Sunday Funday ?? More like Sunday Work Our Butts Off Day

Most Sundays around the lake house are our lazy days- lounging around, playing in the kitchen, maybe some football games..... today however, for some reason we were up early and hard at it all day. We started off with a quick assessment of our garden veggies and discovered yet another tomato hornworm had decimated one of our cherry tomato plants. ^%$#@!  We plucked him off and drowned him in a bucket of water (thankfully we had almost an entire day of rain yesterday so our rain buckets were full !!)

The Chef has thawed a 2 lb package of ground venison given to him by the other chef he works with and decided, perhaps as a welcome to the newborn Meatball Baby Lorenzo LaValle, that venison meatballs were on the agenda. Since I was going to finish up the canning of veggies already in the house, including a case of tomatoes from the Amish farm, some wax beans, and the last of the carrots, he decided on his famous red sauce and snagged a nice potful of the blanched, peeled and seeded tomatoes I had been working on.

While the Chef worked on his amazing meatball recipe, I prepped veggies for the canner, picked herbs, and set up the dehydrator with thyme, rosemary and sage as well as 3 trays of the tomato skins, which will be dried and then ground into tomato powder, which adds a real flavor punch to soups and sauces.

We were working away when inspiration struck us- HOMEMADE BREAD !! I searched online and found a basic white bread recipe and then made some additions and alterations to come up with Italian Herb and Cheese Bread, but the recipe called for a little too much yeast- the loaf fell, but even though it's a little dense, it still has pretty good flavor and we're gonna eat it anyway.

Now, let's talk meatballs. The Chef and I are not hunters but we do love game meats so we often trade what we grow/can/bake with folks who do hunt, so we have this amazing venison.  Since the Chef had never worked with venison before, it was a total experiment for him, but one of the most successful to date.

Joe's Venison Meatballs

2 lbs ground venison

4 beaten eggs

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 1/2-2 cups dry breadcrumbs

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

freshly cracked black pepper

salt

pinch red pepper flakes (to taste)

2 tb minced Italian parsley

1-2 tsp finely minced oregano

Mix all ingredients will well combined. Set aside, covered, to allow meat to rest, crumbs to soften and flavors to meld, for at least 1 hour.

Roll into meatballs using about 1/3 cup mixture for each ball. Place on baking sheet.

Joe drizzled the meatballs with garlic infused olive oil and bake at 375 degrees about 25-30 minutes until meat is completely cooked (we always make a "test meatball"). Remove from baking sheet and add to pot of red sauce. Allow to simmer at least an hour, or if you're an all day sauce person, let em simmer in deliciousness. Serve with pasta of choice.

Disaster Bread

I've decided to go ahead and give the ingredients I used for the bread since it DID taste pretty good, next time I am going to use less yeast, so if you want to give this a try, make that adjustment.

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

1 package active dry yeast (remember, one package was too much and likely caused my fall)

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tb butter

3 tb sugar

2 tb mixed dried Italian herbs (I used Penzey's Tuscan blend)

2 cloves fresh garlic FINELY minced

small palmfull parmesan cheese

In the bread machine I added the ingredients in this order: flour, sugar, herbs, garlic, butter, cheese, made a well in the center, added the yeast, poured the warm water around. I set the machine for classic white bread (3 hour cycle) and let it do it's thing, adding a couple extra Tb flour to help the dough form a ball. When the baking cycle started I drizzled with melted butter and more parm cheese.

It looks totally fine at this point, rose well, punched down, rose again but when the baking cycle kicked on, my bread fell,

but after we got it out of the machine, we cut it and sampled and while it was a little dense, it still had good flavor and was ok to eat. I'll try it again with about 2/3 of a package of yeast.

Now we're both sacked out on the couch, FULL of our delicious dinner, tired from all work, watching, what else ?? Food shows on tv .....gotta love life with a chef........

You say tomato........

I say AVALANCHE !!!!!!

The chef spent his day off yesterday at the Amish farm. The plan was about 20-30 lbs "just to start with" but he kinda went crazy and brought home over ONE HUNDRED POUNDS !!!!

So today, in spite of feeling quite under the weather, I started to tackle this Himalayan pile of tomatoes. I got about 15 lbs in, washing,

blanching,

peeling, cutting up......and felt wiped......

So into the fridge they went, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day to work on getting some batches into quarts and in the canner.

A day in the life of a night shift widow

Fact of life, when you choose to spend your life with a chef, you will be spending alot of evenings and weekends entertaining yourself without your partner. That's the story of our life.

Last night when my chef got home from work, and we were catching up on eachother's  days, he asked what I made for dinner. Well.....cooking for just myself just doesn't happen very often. So my answer was "toast". The reality is my dinner was 4 slices of toast with that homemade peach jam !! I think he felt a little bad.......even though I didn't.

So today he sent me a message before he left for work: "Prepped dinner for you, tilapia filets, garlic, sweet and hot peppers, lemon, thyme, capers and tomatoes- just pop it in the oven". How adorable is that ???

My workday ends and I drive home trying to decide if I want to make another batch of jam or if I want to sit on the couch and catch up on mindless tv..... and eventually my tummy starts telling me it's time to take a peek at that tilapia. It looked fantastic !! So into the oven at 425 for about 15-20 minutes while I made a little bowl of whole wheat couscous, and the easiest dinner ever was done.

Now about this mindless tv..... I have been DVRing episodes of Toddlers and Tiaras so I thought I could catch up on a few of them. Wow.....biggest laugh of the night- one of the moms was talking about Cirque du Soleil and she called it Circka dee Solay. I had to giggle......

Repurposing With a Purpose

Repurposing means different things to different people. Crafters make old plates into cool yard art. Artists use some unusual things to create art.

Around here, we repurpose hot dog buns. Yes, that's right- hot dog buns !!

It's another one of those "too hot to cook" days meant the Chef and I needed something for dinner that wouldn't overheat the kitchen, not the pizza I've been daydreaming about for 3 days. So armed with a pound of ground beef and a package of hot dog, not hamburger buns, the Chef began his repurposing project and the result was fun and yummy.

Joe's Sliders

1 lb ground beef- use whatever kind you like, we use 80/20 for burgers
minced onion, garlic, hot or mild peppers to taste (dry versions are fine)
salt and pepper

Mix all and shape into small patties. Cook as desired, grill, George Foreman, broil, however you like your burgers. Joe cooked these in a skillet until medium/medium-well.

Serve burgers on hot dog buns cut in half, topped with your choice of toppings. We had cheese, k&m, chopped onion and sliced ghost chili dill pickles.

Joe served fresh Iowa sweet corn and a ghost chili dill on the side.

Fast and yummy dinner, and easy to change up according to your likes and dislikes.

Now that dinner is done, it's time to go outside in the oppressive heat and see how our garden is surviving in the 105 degree heat.

Wow......summer is halfway over and I haven't even had time to THINK about an update in a while. What a whirlwind of stuff going on at the lake. New job for The Chef. Increased workload for me. Some amazing news and some devastating news. The summer has been crazy.

Our gardening style changed but with this bizarre weather we've had, it's been a roller coaster of "yay" and "oh crap" !! We had such an early last frost and warm spring, lots of plants went in the soil much much earlier. But now, we're in the middle of one of the worst dry seasons since the dust bowl. We did switch to container gardening and only have green beans in the ground but containers require alot of attention and monitoring so they don't dry out or get overly hot in the baking sun. Not sure if this was the best decision but hey, at least we're not weeding. I have developed a little network of "gardening (and canning) enablers" and we just keep each other encouraged through these tough times :)

First on the agenda- sweet corn season. It's Iowa. It's summer. It's sweet corn season.  Time for me to hit the corn stands, buy dozen after dozen and spend a day shucking, blanching and freezing. So much work but it was so worth it all winter having a freezer full of summer.

It's also time to drag out the canning equipment. My neighbor has a peach tree, meaning peaches by the laundry basket-full, pear trees meaning Cinnamon Pear Jam in a few weeks, and other fruits such as grapes and mulberries. I haven't even mentioned all the tomatoes  I will be canning this year. Blueberries and cherries are in the freezer waiting for Jam Marathon Day. The berry farm up the road has an order of fall raspberries lined up for me. Not sure what to expect from our bean crop this year with the excessive heat and lack of rain but time will tell. If all else fails, The Chef's new position gives him access to local food distributors and we can purchase produce such as beans by the bushel/case if we need to. All this on top of a full time job, wow...... life has taken a sudden turn for the BUSY !

I have been terrible about keeping up on my wine posts. Not to worry, that doesn't mean I haven't been keeping up on wine DRINKING though- plenty of corks have been popped over the summer so far. I think I'm going to expand that category a little bit and include a few spirits. Iowa just happens to have some pretty upscale distilleries, one in particular I absolutely love. More on that later.

So....that is my preview of coming attractions! Stay tuned for lots of pictures and recipes and hey, if you have a great jam recipe you'd like to share- please do !!

A Very Crabby Monday

Wow !!! It's been a long time since I've sat down and put a post together- quite honestly with our crazy schedules around here I haven't spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and neither has the Chef. So now that spring is in full swing, the herbs are growing like crazy in the garden and it won't be long til fresh veggies again grace our table, it's time to get back in the kitchen.

Normally on a night the Chef is working I don't cook a "real" dinner for just me. But today I thought it would be fun to throw a little something together and see how it turns out. Taking a quick inventory of the freezer I found tilapia filets, some flaked crab meat, some green beans from the garden......rummaging through the cupboard yields some breadcrumbs  and fresh garlic, and a quick trip out to the deck results in a handful of freshly minced chives. I'm all set !!

Crab Stuffed Tilapia

3 tilapia filets
about 1/4 cup flaked crab meat (do yourself a favor and use the real deal, that fake stuff just won't do)
about 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp or so shredded lemon peel
salt, freshly ground black pepper
pinch of thyme
big pinch of chives
3 tb butter
1/2 tsp chicken base or stock concentrate

Rinse the fish and set aside.

In small bowl toss the crab, bread crumbs, seasonings and set aside.

In small skillet melt the butter and briefly saute the garlic until softened but not brown. Add about 2 tb water and chicken base, stir til dissolved. Mix into crab mixture.

In a small plate place a fish filet. Divide stuffing into 3 equal portions and place one part on fish. Fold the filet over and secure with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining fish.

Place in buttered baking dish, top with a small pat butter and sprinkle with lemon pepper, lemon herb seasoning, whatever you like. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

I served the fish with garlicky green beans- I cooked a small amount of frozen green beans in a little water til almost done, added a couple tbs butter and a minced garlic clove and continued cooking til just barely tender and still a little crispy.

And that is my big kitchen experiment for the day. Tomorrow is the Chef's day off so he will be hard at work in the kitchen and I will come home to an amazing meal.......ahhhh what a life !!

Happy New Year !!

I've been trying to come up with some good ideas for a Year In Review type post, to summarize the year we have had out in Happy Acres (no....that's not a joke, that is actually the subdivision name given to our little lake community when the lots were platted.....) but it's kind of hard to come up with something that covers the vast array of experiences, emotions, disappointments, surprises and turnarounds that have some to represent City Girl's 2011.

To start out our year, the Chef and I abandoned the city and headed west in search of a simpler life and happier times. We found a mixed bag. Simpler, yes. Easier, not even close. Our big plans for growing our own food and living with less became a mandate very early on. But Mother Nature was not going to cooperate and the weather  prevented us from having the garden we envisioned. Not that we didn't have a fantastic garden- we sure did, but it wasn't what we'd planned and  we learned a lot of Dos and Don'ts for next spring.

The crappy economy caught up with us and created a very challenging job situation for both of us. We hung on with both hands and went along for the ride, eventually landing in new jobs where we FINALLY are both happy and productive again.

The weather was a challenge. The long COLD wet spring prevented us from tilling a new garden spot until the last couple days of May- so we missed out on many early veggies and didn't have the time to prepare a brand new garden bed the way we wanted to. We were also forced to locate our garden right next to the dreaded walnut tree, and even though every expert on the planet said we'd never harvest a single tomato from that garden, a cupboard filled with canning jars full of tomatoes, "sun dried" tomatoes and salsa tell a different story. We beat the walnut tree !! We also got a late start on our pepper plants, which have a very long growing season- but in spite of that we managed to harvest enough of the super hot peppers to last us a couple years. A little ghost chile goes a long long long way ! And at the end of the garden season, we started a late planting of peas to try and recoup what we didn't get because the bad spring conditions and, guess what, now she decides that we don't need ANY rain. So.... here it is, January, and I have miniature pea plants, still bright green, still alive in the garden, but forever stunted by the lack of water.

And here we are in 2012, the first garden catalogs just beginning to arrive. We have plans - some work around the house, some things we'd like to buy. Places we'd like to go. The most important thing is we have a future and we have hope. And we have each other. I found something I'd like to share with you- I think it is a good plan for all of us to follow when starting over, whether it's the new year or just a fresh start.....

Life Choices- Optimism may improve your health and success


People don't often think about how optimism impacts their lifestyle, career and relationships. But a positive attitude can help avoid stressful situations, maintain better health, and may even allow one to heal more quickly when not feeling well, according to some experts.


"Optimism and the desire to be successful are the basis for a person's happiness and good health," asserts Elena Korneeva, a psychophysiologist. 


Korneeva promotes a happier, healthier lifestyle with these guiding principles:
* Joyful inspired and outspoken people make great company. These traits will attract people both professionally and personally.
* Laugh. People with a good sense of humor are the life of any party, at any age and in any social stratum.
* One who can sincerely laugh at their own mistakes can overcome most difficulties. A sense of humor is a trait of a harmonious person.
* Make an effort to truly understand and empathize with your conversation partners.
* Don't be afraid of situations that haven't even happened yet. By avoiding fear of the unknown, one can better focus on a positive solution.
* Optimism and humor makes a better parent. With these tools, children will bring joy rather that try the patience. Positive and creative parenting yields positive and creative children.
* An integral part of success is a healthy lifestyle, absent of bad habits. Eat varied, small meals four to five times a day, get sound sleep, and take part in sports and leisure activities.


"With optimism we fill our life with new meaning, and it helps us find a way out of a circle of troubles," says Korneeva.  -Adair County Free Press, December 28, 2011



Happy New Year !!
The Chef and The Baker