Well, the holidays have been good to our little family. We are still a little punch-drunk coming off a 5 day vacation of family, friends, love and home. We hosted two dinners, a traditionally German-inspired dinner and a traditional Italian-inspired dinner as homage to some of our ancestors.
The German meal, held on of the eve of Christmas eve was Saurebraten, homemade german Weck rolls, braised organic red cabbage, organic carrots and mashed potatoes with organic homemade beef stock. The Italian meal, held on the 28th was homemade semolina fettucine, homemade sausage with local meat, homemade tomato sauce from our garden tomatoes, garlic on homemade rolls and stuffed cherry bomb peppers that had been grown in our garden, pickled in vinegar and sugar and stuffed with mozzarella and cured italian meats. I will pass on the recipes at a later time, as they were all so good, they must be shared.
ELLIE'S FIRST CHRISTMAS! What a joy! She makes my heart feel so full and loved. I think the best present for all of us was to have five days of being together, all the time. We begged our families to refrain from feeding into the overabundance and commercialism that surrounds Christmas time for children. She doesn't need dozens of toys, and so we asked that if they were intent on giving material things they don't buy a lot of things and they make those things as basic and educational as they could. Or, if they really wanted to give, she has her own savings account! Well, everyone did well at limiting items to one or two toys. They were all natural, which we prefer, and of an educational nature. And still, we have abundance. Next year we will begin a tradition with Ellie that she donates a toy (or as many as she'd like) to charity.
THE NEW YEAR! The new year approaches and there are many exciting things we are thinking about. We will be embarking on a lifestyle change that I refuse to call a diet. We have been on the cusp of crossing into a healthy and nutritious lifestyle for long enough now that I think we can do this rather seemlessly. We already have switched to consuming mostly organic, unprocessed or local foods and bath products. However, we need to increase the amount of vegetables and decrease the amount of fat and starch.
We have a 1/4 of a cow coming to us in January and receive an additional 1/6 of a cow as a Christmas gift. It is all organic local beef. We are still stocked up on organic local chicken we purchased from the lady who drops off our eggs each week. Josh's dad will be butchering a pig in April that he has promised us, so we are looking at plenty of local, organic meat for the next year.
I am attempting to expand (yet again) my garden area to include more vegetables without freaking out the neighbors here. We live in town and are surrounded by people who have long ago retired and now spend most of their time tending to their lawns or paying someone to tend them. The year I grew red cabbage lining my front walk I had so many people stopping and staring, it was uncomfortable. But after growing kale next to the black eyed susans and garlic in the front flower bed, we stopped getting the strange comments and looks. Finally, we are just ignored!
We have the means to do it... between some great local and organic sources and our own home, it will be a healthful year ahead.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Lamb Stew and fresh baked Whole Wheat White Bread
Yesterday I made a hearty winter meal that was perfect for the chilly temperatures. It was simple and meaty and good.
Lamb Stew
2-3 lb Lamb cut, bones in (We used local organic)
8-10 cups water
1 onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic
1-2 Tsp dried rosemary
A few large sprigs of fresh thyme
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup whole baby 'bell mushrooms
1 Russet potato
1 celery stalk
Salt to taste
Place the lamb in the water along with the diced onion and diced celery. Smash the garlic cloves and cut them in half lengthwise. Add the rosemary and thyme. Cook on med-high for 2-3 hours, so that a good amount of the water evaporates. Once you feel you've attained a nice rich stock, cover the pot and reduce heat to low and continue to simmer for 2-3 hours, until the meat falls off the bone when prodded gently with a fork. Turn heat off to Warm. Remove all bones and any fat from the pot and shred the meat accordingly. Cube and add the potato. Halve the mushrooms and add as well. Allow to set for 30 minutes. Serve with Whole Wheat White Bread.
Whole Wheat White Bread
I mad ethis bread out of default because I had no white bread flour left. I wanted a light fluffly bread to go with this meal, but such would not happen, as I only had a tiny bit of AP left, a lot of whole white wheat and some whole wheat. But it was a pleasant surprise and we both and seconds.
1 cup AP flour
3 cups White Whole Wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp instant Yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
Combine ingredients in bread machine and remove before second rise. Form into a long cylinder by rolling it out into a rectangle and folding one side halfway to the end of the other and then wrapping the other side over. Pinch the seal shut. Sprinkle corn meal on baking sheet and place the dough seal-side down. let rise in a warm place for an hour covered with a damp cloth. Heat Oven to 425. Insert broiling pan with 1 cup water in it, followed immediately by the bread and bake for 25 minutes or until the dough sounds hollow when knocked.
Lamb Stew
2-3 lb Lamb cut, bones in (We used local organic)
8-10 cups water
1 onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic
1-2 Tsp dried rosemary
A few large sprigs of fresh thyme
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup whole baby 'bell mushrooms
1 Russet potato
1 celery stalk
Salt to taste
Place the lamb in the water along with the diced onion and diced celery. Smash the garlic cloves and cut them in half lengthwise. Add the rosemary and thyme. Cook on med-high for 2-3 hours, so that a good amount of the water evaporates. Once you feel you've attained a nice rich stock, cover the pot and reduce heat to low and continue to simmer for 2-3 hours, until the meat falls off the bone when prodded gently with a fork. Turn heat off to Warm. Remove all bones and any fat from the pot and shred the meat accordingly. Cube and add the potato. Halve the mushrooms and add as well. Allow to set for 30 minutes. Serve with Whole Wheat White Bread.
Whole Wheat White Bread
I mad ethis bread out of default because I had no white bread flour left. I wanted a light fluffly bread to go with this meal, but such would not happen, as I only had a tiny bit of AP left, a lot of whole white wheat and some whole wheat. But it was a pleasant surprise and we both and seconds.
1 cup AP flour
3 cups White Whole Wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp instant Yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
Combine ingredients in bread machine and remove before second rise. Form into a long cylinder by rolling it out into a rectangle and folding one side halfway to the end of the other and then wrapping the other side over. Pinch the seal shut. Sprinkle corn meal on baking sheet and place the dough seal-side down. let rise in a warm place for an hour covered with a damp cloth. Heat Oven to 425. Insert broiling pan with 1 cup water in it, followed immediately by the bread and bake for 25 minutes or until the dough sounds hollow when knocked.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Blueberry Walnut Cookies
Blueberry Walnut Cookies
Mix wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl and dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients the wet. Once blended well, fold in walnuts and blueberries. Chill dough for 15-3 mins. Use two spoons to form dollups onto cookie sheet. Makes about 3-4 dozen.
Mix wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl and dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients the wet. Once blended well, fold in walnuts and blueberries. Chill dough for 15-3 mins. Use two spoons to form dollups onto cookie sheet. Makes about 3-4 dozen.
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