I'm Back!

I'm back to using this blog again.  I'm in the process of copying the important parts of the other blog into this one.  I don't want to loose some of my best posts.  We'll start with Potstickers, which was dated 4/7/2012.

I have made these Potstickers several times,  They are a hit with company.  Great finger food for parties.  Start by preheating a medium a large frying pan with about a quarter inch of oil.

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Lay your wrappers out on a floured board.

Fill each wrapper with about a tablespoon of mixture.  Wet with water top and one side along the edge.

Fold and pinch together with fingers.  Place on floured surface until ready to fry.
Fry in oil turning when browned.  Brown both sides.  Place on a wire rack with toweling underneath rack.
The filling can be made a day ahead of your event.  They can even be put in the wrapper.  Cover with cloth and place in fridge.  The day of your event, take the potstickers out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature.  
Enjoy.  These are wonderful.  Make the dipping sauce and don't eliminate anything.  The taste is wonderful.

Pinnochle Party

Today we are having are first card party of the year. Usually we plan for once a month and rotate between three homes and stop around the end of August because of canning season. We are playing at our place today. We have snack type foods mostly. Today we are having seafood chowder, homemade baguettes, sandwich sugar cookies with homemade jam, a small fruit and vegies tray, Stromboli, (just in case someone doesn't like seafood or my chowder doesn't turn out.

I'm up early and my bread dough is on its first rise.

I'll follow up later with some pictures.

What's Cooking Sweet Potatoes

Judy started posting a weekly What's Cooking challenge to her blog and is tempting us to join her.  Each week on Wednesday, she'll call out the main ingredient.  It's our challenge to make something with that ingredient.  This week it was

 sweet potato.  

I've had a craving for Thai Curry lately and thought this was just the ticket for sweet potato.  Usually it's made with potato but I've made it with squash and sweet potato before,  It's delicious.

I had a packet of yellow curry spice in my freezer and a chicken thigh thawed.  I diced up some onions, sweet potatoes and chicken and sauted in a skillet with a little oil.  I added a little water and covered the skillet until the chicken was done.  Then added some stir fry vegetables.  After the vegetables and chicken was done, I added the curry spice and a can of coconut milk.  I heated it through and served it with steamed rice.

I'm all set up in front of the television ready to watch a movie.  I haven't decided what yet but I'll find something,.  By the way....this is delicious.

One Homemade Christmas Gift Made

We don't do much for the holidays.  There is just my son, significant other and myself here.  So I cook Thanksgiving because I love to cook and bake.  Plus the leftovers are awesome.  Same with Christmas, just the three of us.  I usually only gift to my son, one neighbor, a co-worker of my man's and my maillady.  This year I decided to make Kahula, mainly for me but though my maillady would like some.

I start with 4 cups coffee (recipe says Yuban, which I used but I shopped for price) in a kettle with 1 1/2  quarts plus 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.  Let cool and strain.  I strain mine twice so I don't get a lot of fine coffee grounds.  I strained through a double layer of cheesecloth.  Once strained, add 3 quarts water with 7 cups sugar and bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Completely cool.  Then add 2 ounces pure vanilla, 250 ml vodka and a fifth     Everclear or Clear Spring. ( I used Clear Spring).

cool completely

add vodka, vanilla and Clear Spring

add all of it

then pour into bottles.  Save those bottles.  You can use at least one from this batch (Clear Spring)

I ended up with 6 fifths plus a little in another bottle.  Hopefully I'll get my bottles back.  It took a while to accummulate these.

Store the bottle in a dark, cool spot for about 3 weeks.  Just in time for gifting. 

This post is being linked to Homestead Revival Blog Hop

Nothing Better Than Soup

Nothing's better than a hot bowl of soup on a dreary day.  I was reading blogs this week and saw that Ree from PW was having of few of her blog friends showcase a couple of her recipes from her new cookbook.



  I got this recipe from Bev Cooks' blog.  Chicken Tortilla Soup.   I added corn and a half can of green chilis.  This soup was great.  I'll be making it again.

Click on either Bev Cook's or the Soup for the recipe.

This post is being linked to Barn Hop #54 and Real Food Wednesday

Chicken Ahead

This morning I was reading this post about making chicken for a week of meals and decided to try it.  I have done this with Chicken Tetrazzini.  The Chicken Tetrazzini recipe makes enough for five meals.  I substituted chicken for the turkey.  I labelled each container and then froze them.  It was great to come home after work and be able to have a good meal without all the prep.  It was such a great experience that I decided to try Dicky's Chicken for a week.  Once the chicken has defrosted some, I will take out the giblet bag and the tray packing.  You can see it on the chicken in the front.

The chicken is in the roaster and it's Saturday, so I have time to do this.  I was glad that I had whole chicken in the freezer.  I bought these for $.79 a pound.  I buy the limit everytime they come on sale and of course, space availability in the freezer.

Now, I have all day to finish my quilt.  I've been saying this for two weeks.  It's a quilt I'm donating to the St. Paul Parochial School Auction.  It'll be held February 4. So you won't be hearing about it after that.  Then I'll be on another UFO (unfinished project).

I should be able to take if off the longarm today and make the binding and attach it.  I can make it.

How is everyone's Saturday?

Taco Soup

Today was a blustery day and we just needed some good old hearty soup.  I made Taco Soup with homemade garlic bread and avocado slices.

This soup changes as ingredients are available.  Doug tells me to "make that taco soup" and I have to think what did I put in it.  So this "taco soup" I wrote down.  The vegetable vary.  I use whatever leftover vegies I have in the fridge.  Tonight was potatoes.   Try this soup, it's great and hearty.

This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday

Turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my family near and far.  Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends,and coworkers.  Seems like such a big edible day that takes hours of prep and it's gone in a matter of minutes.

DB carved the turkey..

I set the table..

And all enjoyed our dinner.....We are

stuffed.  Dessert will have to wait for a couple of hours.  Well we have the game to watch.

I hope everyone is enjoying their family and friends.  

Weekend Cooking, Baking and Firewood

Since the days have been cooler, I've been wanting to make some comfort food.  I started with soup.  No name actually.  I looked in the freezer for meat and found some hamburger patties and pulled them out, next I went to the fridge and found some leftover pork roast, pulled it out, with carrots and celery.  Soup needs onions so I went to the garage and cut off an onion from the braid we have hanging in there.  I went to my pantry and got some canned corn and green beans from last year.  So pretty much the soup was all homemade except the meat.

I added a finely chopped jalenpeno, potatoes, garlic, some tomato sauce, beef broth and let it simmer all day.  I didn't want to go to the store for bread so I made bread next.  DB has been talking about wanting some "stretch necks" so instead of making two loaves of bread, I used one for the stretch necks.  I call them "fry bread."  I love making bread, it's so easy and rewarding.  I love the smell of the yeast and the baking.

I didn't get a snap of the bread, this is from last weekend.

And because I was on a roll, I also made Overnight Cinnamon Rolls for Saturday morning.  I started these in the evening.  They only took a couple of minutes to mix together and an hour for the first raising.  I rolled them out and filled them with cinnamon, melted butter, a little nutmeg and some walnuts we harvested roadside last year.  I covered them with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge.  The next morning I took them out while the oven was preheating.  Thirty minutes later we had fresh, hot out of the oven cinnamon rolls.

Firewood:  DBs nephew brought us out a couple cords of wood.  Saturday morning we hauled it all to the back of the house and stacked it.  We'll probably have to get a couple cord more because we don't plan on using our oil heat too much this winter.

DBs in the living room right now, I hear the snap and pop of a fire getting started.  Ahhhh.

This post is also published on Homestead Revival.

Making Bread

We got up at 5 this morning ready to get started with our day.  I decided to make bread because I didn't get to it yesterday.  Here is it raising just before baking.

I chopped onions that we had drying, vacuum sealed them in 1 cup portions for cooking with later on.  I chopped red and green peppers and sealed them also for later use.  I so glad I got that done.  I just couldn't waste them.

We did some winterizing on the chicken coop.  Installed a light on a timer and a coop door.  They had been using the large sliding doors but the temps are suppose to be a lot cooler the next couple of nights.  I gave the girls a pan of yogurt and some boiled eggs, they ate every bit up.  Cleaned out their water and added some apple cider vinegar.  I think they are happy.  They have been able to free range during the weekends and they love it.  When I get home from work, I will let them out until dark.  

The bread turned out lovely.  We had a pork roast with carrots and onions and a side of french cut beans (homemade) with bacon bits.  For desert we had an apple crisp with ice cream.

LJ is our rooster.

Look at those fluffy butts.

Iced Coffee

Iced CoffeeI

This is the best.  To sweeten it, I use Stevia.  A couple of drops is perfect.  Go to the link above and click on it for the recipe.  This is the second batch I've made and drank almost all on my own.  Of course it took me about a month.  I can't wait to try the Vietnamese Iced Coffee.  It's on the same link.  If you like the website I sent you to.  Watch her on FoodTv Saturday, August 27.  It's Ree's debut.

Escapees Cont'd

We were finally able to see how they are getting out......
Our chain link fence is shorter than the rest of their fencing.... DB is getting ready to raust him from his perch....The chicks are also basking in the sun.. They are really enjoying themselves.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday. We've decided since it's such a great day, we are going to BBQ tonight. I've already got the pork ribs marinating in a dry rub. DB says I make the best ribs. We'll see if I can do it again.

Who's Your Pick?

Superbowl Sunday, Packer vs. Steelers I know lots of you care, I don't not really. I hope to see some good commercials and visit with family and eat. Maybe we'll get in a couple games of Pinochle and of course snack. I made some rockin Wontons. I tasted them. Wow, good. I got the recipe from Picky Palate.
It's call Crispy Southwest Chicken Wontons. The recipes calls for 1/2 cup of both onion and red bell pepper. I used one each finely minced. I also used on 1/2 pint home canned chicken and one store bought can of chicken. I used all my wontons (43) and only had a couple tablespoons of mix left. We will serve it with ranch and green salsa verde, although I thought they tasted wonderful without. Try them and subscribe to the Picky Palate. She has lots of recipes.

Try them and let me know how you like them! BTW, I don't have a favorite for the game. I guess since I'm from Montana, I would probably go with the Packers but I'll root for both. I just want me and my partner to win at Pinochle. That's what I'm interested in!

No sewing today or this weekend either. Man, I have to get myself in gear. I've a lot of projects waiting for me.

Chicken Tetrazzini

I just made this recipe I got from Judy at Patchwork Times. It was delicious. I just had to tell someone. I made 4 dishes and froze 3. Now, like Judy, I'll have 3 dinners where I won't have to cook. I'll definitely put this in my recipe box for dinners to make again.
In a day or two, I'll post some of the sewing and quilting I have done for Christmas.

I Can't Believe It!

I've been silent for over a month. I read the blogs daily but think that I don't really have a lot to say that anyone would be interested in.

We're getting ready for a surprise birthday weekend for my DBs sister. She turns 60 this weekend. Her daughter and oldest sister are planning a get together on Sunday and we're having the primer on Saturday. Food, family, horseshoes, music, whatever. I'm just thankful that the weather will be great. Our lawn is still a little soggy but that won't stop the horseshoe competition.

I've been cooking. The BBQ beans are in the oven, the potato salad is made and in the fridge soaking up all the flavors. I've made brownies for desert. I still have my coleslaw to make. That needs a trip to the store for the cabbage and whatever else we need.

Since I didn't take any pictures of the food prep, here are some pics I have taken this last month.

Here's one grosbeak. We have several male and females.

The goldfinches are in abundance. I'm going to put some thistle out for this weekend. Our family loves all the birds we have here.

EQ6 - No pictures

I've been taking the lesson that the EQ6 User Manual has. I can get through them fine but can't seem to but them into use. What I want to do is work with this quilt. I want to create a center medallion of one of the squares but enlarged. One of the borders will be the squares I've already sewn. I decided I need a class so I've signed up for a beginner EQ6 class on Tuesday. I'm hoping since I've read and done some of the lessons, I'll be able to absorb more info.


I am fixing BBQ chicken sandwiches and coleslaw for this evening. I got the recipes from Picky Palate. They look delicious and I'm hungry for coleslaw. I'll let you know how it turns out.