Smokin'!

Aaron got a smoker shortly after the Feast and we have already put it to use,  making up some venison jerky (totally yummy and totally gone now!)

We received some beef from a church friend who had an older cow butchered, and we though that we would try our hand at making some beef bacon out of a HUGE roast.

First the meat needed to thaw, and then it was cut off the bone and into smaller sections. Then came curing. There are a couple different methods used to cure the meat. You can use a brine (salt water basically) or a dry cure. We chose the dry cure, as it used much less salt. You rub a bit of salt on the meat, place in the frig, darning off the liquids and adding a bit more salt each 24 hours. You do this for 3-5 days. The salt draws out the moisture in prep for smoking. We did this for three days. You rinse off the meat and then smoke at 150* for 3-4 hours. The end result is yummy, although we used too much salt so it's a bit on the salty side, but all in all, not bad for a first go around. :)

Nice and smokey!

Sweet Moments!

Practicing with Aunty.

My lovely Mama.

Learning a bit from Aunty. LOVE this picture!

We so enjoyed Nana and Aunty's visit although all parties would say it was way too short.

We are settling back into the swing of things here and our place, although thing seem off today. It started this morning when we though Lyla ran off some time in the night. Two friends work at local post offices and started having people look for her. We drove all over the area, twice, calling her name. We figured that with the HUGE noise of all the fireworks last night, she got out and got scared. After we got home after trip #2, Aaron went into the hard, and thought to look under one side of the house. It would be a tight squeeze, but MAYBE she might be under there. Sure enough, happy as a clam (it was cool, she is fluffy and hot) was Lyla, stuck. All of us are thankful she was just stuck and not hit by a car or stolen!

After the stress of morning, we though it would be fun to eat lunch up at the fishing pond. I went to get the end of the hose to fill up the dog water and noticed that the compost bin was on fire. Odd....Aaron dumped in some old ashes, and with the sun right on them, must have had one that was still kinda warm and with the added heat, got hot enough to burn the wood. That was easily put out and from now on we will wet down the compost after throwing in ANY ash!

This afternoon was relaxing, I worked on a throw blanket while the kids payed and ran and Aaron fishes. We then headed to the pasture and filled up water for the critters and then picked up a bag of alpaca fleece. Home for tidying the house, music practice and dinner (chicken salad wraps and the above ice cream). Stories, teeth brushed and PJ's in place the kids are in bed. Aaron went to spend some quite moments fishing some more and I am off to keep up on my throw. 

Night!

I Have A Thing...

 ...for horses and good food.. I know odd combo for a blog post, but hey. It's my blog, AND I am remembering to post a requested recipe. If I don't do it know, I will likely forget forever or way after the fact. So humor me! :-)

 

A friends horse Charlie and my man. Until I get my own horse, I am enjoying taking pictures, and loving on the neighbors :)

Charlie is a goof ball, he has a lot of personality. He also has loose lips and like to eat everything!

Even like to nibble of Clara. She just started bossing him around and pushed him away. My girls has the same love of horses as me. How fun is this going to be!

 

Now: Good Food aka Requested Recipe that I am now going to have to make this week...Thanks Julianne!

Coffee Spiced Rubbed Grilled Roast:

 

Rub:

1/4 -1/3 cup finally ground coffee

1/4 cup chilli powder

2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon salt

1tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon coriander

2 teaspoons ground ginger

 

Take thawed roast and trim fat if need be. Cut slits all over roast to stuff with garlic cloves, I like to add about 10 for a 3 lb roast, but we really like garlic. After garlic is stuffed into slits, rub the outside of the roast with oil so the coffee rub sticks nicely. Rub Roast all over with rub mixture (it might not take all of it, but give it a good coating). Let set in frig until grill is hot (or do it the day before for an even deeper flavor, just cover and set in frig.)

Grill roast on grill until med rare inside, let set for 10-20 minutes before slicing. The coffee run is rather strong, but the big ups in this house like it, we just scrape it off for the kids. You can also broil this easily.

 

 

Chickens and Sandwiches

I know, a very random post today, but I am rather behind on what needs to be posted, so though I would lump some together.

Chickens:

When we stopped into the feed store on Friday to pick up the needed chicken food, I asked what chicks they had for sales. The had the still cute fluffy ones, and then a bunch on older chicks. The older chicks were needing new homes and on sale. We came home with 6 for my mother-in-law and 5 for us!

Sandwiches: 

These hardy, filling, really really good sandwiches are so good! If you didn't gather that already. My man loved them,and as asked me to make them more often! 

 
You can find the recipe here:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/marlboro_mans_f/

Two Things

Ok, so maybe I will bring up three. The first..this weather is awful!

It started raining last night, with winds, and the power flicker a couple time. BUT, It's not snowing. That in it's self is a big deal! We are 10-15 degrees below the normal temp this time of year. This weather is making every grabby!

SO, what do I do? Make Cinnamon Rolls and take pictures! 

Second: Poineer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls. I did them just a tad different and used brown sugar instead of white, but they turned out great. In face, my Love proclaimed them, "the best you have ever made!" 

 Third :sunny, daisy like flower (potted) that I got for $.99 at Lowe's.

Feeling warmer? I am!

Gooey Chocolate Coconut Pie

Two hours later and a way over done crust, but still tasty!

Recipe:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup choco chips
1 cup dried coconut

Mix together butter, sugars, flour and eggs very well. Add in Chips and Coco nut. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350* for 55-60  mins (it will remain kinda gooey, making it all that much better!) 

 

*note* This recipe does not do well doubled and in a deep dish pie pan. I did this last night and it took about 2 hours to cook and the top part of the crust was very well done! It still tasted great as long as be broke off the exposed crust...haha

Ready for the oven....

Pie is a must in our house. It has a long history between Aaron and me. When we were courting I would make him an apple pie to take home with him. He would take it to work for breakfasts for the week and drive everyone nuts in the break room when he wouldn't share! I am always on the look out for great pies to add to my regulars. This one makes the" keep" list! It is rich, so a small piece is very satisfying with a cup of hot joe! Yum!

Mud Pie Cookies

Mud Pie Cookies

one cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup butter or oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla 

1 box chocolate cake mix ( I used a gluten free mix)

sugar

In a bowl beat the yogurt, butter/oil, egg and vanilla until smooth. Mix in chocolate cake mix. The dough will be thin-ish. Cover and chill in the frig until firm enough to make into blobs  (above) on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and bake in preheated over (350*) for  10-12 mins. Cookies will be flat and gooey! YUM! Eat as soon as they are cool enough to not burn you!

*please note: I will not be held responsible for large consumption of these cookies! *

Comfort Food

There is just something about lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese tossed in a vinaigrette....oh yum!

Smoked Salmon Chowder

It must be my Scandinavian blood, or maybe just a weakness for creamy soups. What ever it is, this is my favorite!

Smoked Salmon Chowder

Serves 4

 1 onion, diced

1/2 lb smoked salmon shredded

4 carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 can or 1 small bag (frozen) corn

nice big spoonful of minced garlic

2 table spoons butter (or oil, I like the flavor of the butter better)

16 oz sour cream

8 oz heavy cream or whole milk

 3-4 cups water or veggy stock (depending on how "soupy" you like it)

smig of gratted cheese

green onion tops

Salt and pepper to taste

In the bottom of a soup pan, melt butter and cook onion until tender, throwing in corn, carrots, garlic and salmon. Cook for about 5 mins on high heat (until everything is nice and coated with butter and garlic and warm!), stirring all the time. Add in the water or veggy stock and let everything simmer together for an hour or 2, the longer the better! Salt and pepper to taste. Right before serving, pour in the cream and stir in the sour cream, heat until just warm. Serve in a bowl with green onion and a sprinkle of cheese on top! YUM!

Really dark picture sorry! As of right now, on my OLD 1972 stove, I have no over head light!

Said stove, but really I wanted to show all the LIGHT in my new kitchen! This is on a kinda cloudy day with no lights turned on! And a couple of really cute kids!

Putting in the light switch.

Light switch for the kitchen and the plug on the small wall. The big ugly thing you see in the hole is the stove in the old kitchen.

Andrew showing the size of my new really nice sink! :) It's over 1/2 as long as my bathtub!

Today is a busy day in our house. Sabbath Prep Day. Most of the time I do not get all I want to done (might have something to do with big lists and not enough time....its a problem of mine! Haha), but today is looking swell! :) We have a nice head start of cleaning the house and Andrew's new bed is almost done. Just need to cover the boards and paint the frame. I am making a big pot of chili for dinner tonight and tomorrow as well, although tomorrows dinner might be chili cheese tacos. We shall see what we are in the mood for.

I spend some time, just a little bit ago, and washed the windows outside, as well as the doors. I love clean windows, and the outside was getting a bit muddy. Lyla likes to jump up and remind us that we left her outside. She is tall enough that she can look right in. It's rather funny! She is such a good dog. 

Today's Thankful list: 

Daddy: My wife. (aw....how sweet is he!)

Mama: Sunshine. I love winter and the beauty of the snow and ice but miss the longer days of sunshine. Today is so pretty I just want to be out. Spray foam insulation, we are sealing up around the new back door and it sure makes a difference! Its pretty cheap for a can, and sure helps the drafts! I know that was two things.

Clara: Playing outside.

Flora: Baths

Andrew: shortbread. Again, I am just guessing since he is a man of little words, but he is addicted to the stuff. :) It's good if you are trying to lose weight to share with him....you won't get much! :)

Short Bread: 

2 cups butter (soft)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1t vanilla

4 cups flour

Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in vanilla and flour and mix well. Dough it thick. Divide and press into 2 square pans (9x9) or one 9x13 pan. Don't oil the pans. Bake at 350* until just golden at the edges. Cut and let cool. Perfect with tea for an afternoon treat! :)

King Family Cold Tea

We love this stuff. It taste good and also is loaded with cold fighting stuff.

Mix together: 1/2 cup dried yarrow, 1/2 cup dried thyme, 1/2 cup chamomile, 1/4 cup peppermint.  Boil a gallon of water and steep with herbs for 20 mins. Strain out herbs and keep simmering on stove. Drink tons, sweeten with honey and add in a little lemon if desired.

The yarrow is loaded with cold fighting properties, the thyme helps rid your body of mucus. The others help make it taste good! 

Gluten Free Muffles

Or Muffins for all you other folks. Flora calls them Muffles and it stuck. Just a heads up, if you search "whole wheat muffles" on a recipe sight, you will come up with nothing.

We try to eat gluten free and I am always looking for just the right recipe. I went out on a limb this morning and adapted a whole wheat muffin recipe to gluten free and made it even healthy. They turned out great, light and fluffy and held together nicely. A hit in our family, since the first 12 were gone before I blinked! :) Just what this wife/mama likes to see!

Gluten Free Breakfast Muffles

1 cup coconut oil, or butter
2 cups brown sugar (or other sweetner, I was out of everything but sugar)
2 eggs (I used duck)
2t vanilla
2 cups milk
2 t baking soda
1t salt
2 cups Bob's All Purpose Gluten free flour
1/4 cup buck wheat flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup oat flour
4 T flax seeds

Mix everything together well.
Bake in muffle pans at 400* for about 10 mins until knife comes out clean. There are stick ybuggers, so grease, grease, grease. Or just use wax paper or muffle papers :)

Moroccan Lentil Soup

For our Anniversary we went to a Moroccan restaurant in downtown Seattle thanks to a friend of ours. We LOVED the food, especially that Lentil Soup.

I found a recipe and adapted it to taste just like the restaurant!

CrockPot Moroccan Lentil Soup

3 cans (or 9 cups) chicken stock
3 cups water
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cups lentils
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic
1-2T cunium
1-2t coriander
1-2t cardamon
6 big glugs of hot sauce or about 1t hot pepper flakes
1 can garbanzo beans
splash of lemon juice
salt and pepper.

Throw everything in your crockpot (6 qt) and cook on high for 4 hours or until done. Adgust spices to taste!

Sweetend Condensed Milk

I dont know about you, but I dont use this all that often. When I do want to make somthing with it, I bulk at paying over $2 a can for it! So this morning, when a recipe I was making called for it, I googled how to make my own!

I must say, I am very happy with the recipe and its QUICK!

1/3 cup boiling water
1/4 soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dry skim milk
(= one 14 oz can)

Mix together first 4 things until well mixed. Add in milk and mix until smooth. Cool to room temp. This is nice and think and will keep in the frig for 2 weeks or in the freezer.

We like it better then the canned stuff, its not as sweet!

Off to finish deleavening my kitchen! Almost done. How are you all doing?

Menu and an Update

This weeks menu is pretty easy.

Sunday: "p" dinner. Pears, peppers, popcorn, potato chip, pineapple, peanuts, pickles. With pudding and peanut butter cookie for dessert. This wasn't planned, but the girl kept asking for popcorn....so we went with it! It was fun to "shop" for things that started with "p"

Monday: Turkey, squash, carrots, gravy
Tuesday: Orange turkey...same as orange chicken....but with left overs! :) This is a crock pot meal.
Wednesday: Turkey stir fry or chili, which ever we feel like more.
Thursday: Left overs. Clean out frig.
Friday: Sandwiches on the go! Off on our trip! Yahoo!

I am not going to post a recipe today but a link. This is one of my favorite sites to browse and get ideas! And its all for the crockpot! :) I LOVE my crock pot!

A quick update on Jethro and Tracy:

He is stable, although still sedated. Prayers are still very much needed, but the doctors are seeing improvement in both his heart (blood flow I think) and his lung tissue. Tracy seems to be healing well and is able to do some of Jethro's care, which is good for her heart! Praise God and keep those prayers a comin'!

Menu

We spent this Sabbath at home. Listening to ECoG on the phone and UCoG via the internet. Took a walk to the post office and then the park for some fresh air. It was a good Restful Sabbath. Neither Aaron and I felt like loading up and heading to church, it has been a long week and we just needed a day a home, doing nothing.

A few weeks ago we finally watched Julie and Julia. It was pretty good, and if you like to cook its even better. The movie is based off the book that Julie Powell wrote and I just received it in the mail from Paper Back Swap. I am really looking forward to starting it this evening after the kids are in bed.

Here is our menu for the week:

Sunday: Roasted Turkey, potatoes, carrots and salad
Monday: Turkey soup in the crock pot
Tuesday: meatless tacos with home make salsa and gauc!
Wednesday: Pot pie with some of the turkey.
Thursday: Leftovers or another turkey soup of some kind...but I am sure we will have left overs.
Friday: Thai and veggies
Saturday: Potato Salad, Hamburgers and carrots sticks.

I got a recipe off a Rick Bayless Mexican Cooking show on PBS I though I would share.

Guac Dip.

3 mashed avocados
1/4 white onion, finally chopped and rinsed with cold water
small handful of sun dried tomatoes, finally chopped
1 hot pepper, such as a jalapeno, seeds removed and finally chopped
handful of cilantro
salt to taste
1/2 a lime, juiced

Mix together, tasting and adding salt as needed. Place plastic wrap right on the dip so it doesn't turn colors. Place in the Frig until ready to eat.

French Onion Soup

My all time favorite soup has got to be french onion. :) So I will share my recipe.

6 large onions cut into small slices
3 table spoons butter or oil

cook over med heat until onions are brownish

add in

4 cups beef beef broth
2 tsp dried garlic (or about 2 gloves)
pinch of hot pepper flakes (not needed)
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer for about 10-15 mins.

Now you can use bread be we don't. I just add a couple slices of swiss cheese to my bowl and enjoy that way! :)

Menu

Here is this weeks menu. I am posting just dinner, and breakfast is usually oatmeal and yogurt. Some times eggs and something else. Lunch is left overs. Like tomorrow we will have tacos with the left over meat for tonight's dinner. Or we have pb and j.

Sunday: Tacos and squash.
Monday: Meatless chili with home made baked corn chips.
Tuesday: Veggie Beef Stew
Wednesday: Lentil soup with sausage
Thursday:Roasted chicken, potatoes, and greens
Friday (Aaron's Birthday) Stir fry with left over chicken.
Saturday: Left Overs.


To keep this post shorter, I will post a very simple recipe.

Home Made Corn Chips.

10 corn tortillas
oil
salt and pepper
lime


Cut tortillas in to strips or quarters. lightly brush with oil, and bake at 350* until crispy. Spray lightly with lime and season with salt and pepper.

This Weeks Menu

In an effort to get my toughs organized onto paper I ordered a planner. It has a place for lesson plans each week, menu for the week, a month at a glance and a daily time schedule. As I was planning and organizing the school stuff for this week. I was also thinking about our menu. I have had great ideas on having it all planned for a week or two at a time. Well, I have, in my head. But only wrote it down a time or two. So, to try and be better about it (which is making my husband very happy :) . I though I would post my menu here. I will also share a family favorite recipe ever week, maybe something from that weeks menu. :)


Sunday: leftover chicken and veggie soup
Monday: Mexican chicken and rice casserole and brussels sprouts
Tuesday: Beef Stir Fry and Rice
Wednesday: Chili in crock pot, carrots
Thursday: Grilled salmon, green beans, rice, squash
Friday: Lamb, salad, quino, squash and chocolate cake (Company for dinner)
Saturday: Left overs. Most likely lamb stew. :)

Homemade Meatless Chili

3 cups beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 zuch
1 onion
1 can corn
chili powder
garlic
salt and pepper
red peppers
cilantro


In crock put in beans and enough water to cover and then some. Cook until beans are tender (On high for about 4 hours, watch water to make sure there is enough) Then add the rest of the ing. To taste on spices. We like it a little spicer. Serve with sour cream, chips and cheese. Supper easy, and supper cheap! We usually add carrot sticks or apple pieces to make it a meal.