power....send pizza!

Pantry Spring Clean

I need to clean out my larder.

That sounds a little gross doesn’t it? Maybe it’s because the word “lard” is in larder and images of globs-o-grease come to mind. A larder is any storage space used to keep food for a long time, usually a cool space in the basement or cellar. These were big before the days of electric refrigeration, but not so much today. Most people go to the grocery store and keep fresh food week-to-week in the refrigerator or in their kitchen pantry. There weren’t any “leftovers” in the old days either.

For those who home preserve, a larder is a place where you keep your canned goods, which just so happens to be that most people do this in the basement. Not too many people have room for 80 quarts of tomato sauce in their kitchen or pantry, so down to the basement they go. It’s also best to keep home-canned goods in a cool space because the rubber seals could weaken in a hot environment.

For me, I turned a small storage closed in my kitchen into a canning pantry. I guess you’d call it my larder since I don’t have any other place I keep my canned goods for now, plus I find that I’m more apt to use what I have when I can see it every day. I’m on the low side of canned goods, as last year’s canning season was a bust due to us buying a house and moving. But this year….THIS year I have big plans. I plan to make additional shelving in the basement for the overflow that will inevitably happen.

In the meantime, I need to cull out the items I’ve canned a year or so ago that we haven’t liked. I’m also doing this to make space for the following goodies I have my eye on for this year:

Salted Cranberry Grapefruit Jam – Doesn’t this just sound amazing!

Fire Roasted Tomatoes – Every year I can tons of sauce and plain pureed tomatoes, so this would be a perfect addition.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars – Another great use for all those jars of jam!

Annie’s Salsa – A staple and we never seem to have enough. Last year I only made ONE batch.

Beekman 1802 Blaak Onion Jam – Onion jams are so versatile and this just sounds so complex and delicious.

Pickle Quest 2013 – A never-ending story…last year’s batch of fermented pickles went bad before I could put them up (due to the move). We still have jars from 2011 and they weren’t crisp. FOILED AGAIN!

Roasted Red Pepper Spread – AMAZING with goat cheese, some crackers, and a bottle of wine. Sigh.

Pickled Pepperoncinis – My husband loves these, but for some reason I’ve never made them. That will change…oh, yes.

Quick Pickled Fennel with Orange – In the past two years, I’ve decided that I LOVE fennel. I think this recipe would be fantastic if you mixed it with some shredded cabbage for coleslaw.

Habanero Gold Jelly – Another favorite I haven’t made in eons.

Super Bowl Sunday

I’ve been cooking a lot of Paula Deen’s recipes this past week, which are hit-or-miss with me. I made her Chicken Brunswick Stew, substituting smoked pulled pork, and it was perfect. I made her Banana Pudding for an office pot luck, which I am on the fence with how it turned out. I used 2% milk versus whole and I felt the recipe called for too much corn starch, which made the pudding “starchy” tasting. And last night, I made a modified version of her Naked Chicken Wings for Super Bowl Sunday, which were wonderful. I caved in and bought a deep fryer. Baked wings are NOT the same; I don’t care what they say!

This is what we woke up to yesterday morning. It was gone (mostly) before the game started. It made for a nice, sleepy, chilly Sunday indoors:

I love the snow. It’s so pretty and I love how everything is so quiet and bright. I love how the snow allows you to look deep into the woods and see as far as your eyes will let you. We haven’t had very much this year, but we’ve had more snow days than we’ve ever had since we’ve been up here.

We are in the process of building our veggie beds for this year. It’s not been easy, since we’ve had to cut down a few trees and build a small retaining wall because the area is on a small slope. Once we finish the wall, we will bring in some fill dirt, level the area, and then build raised beds on top of that. My goal is to have it all done by the end of February so I can plant any cool weather loving seeds in March.

I’m looking forward to this year’s adventures in gardening. This will be a first for me. When we were renting, we didn’t have the opportunity to experiment with many of the plants up here, but now nothing can stop us except this awful clay soil. Gotta learn how to play with that!

Black-Eyed Peas for New Years

The tradition of eating black-eyed peas for good luck on New Years can originally be linked to the Jewish New Year, Rosh-Hashana, which called for eating the legumes because they were marked with the Jewish symbol of good luck.

In addition, the practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman’s troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.

Besides all this, they're very yummy! And good for you!

Here's my easy-black-eyed-peasy recipe for New Year's good luck. I made these today, but like all bean dishes, they're best on the second or third day. We'll be eating these tomorrow with some corn bread, which is a good luck symbol for gold on New Year (to be eaten with the lucky legumes).

If you don't have time to do these in a crock-pot, no worries. Just cook them on a simmer on your stovetop until they are nice and tender (bring to boil first, then reduce to simmer)

Happy New Year!

Easy Black-Eyed Peasy

1 pound dried black-eyed peas, rinsed
1 ham bone (or 1 1/2 cups cooked, chopped ham)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 packet of Goya Ham Seasoning
1 tablespoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Place all ingredients in a crock-pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until tender. Remove ham bone and pick off all meat; return ham meat to crock-pot. Serve hot with cornbread or stewed greens (or both!).

Meowy Christmas Everyone!

This is Lucy, a.k.a "Miss Thang" who will do just about anything for a treat.

Wishing all of you a happy, healthy, and safe holiday filled with love...and maybe some cheese.

Salsa Before Sandy

I managed to finish processing 14 pints of Annie's Salsa before Sandy blew through and messed up the power. 

Hey, didn't we move up here to get away from crap like this???!!

Splendor

This is the view out my office window right now.

Sigh.

Caramel Apple Butter

This is an annual treat that I, hubby, and all my friends and family wait for. Caramel Apple Butter.

Could there be a more beautiful set of words? I think not!

Now, let me caveat to say this is NOT a USDA, Ball, Kerr or otherwise “approved” recipe, so use your own freedom of will to decide if you want to make this recipe for yourself or not. It’s controversial because Kraft caramels are added to the puree and melted down, so that’s that. I can say; however, I’ve made this recipe and canned it safely for several years and it’s a delicious treat.

With that said, let’s start canning! This recipe will make about 12 pints, so if you would like less, just halve the recipe for 6 pints or 12 half pints.

Start with a half bushel of apples (this came out to 14 lbs for my half bushel)

Peel and core the apples. Hopefully you have one of these nifty apple peelers! Add the peeled apples to a very large (or two) stockpot. Add about 2-3 inches of water or apple cider to the pot, bring to a boil, put a lid on the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the apples are fork tender. Stir the apples about every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Take the cooked apples with the water/juice and puree using a stick blender, food processor or blender.

Add apple puree to a large roasting pan. Traditionally, apple butter making is done on the stovetop, but who wants to dodge all those bubbling spurts of hot, molten apple butter blobs? Not me! I put my apple butter in a roasting pan and cook it in the oven, or in this case, I use my 18 quart Nesco roaster, which is a small, convenient oven in itself!

Add 2 cups of sugar for every 7 cups of apple puree (or to taste if you like it sweeter). In my case, I used 6 cups of white sugar.

Add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon to the puree. Cook the apple butter, with a lid propped on the roasting pan to allow for evaporation, at 300-350 degrees; stirring every 15-20 minutes to prevent burning.

Cook anywhere from 3-4 hours (or more or less) to where the apple butter will mound nicely on a spoon. 30 minutes before it is done, add 50 Kraft caramels to the mixture and keep stirring until melted and bubbly. If you are halving the recipe, add 25 Kraft caramels.

Ladle the hot apple butter mixture into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch headspace, and process for 10 minutes in a BWB.

Ugly Couch: Before and After

I have a confession to make, I love ugly furniture. Not just ANY kind of ugly furniture...it has to be furniture with potential to be beautiful. Lately, I've been following Emliy Henderson A LOT and she has inspired me to buy this ugly, neglected, chintz Duncan Phyfe nightmare:

I found it on Craigslist for $150. It weighed a ton (mahogany), it smelled, it was torn up in the back corners from someone's cat using it as a scratching post, and the frame was wobbly. I had a vision. I knew it had the potential to be something exceedingly wonderful.

After 5 weeks and $2K, we picked it up from the upholsterers last Friday. It is now drop-dead GORGEOUS! The material I selected is a light camel colored linen that really shows off all of her sexy curves. I know $2K is a lot of money, but it was worth every red cent. They basically had to redesign the sofa into a new style, and I dropped off little more than a pile of wood for them to work with.

I probably would have spent $2K for a nice, brand new sofa from a furniture store, but instead, I spent $2K on a sofa that would now sell for twice as much as that in an antique store and will outlast ANY brand new sofa that I could buy. Not to mention, I have something that is totally original from anything else I would have ever found in a store. Go me!

Happy Fall, Ya'll!

This is what I wrote to my friend Mary at Two Sisters. I thought I'd share:

This is my FAVORITE time of year! The light in the sky changes and the trees start their own seasonal change. The crows are barking in the back yard; you can smell damp earth and burning leaves in the air.

"Dried apples swinging in empty doorways.” God, I love Ray Bradbury!

It starts as a slight fading of color at first; the trees are not as bright green as they were a few months ago. Suddenly, you see that ONE bright red, orange, or yellow tree amongst all the dull and light green, and then it’s just a matter of time before the rest catch up in a glory of color.

We had a cold front come in over the last couple of days and this morning it was actually chilly. We slept with the windows open last night and heard owls hooting all around us in the woods. I told hubby that there was no way in hell we were spending very much time inside this weekend. We have a five foot tall mound of chipped tree mulch to deal with that’s sitting right where we want to have a garage shed installed, so I think we’ll take a bite out of that on Saturday. We had 13 trees taken down and mulched and you can’t even tell! We have sold our soul to the devil and found an honest-to-god, reliable, professional, honest and CHEAP tree removal company. I’m going to need some more trees taken down next month or so to start planning for a veggie garden!

We love, love, lurrrrrve our new house. It’s definitely a little bit country, and a little bit rock-and-roll. I love the layout, the property, everything. I’m not sure if it’s our forever home, but we’ll be here for a long while.

Pictures coming soon; promise!

Moving Day

God, please let this day be over soon.

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. :-)