No More Experimenting

I had two other soups that I wanted to share this week and still haven't written the posts.  My husband told me to just make foods that we know we like instead of experimenting.  I am not good at listening (especially when he is at work)!  This soup won my heart after half a bowl, alittle more salt, then alittle less.  My tummy was GROWLING while I was making it and I was completely full after one bowl.  A savory, hearty soup with lots of veggies.  I saw a recipe on another blog and I like to try new things, don't like to follow directions, and am horrible at measuring.  This is what came out....

Start out with some roasted veggies.  This is what I threw on the cookie sheet with some olive oil for 30 minutes:

1 carrot

2 stalks celery

3 bell peppers

2 onions

1 bulb garlic

Meanwhile, I simmered 2 cups chicken stock and 2 cups mashed butternut squash.  They were frozen and needed to thaw!

After the veggies had roasted, poured half of the stock/squash mixture into the food processor with the onions, garlic, and some of the carrots and celery.  Then I added lots of thyme, sage, salt, and pepper.

Finally, I threw all of that in the soup pot with:

the rest of the veggies

some diced yellow squash

1 cup roasted, shredded chicken

2 cups water

more seasonings to taste

Heat until steamy!  Experiment!  Enjoy!

(Don't worry Justin, I won't make you eat it when you get home :)



Chicken Corn Soup

This is by far the most requested soup at my house.  One of the best things about this is that we use corn from our garden or my husband's families' farm.  We freeze tons each year for the winter months.  I usually add 2 packages to each pot of soup, each being about 2.5-3 cups.  I typically roast a whole chicken every few months, pull apart the meat and freeze in small, meal sized portions.  I use the carcass to make chicken stock.  Those are key elements to make this soup quick and easy!

I am going to try to get this into recipe form, although most of the time I just throw things together. 

Chicken Corn Soup

8 cups chicken stock

3-4 carrots, chopped

2 onions, chopped

2-3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

5-6 cups corn kernels

1 cup milk

garlic, salt, pepper to taste

Simmer the carrots and onion in stock until tender.  Add corn and chicken.  Stir in milk and spices.  Add water if you would like a thinner soup.  Heat soup until hot.  Serve with bread, biscuits, or grilled cheese!

This makes a big pot so you can have leftovers for another meal or freeze some for another day.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Sauerkraut Soup

Sauerkraut is a favorite at our house.  I remember my mom making it when I was young.  My sister and I would eat as little as we possibly could get away with.  Now I enjoy it much more and my husband LOVES it.  We don't use it as a condiment, it is part of the main meal here!  We ferment our own for about a month and a half in an old crock.  I scored this year and got 10 heads of cabbage at the farmers' market for $9.  The guy who sold it to me looked at me funny and said "that's a lot of cabbage".  I explained we were making sauerkraut and then he seemed to understand!  I have canned and frozen the kraut and either way it seems to do well. 

Our favorite dish is kraut and sausage with mashed potatoes.  I decided it was time to branch out and try kraut in a soup.  Browsed a few recipes online and then threw this together with what I had.

Sauerkraut Soup

Chop 4 stalks celery, 3 carrots, 1 onion, and 3 cloves garlic.  Saute the veggies in 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or your fat of choice).

Add 3 cups chicken stock and 2 cups sauerkraut brine.  Simmer mixture until veggies are soft. 

Add 2 cups sauerkraut and chopped smoked sausage or kielbasa.

Season to your liking and heat through.

(I added thyme, pepper, onion powder, and more garlic.)

My husband gave this recipe the thumbs up and I am happy to have another way to enjoy our homemade kraut!  We always pack our kraut with lots of brine but you could always add more stock if you have drier kraut.

Did I mention how much our dog loves kraut?  She is German after all :)



7 Reasons Why I Love Homemade Soup

I love soup.  I could eat it every day.  Warm, hearty, goodness, especially on a snowy winters day......mmm:)  I have almost completely eliminated canned soups from our cupboards.  I still have the occasional cream soup stashed away for a casserole but I have been working on perfecting a homemade version to keep on hand for such occasions.  Here is why I could eat soup every day....

1. Endless possibilities.  You can experiment and throw almost anything in a pot to make a delicious meal.  Pretty much, I can't screw it up so what's not to like?
2. Use up leftovers.  Have a bit of meat leftover?  Veggies in the crisper nearing the end of their life?  Throw 'em in the pot!
3. Easy to make tons.  I love making a huge pot of soup and freezing some for a quick meal another day.
4. Pack in those extra veggies.  Soup is a great way to get an extra serving.  Not that my husband and I have trouble eating veggies (we love them) but soup is just another way to enjoy them and get lots of them in one dish!
5. Comfort food.  Doesn't it just make you feel homey?
6. Crock it.  Throw everything in the crock pot and forget about it until you are hungry!
7. Biscuits.  I love pairing soup with warm biscuits, dripping with butter :)

We have a handful of favorite soup recipes that my husband requests and plenty more that I try out from time to time.  My goal is to share those favorites over the next few weeks so you can enjoy them too!  What is your favorite soup?  Wanna share it here on One Acre Farm?

A new twist on breakfast!

I have been reading a bit about the GAPS diet as a way to cleanse and heal the intestinal tract.  I was intrigued and thought about trying it.  My husband reminded me that I have a list of things to try in the kitchen and I need to focus on one at a time.  Yup, I forgot again that I need to slow down and master one thing at a time.  But it won't hurt to try a new recipe here and there right?  Here is one alternative that was posted on Real {Fast} Food's facebook page.

Pumpkin Nutbutter Pancakes

1 c. pureed squash
1 c. nutbutter
5 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

I used butternut squash that I have TONS of thanks to the great growing capacity of our compost pile ;)  I chose almond butter to use up what I had in the cupboard.  I fried the cakes on my griddle with butter.  They cooked differently than regular pancakes and needed to be really bubbly and glazing over before your flipped them.  Believe me, I has some that turned out pretty sloppy from trying to flip when I usually would! 

These are definitely different.  It took about 3 years before Justin enjoyed pancakes with my baking mix made with half wheat flour; I think it will take at least that long to get him used to these.  I, however, liked the change!  I used our homemade maple syrup to top my pancakes.  Justin tends to lean toward molasses as his pancake topper which he said helped cover up the squash taste that he didn't like.  I am still not sure if butternut squash really has a taste of its own but I would like to try peanut butter to see if the more familiar flavor might make a difference. 

Justin had made some chicken sausage the day before.  We got a good deal on boneless-skinless chicken breasts and purchased about 80lbs.  I know it sounds like a lot but we don't eat beef (no I am not trying to make any kind of statement it is just the main trigger of Justin's gout so we really limit how much we eat) so chicken is our staple meat.  Unfortunately, I was working the day the chicken was delivered so Justin got stuck processing it.  He spent six hours splitting breasts, marinating, and packaging.  We now have tons of chicken in the freezer and about half just needs to be thawed and grilled for quick meals!  I love that he was willing to do that to make our meal prep easier later.  Anyway, he took some of the chicken scraps and ground it with spices for sausage.  A tasty experiment that I am sure we will repeat!!  A nice addition to our new approach to breakfast!

Piece of Cake

Last weekend was my niece's second birthday.  I am thankful that we were able to have the weekend off and that it was time for a January thaw which allowed us to escape and head up to NY for the party.  My sister let's me practice my cake decorating skills for her daughter's parties.  She says that sometimes she is a perfectionist but most of the time she doesn't really care if things are perfect.  Great news for me!  This year the theme was bumble bees.  Here is my modification with the Wilton Lady Bug pan.

My fingers were purple for awhile after all of the black icing!  My mom said no more black next year because it was like tar when she was doing the dishes ;P

This year and last my niece has had her own cake to destroy.  She likes stars so we have stuck with that pan!

A real food journey...

Real food.  Two simple words but together it can mean so much.  I guess I have always had the bug to cook real food but life got in the way.  When we were first married, I had lots of processed food in my cupboards.  There was stuff in those containers that I don’t want in my body but it was easy, convenient, and cheap.  I loved to cook and bake but it wasn’t a priority.  Over the last three or so years, I have read and read and read some more about homemaking, homesteading, and natural food choices.  I keep reading and thinking I could do so much better than what I am doing.  I have such a desire to change the way we live so that we can have the lives God intended.  My goal is health, self-sufficiency, and simplicity.  Why can’t I be at the place where I feel like I have accomplished those goals?  It is all about the journey.  I read the other day about how delays and setbacks are sometimes needed to make things happen along the way so we can be used in ways we couldn’t imagine.  I keep reminding myself of this and (at my husband’s gentle reminders) try to be patient.  This year I am going to be deliberate about the changes I make as I work through several goals and processes.  First, I wanted to reflect on the things that we have accomplished over the last few years and share those ideas over the next few weeks.

·         homemade baking mix—I will have to share this recipe soon!  My mom always made her own baking mix for pancakes and waffles.  I use it all the time for breakfast, biscuits, and much more.  The whole-wheaty goodness gets me every time!

·         cookies—When we moved into my house I made the rule that we would not have any more store-bought cookies in the house.  Of course there are a few exceptions…such as Oreos for recipes like this one.  I have to figure out a homemade version!  Each year I buy a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies.  I have so many memories from my days as a scout and I want to continue to support that mission. 

·         purchased boxed or frozen meals—I used to keep these on hand for busy days when I didn’t have time to cook or when I was working and my husband was alone for dinner.  Now I just make huge batches of casseroles and other meals and pop individual servings in the freezer.  They are great quick meals and work-day lunches.

·         canned soups—No more of these!  I love soup.  I could eat it every day during the fall and winter.  My husband is not such an enthusiast but he bears with me.  I always make a big pot and freeze several large portions so we can heat it up with grilled sandwiches or fresh biscuits for an easy lunch or dinner.

·         dried goods—I am slowly incorporating more dried beans, rice, barley, lentils, etc.  I opt for the most whole, natural version and try new recipes with them.

·         less pasta—Pasta used to be our staple.  It was easy and versatile.  Justin could cook it quickly and easily on the nights when I was only home for about 45 mins on my dinner break.  It wasn’t healthy so I just sought out other options.  We still enjoy it once in awhile especially if we make our own!

·         homemade ice cream—Definitely a favorite treat at our house!  We started doing this before we were even officially dating.  I bought Justin an ice cream ball early in our relationship but we often used the hand crank maker at his parents.  Now we have our own electric one.

·         preserving our harvest—In the last two years I have done a ton of canning and freezing from our garden, others gardens, and the local farmers’ market.  This past summer/fall I did several batches of jam, spaghetti sauce, salsa, and applesauce.  We have lots of frozen snow peas, corn, beets, jalapeno poppers, and zucchini.  I have experimented with ketchup and apple butter.

·         sauerkraut—My husband and my German dog’s favorite!  I really can’t take credit for this because all I really do is buy the cabbage at the farmers’ market and freeze or can it in the end.  Justin is the real mastermind behind our two crocks of kraut this year.  I will have to get him to share all his secrets!

·         homemade yogurt—More probiotics!  Read about my investigative process here. 

So even though I feel miles behind the many women that I read about, I have made positive changes in the last few years.  It is a journey and I am learning so much along the way!  Wanna join me?

Five Years Ago....

Well, I am on a role!  I guess in this season of life, blogging is not something I do frequently.  I have tons of ideas to share and things floating around in my head but sitting down to the computer for fun is not always what I want to do.  I spend many hours a day online working.....so my downtime is often spent doing something other than starring at the screen!  Today, I had a few minutes and wanted to share a milestone in our marriage.

Yesterday was our fifth wedding anniversary.  It is hard to believe that we have been married for half of a decade.  He loves to tease that his life has been so hard as a married man but I know the truth!  Five years ago he officially acquired a maid and cook which is something he enjoys more than not.  I enjoy having a constant support system, a handy man, and someone to call me at work in the middle of the night to make sure I am still awake.  Thanks, Bubby!!

I am ashamed to say I was quite cranky on our special day :(  Working third shift on the weekends plus trying to stay up all day to do things at home and spend precious time with my hubby is hard for me.  It was the second annual family yard sale and I was trying desperately to hold true to my promise to help.  I did....sort of....by spending part of the day sleeping in Justin's truck.  Oh well!  We were blessed to be treated to dinner by Justin's parents.

One thing that I think is so neat about our relationship is our history.  We go back, way back, almost to birth.  We have memories from childhood of each other and that is so special to me! 

June 13, 1984

How about this one?  I used to hate this Polaroid!  Now it is a cherished memory.  Justin loves to point out that I have my legs wrapped around him.  Can I point out that he doesn't seem to be protesting!  Here's to five years of history, plus many more past and future. 

Time with Good Friends

During college I always thought I would move back home and settle in WNY.  Life didn't work out that way and living several hours away from my hometown, family, and many long-time friends is hard.  I love all of the people that I have met along my journey and cherish my time with friends who live close to my new home.  One thing (of many) that excites me is having people come visit.  Justin and I enjoy welcoming friends and family at our home for cook outs, ice cream making, and overnight stays.  The last few days we spent some time with one of my roommates from college and her husband.  Sarah is one of my dearest friends and we have been getting better at spending time together a few times a year.  Yesterday, we made memories at Knoebels and came to the conclusion that we are officially old!  All four of us were not thrilled with our handling of the thrill rides and we were quite content to take the train ride or antique cars.  I am so thankful that our husbands have many shared interests and get along so well--enough to challenge each other at bumper boats and remote cars/boats!

Cooling off at the North Pole.

cRaSh!!

How did we pass them?

The race is on!

Great memories with my friend!

I think I'm back.....

Wow.....that didn't last long!  I started this blog thinking it would be the answer to so many questions but after a few months I quit.  Well, I didn't really quit, it was a purposeful break for me to do some searching and praying to find out what the real purpose for this blog was and to look for more direction in my life.  When I started this blog, I thought it would be a way to share my pursuits in the kitchen and garden and prove that I could successfully provide for my family in that way.  I read so many blogs and see how woman stay home and serve their families there as well as bring in money through blogging.  What a great idea!  Almost a year ago, I dropped to part time at the hospital in order to pursue more teaching opportunities.  I love teaching, it gives me lots of flexibility, and the whole online thing works great for me to stay home--where I really like to work!  After all, I do have a Masters in Adult Education, might as well use it, right?

Then I read this book:  Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl.  At first I was blown away by how fundamental, traditional, and radical it all was.  Isn't submission for women of Biblical times or for traditional societies like the Amish?  I am educated and can think for myself.  What about the things I want in life?  As I read more, I saw just how much my rebellion against God and my husband could change my marriage and my life.  I was convicted and humbled.  There are so many things that I do and say that tear down my husband.  I want to do better; I want to be a good wife, a wife of noble character (Proverbs 31).  I realized I wasn't doing a very good job of that even if I thought I was trying.  My husband has told me time and again that I ask for advice and don't follow it (especially from him).  The only thing that he has asked of me is that I work full time.  He doesn't care what or where, I just need to work.  I keep thinking that I could work at home cooking, canning, freezing, making meals from scratch and that would be just as profitable as a job.  The idea of having children is always in the back of my mind and I want to be ready if that is ever a possibility for our family.  All of these goals that I was setting were not what Justin meant or what he wants from me.  This summer was a great time for me to do all of those things that I wanted and I thought that I would prove to him that it was worthwhile.  For the last several years, I have worked full time plus some.  I wanted this summer to be about me and the things I wanted but God was trying to show me something else.  Not that I agree with every word of the wife book (as Justin and I now refer to it).  Not that I have figured out how I am supposed to apply all that I learned from those lessons.  I do know that I have found a new focus and perspective and I want to be better at respecting my husband.  I am trying though I still have days were I revert back to my old self. 

All of that to say, I stopped blogging so that I could refocus.  At first I said I was completely done because it was selfish.  Besides, who really cares about what I have to say or what is growing in my garden?  I don't have anything more worthwhile to share than the women who are real homemakers and bloggers.  I figured I should just quit trying to be something I am not even though I reeeaaallly want to be!  I still don't know where I am going or what I am going to do to make sure I am fulfilling my husband's request.  School is back in session tomorrow.  I will be going, and doing, and running again soon!  I thrive when I am busy and feel like I have no free time.  That brings me to another lesson I am learning.  God has spoken over and over again to me in the last week or so.  His voice has come in many forms: online devotionals, radio programs, and in my prayer time.  Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10).  No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, no matter how far I search, He is still God.  I have always lived in a way that proclaims if God wants something from me or for me then naturally I should work really, really hard to get there.  The faster and more focused I am on the goal, the better His plan will work out.  This is so not true and lately my heavenly father has been asking me to just relax and let Him work out the details.  I don't know what the details are (oh, but I wish I did!) and I am not sure how to get there.  My job right now is to be patient and be a passenger.  Two other things that I need to work.....

Two Risottos

In an attempt to manage our food budget and make room for fresh foods in our cupboards and freezers, I am still looking for recipes to use items that I already have on hand.  It is amazing how many meals you can find in your house without making a trip to the store for special items.  So here is a little creativity and an adaptation of a recipe from a magazine!

A month or so back, I decided that I wanted to create a hearty one-pot meal.  I had a bag of barley pearls in the cupboard.  I tossed about half of the bag into some water and soaked in the frige overnight.  The rest of this is from memory.....I am trying to be more diligent about taking notes as I play in the kitchen so that I can share the recipe and make the same thing again later!

Mushroom-Barley Risotto

1 stick butter

1 medium onion, chopped

12 oz sliced mushrooms

1 cup white wine

soaked barley

water

In a skillet, melt butter and add onion and mushrooms with stirring.  Add wine and saute for about five minutes.  Add barley and one cup water.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed.  Continue until barley is tender and onions and mushrooms are cooked, about 45 minutes.

I am positive I took pictures of the process and the final product.  Can't find them now!  I will post pics next time I make this risotto.  This dish was really hardy and rich.  Great for a fall or winter evening.  I served it with mashed sweet potatoes that were left over from another meal.  A nice combo!  This dish reheated very nicely and was just as good the second day.



I had a bag of pre-cooked shrimp in the freezer that were showing signs of freezer burn.  I had fresh snow peas from the garden.  This recipe looked so tempting!  Shrimp and Spring Vegetable Risotto

I didn't have any asparagus but I did have a green-turning-orange bell pepper that I substituted.  This is a great recipe to add veggies to, increasing the nutritional value.  I enjoyed the hot meal even on a 90+ degree evening.  Fresh, this was very creamy but reheated for lunch today, it lacked that creaminess.  The arborio rice had absorbed much of the excess liquid so adding more water or broth when reheating may help to enhance the textures and traits of a typical risotto.

Blueberries

I headed out early this morning to pick blueberries.  No, we haven't added blueberry bushes to our "farm".....yet!  I picked at a local farm with a huge patch.  About an hour and a half and $15.89 later, I had 9lbs of berries!

Gotta love this color!

I headed home to escape the sun and heat.  I froze three cookie trays full of berries for later use in baked goods and smoothies.  My afternoon project was a batch of jam.  I love the pinging sounds as the jars seal.  Such a great way to preserve and enjoy food :)

While picking, I decided we need to plant a few bushes in our yard.  I would love to be able to pick fresh each morning for cereal or other treats.  Justin and I had talked about it last year but never figured out where we wanted to put the blueberries.  Now that we have a designated "orchard" in the yard, I am thinking that would be a great place to consider.

First Summer Harvest

Lots of gardening to be done over the last week!  We planted some brussel sprouts and jalepeno plants that we had started from seeds in the house.  We were able to get some more seeds in the ground: corn, green beans, and cabbage, for late season harvesting.  Cross your fingers with me that we will not be fighting the tomato rot this year.  Last year I had black tomatoes, this year I want red!  My husband fertilized with extra calcium and we have several baby green Romas starting.  I hope to be canning them soon!

Last year, my favorite treat was the early snow peas.  They are so tasty fresh from the garden, steamed for dinner, or frozen and added to stir fry over the winter.  This season, our snow peas have not thrived as they did last year but I was still able to pick about 4 quarts the other day.  I should have another good harvest today or tomorrow so that I can pack the freezer with fresh veggies.

We have some beautiful lettuce that has been the base for salads this week.  I hope it lasts through this heat so we can eat up those greens for the next few weeks!  One of our favorite salad meals is Greek Chicken.  We marinate chicken in Greek dressing and then grill it.  Enjoy it with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, and feta cheese.  Delicious! 



More Bermuda Pics

I got distracted.....

I had two Trash the Kitchen days this week where I cooked up a storm before heading to work.  A few mornings were spent in the garden weeding, planting some late crops, and tending to what is already growing!  With that and working full time at the lab, I haven't gotten back to my picture posting.  Here are some more of the highlights from Bermuda :)

Life on the Celebrity Summit

Views of Bermuda

Lights of Bermuda

Many of you know of our obsession with lighthouses.  It is evidenced by my bathroom decor :)  My main goal while in Bermuda was to see both lighthouses, at opposite ends of the island.  Thankfully, the island is only 21 square miles so traveling to the far reaches was no problem! 

Our first day in Bermuda, we took the ferry and then a pink bus (gotta love the Bermudians' taste in colors) to the east end of the island.  We visited St. David's Lighthouse which is tiny compared to many, with about 85 steps to the top. 

This light is nestled on a hill with several privately owned homes which I assume used to be buildings associated with the light.  A quiet little area that is only disturbed by the planes coming into the airport near by and the scooter races down the hill.  We got to wait for the bus back with a group of school children.  Then we waited some more because there wasn't room on the bus with all the school children!

Our second day on the island was as beautiful as the first.  My husband and I visited yet another light.  This one has a much more impressive height and boasts views of the entire island.  It is the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the world.  I am proud to say I made it up both lighthouses in Bermuda!  Here are some pictures from the Gibbs Hill Light.

This one is definitely making an appearance on my bathroom wall in the near future!

The weather vane that used to sit on top of the light.

By the way, if you ever plan a trip to Bermuda, check out the gift shop at the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse.  Great prices on souvenirs like mugs, tshirts, magnets, etc!

One last pic and another example of the colors of the island.  We (and when I say we, I mean my husband because I totally missed it!) found this little friend on the walk down from Gibbs Hill.  He was very kind to pose for some photos!