The garden has already gotten overwhelming.  It's mostly the weeding and general scope of it right now.  I also have my little raised bed at my house that are doing so well... so much better than I really expected.

Today I saw several large, green tomatoes on the vine and I know it's only a matter of time before they are ready, but until then, we have squash. 

I always think that I know what I will do with things until I have a ton of them and then I can never remember.  That's what happened a while back, and I didn't have a whole lot in the house to work with so I made up my own simple, gratin-style recipe that is pretty diet friendly.

What I started with:

squash... some yellow some zucchini, chopped into large chunks

herbs... I used some tarragon and oregano with salt and pepper

spaghetti sauce... I make my own from last years' canned tomatoes(recipe to follow)

ground meat... I used beef

parmesan cheese

I sauteed the squash in some oil (I used a lard/butter combo 'cause that was all I had... olive oil would be good) along with the herbs you choose.  Don't cook it to death, and leave it a bit firm and still bright.  I didn't put the lid on the pan as I didn't want to overcook it.

Mean while brown your ground meat and add the spaghetti sauce to it.  I actually added too much sauce in this one, and it is a little too gooey, but it still tastes good. 

Put the meat with sauce in a casserole dish.  Cover with the squash and top with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  The cheese should be golden.

Serve with additional parmesan cheese on top.  I was running out so it is really skimpy.  Serve with a salad, some bread and a glass of wine.  If dieting have water and salad while dreaming of bread and wine.....

I've been thinking of my role as a wife and mother, and like many other women, my thoughts go to Proverbs 31.  I was reading thru this chapter thinking of blogging my way thru the chapter, but I realized that this would, first of all, bore me to death... sorry I have no attention span anymore.... and it would be overly pretentious as I really have very little to say that hasn't been said by a million others in a much better way.

I did read thru the chapter, and re-read it stopping on verse 25....

Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.

This verse, for whatever reason, meant something to me today.  I see my role as wife and mother as my job in life... I don't have the best hours, don't get vacation regularly, nor do I get alot of respect for it.  Being a wife and mother is not the most noble profession by today's standards.

My epiphany for the day is that God expects us to kick butt at what we do... He doesn't want second best.  He doesn't want whiners or insecurity.  I think He want us to be strong and powerful in our roles, to educate ourselves and to be the best for our families that we can be.

I've never done a real study of these verses, but what strikes me is that thru out Proverbs 31 this woman is not a pushover or someone to be messed with.  She doesn't strike me as having any fear or worry.  She also doesn't seem to have regrets.... or if she does, she doesn't show it.  She realizes that tomorrow it's all going to be okay.  That her goals aren't for today, but for eternity.  Yeah, some days are going to be bad, there will be rough times, but it's all how you choose to deal with it.  She can laugh in the face of adversity because she's got her act together... she's planned and prepared, and if nothing else, the stress isn't going to get to her.

You know how kids either wear out the knees of pants or grow so tall that their jeans don't fit?  Not to mention that no one wants to wear jeans in the summer in Georgia anyway.

Shawn had worn holes in her jeans, but they still fit around so I thought I do something that I have been meaning to do for years... turn the jeans into a skirt.

There are several methods you can use, and initially I was going to use left over fabrics, but I splurged and bought some sheer fabric on sale instead for a total of about $5.  I also was going to line it initially, but instead I just doubled the fabric.  It is still somewhat transparent, but only in the bright sun. 

The edge of the jeans is exposed with the sheer attached to the underside.   I think that the eventual fraying should look nice.  I also had to go shorter with the jeans than I thought, but the longer length looked awkward; that is, having the jeans end at hip level looked better than a longer length even though it does look really short when you are cutting it out. 

I gathered the 1-1/2 yards of sheer fabric and pinned it to the underside of the skirt after sewing a seam up the back.  I haven't hemmed it yet, but it almost doesn't need it, and I'm not sure that I even will.

It looks a bit more sheer in real life over the picture, and I told Shawn that she looked like a little hippie.  She said that she didn't understand why this would be so as she twirled around the room....  I'm just wondering if I can pull this look off?

I used to think that I liked the fall or winter best.  I hated the hot and enjoyed the cool.  This has been the first season that I've actually looked forward to spring.  I think I was tired of the brown and ready for the green....

Mustard greens just picked...

Yarrow....Bunching onions....

Bell peppers (actually started by seed)....

Nasturtiums....

Jett's herb pot....

Mustard greens chopped and ready....

I love broccoli salad with raw broccoli, craisins, raw sunflower seeds and a raspberry vinagrette...

FInished Broccoli Salad...

Yarrow and lavender from the yard to make a salve....

and my last green is my salve....  the comfrey makes it green....

I've been holding the library's copy of Home Cheesmaking hostage for the past few weeks as I've been attempting to build up the nerve and have the time for a new project.

Last week I got the call that a friend of mine was over-burdened with goat's milk, and she asked if I would take some....  I laugh.... of course I'll take as much as you want to give me.  I made it home with 3 gallons of fresh, raw, goat's milk that tastes just beautiful. 

At first I'm thinking I don't have time to figure out how to make cheese, but I'm convinced it doesn't have to be that hard.  I've been reading up on it, and now it is time for action!

My first endeavor is with chevre.  Initially the milk needs to be pasturized, and then I let it cool overnight.  The next day I heated the milk to 85 degrees, and added a chevre starter.  The milk then set out for at least 12 or so hours before transferring it into muslin to drain.  I left some cheese plain, but added some herbs to one batch as I filled the muslin.  I hung it from a hanger in the kitchen over a bowl for several hours.

The finished chevre... I didn't make it look real nice, but it still tastes good!While the chevre was draining, I felt somewhat proud of myself and decided that I was going to try another recipe.  I didn't have any other milk pasturized, which is generally necessary for making cheese.  I was about to make lasagne so I decided upon ricotta.

Ricotta is incredibly easy to make.  The only negative in my opinion is the small amount of cheese and large amount of whey left over.  To make this you need to heat the milk to 195 degrees and then slowly add apple cider vinegar.  (1 gallon of milk to 1/4 cup of vinegar).  Stir it slowly until curds are formed.  THen scoop them out and let them drain for a minute or so and you have ready to use ricotta cheese.

I'm honestly not a big fan of store-bought ricotta, and find that it gags me.  I never understood people saying that they would put a bit of seasoning, like cardamon or cinnamon on it and eat it as a dessert... until today.  The taste of fresh, raw goat milk ricotta was unbelievable.  It is taking quite a bit of restraint on my part to not just go and make some more and eat that tonight for dinner.  I guess I'll have to be content to eat my lasagne with a slice of toast with chevre on the side....

I've been a bit of a recluse lately, and have been away from the outside world a bit more than normal, even for me.  My TV consumption has dwindled to 2-3 hours a week, and I've switched channels so to speak.

The one show that I've felt led to watch is with my kids is Chopped on the Food Network (I think...).  This hokey show gives 4 chefs a basket of mystery ingredients with which they have to make a gourmet dish.  We always pause to say what we each would make if we were given the sometimes strange things.

Today I went to thin out the mustard greens and radishes.  The greens were small and few, but still usable.  There were actually several radishes ready to be pulled also.   I recently found a dozen or so limes on sale so I also had plenty of these....

So now for my version of chopped....  I cooked the greens with the radishes in a small amount of water and bacon grease until they were "done", and served them over some angel hair pasta.  I then made a light sauce of lime juice, a couple drops of olive oil and soy sauce, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.  (The greens were small and tender so I didn't remove the center stalk as I probably will in the future).

I gave the kids a small amount, thinking that they would never eat this, but Shawn actually begged for more and took my bowl.  Jett proclaimed that he loved greens.

There are so many free offers available, and I receive a ton of them everyday it would seem.  Over the past few weeks I've checked out  quite a few free downloads and e-books to review, but as I felt I couldn't give a positive recommendation, I felt it better to say nothing. 

So last week I receive another freebie that I figure will be a waste of time to download.  It is another book about menu planning... like I don't have enough of those already.  The beauty in this one was very subtle... it had some good, basic steps, but more importantly it had quick, easy recipes for basics like soup starters, salad dressings, desserts, and the ubiquitous baby wipes.  Most of the recipes were natural and healthy, and if not, they were pretty easy to substitute....

So... have a freebie on me!

This week I've been focusing on creating a menu for the next 3-4 weeks.   THis is quite a feat, as I usually have difficulty creating one for just 5-7 days and actually sticking with it...  I've been checking all the usual sources, blogs and websites, for recipes and ideas.  I've been going thru my recipe box in an attempt to make meals healthy and interesting.

The funny thing is that both of my kids have turned into food critics... maybe it because they both choose Iron Chef or Chopped as their daily TV choice, but they are turning into regular foodies, much to my dismay....  My dismay because they seem to suddenly are grading me on plating and creativity in addition to taste and ingredients????

So like the wonderful mother that I am (filled with sarcasm) I am searching for the perfect recipes to fill our bellies...   There are so many things available now that sometimes just wading thru it all is so tedious.  I found one source last week that provided a 'menu planner' that was helpful, but more importantly it had some lovely little recipes that I changed around for my sweet family.

One of which was for a baked oatmeal.  I've never had baked oatmeal though I know many friend on WTM who rave about it.  I figured it had to be one of those recipes to feed about 20 people, and just couldn't wrap my head around it....  but I figured... "hey, I'll try anything once....."

I like oatmeal.  It's healthy, and I think it's yummy.  Unfortunately, Jett hates it.  He still has to eat it, but it's a major deal 3-4 days out of the week at breakfast time.  I hear the whine of, "awwww, Mom... not OATMEAL!"

So... I am constantly looking for ways to make him enjoy it just a bit more.  I won't say that this succeeded, but I really enjoyed it.....

Baked Oatmeal....

3 cups rolled oats

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1-1/2 cup milk (or kefir or buttermilk)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup slivered almonds

I took the oats and soaked them overnight in 1 cup of the milk. 

The next morning I added the rest of the dry ingredients to the oats, and then the wet ingredients and stirred it all together....

I folded in the almonds and raisins last.

I poured/spread it into a somewhat greased casserole dish and baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (F). 

Topped with a pat of butter it was delicious....

On recent visits to the wonderful state of TN we were driving up I-24 when Shawn said she saw a sign for the Lodge outlet.  I figured she was confused... since when does an 11 year old know her cookware brands.  THen she saw another sign and pointed it out to me.  Sure enough... in South Pittsburg, TN, the Lodge outlet stands at stoplight #5.

Lodge is the American manufacturer of cast iron cookware, and the makers of my fish-muffin pan and multiple other cast iron pieces.

I am still perfecting the use of this pan... the pieces are pre-seasoned, but it still takes about a dozen or so uses to get the pan really seasoned.  I don't have many pieces, but I have recently gotten this wonderful pan also....  I love this one as it combines both a smallish dutch oven and skillet in one....

There are many benefits to using cast iron that you can look up, and it lasts forever....  I even have a piece from my great-grandmother that is in wonderful condition.  The main thing is to take care of these pieces early on...

I don't follow the company's directions exactly, but what I do seems to work for me....  The main thing is to keep it greased, but not wet....

After using my cast iron... I wash it.  I do use a mild castille soap (very small amount) and a plastic scrubber.  I then rinse well...  I don't tend to immerse these pans, and use as little water as possible...

The next step is to get it really dry.  You don't want it to air dry as it can cause rust.  To do this I put it on the stove top and turn the burner on.  Then using a dry paper towel I dry and evaporate the water all in one step.  After this I generally add some grease (either bacon grease or lard usually) and coat all the top surfaces.  Store with care that it won't be scratched....

I have to admit it... I'm a sucker for the Duggars.  Yes, I mean those Duggars...the 18 kids and counting family. 

This week I've had their new book out from the library and I've actually really enjoyed it.  It is basically their life story, but it also has chapters about their daily life and how they accomplish things on a daily basis.

One thing that semi-bugs me is the cheerfulness with which they live... The mom, Michelle, is really just too nice, and would probably bug me in real life, but on TV and in the book it is tolerable....

But let me not be a grump... remember I'm working on my cheerfulness.  So maybe I've got something to learn from these folks as they seem to be a cheerful, joyful group.

I'm hoping that this isn't copyright infringement, but I'm posting it any way.  In the book they list their family goals.... not rules, but the traits they want to bring out in their family.  I discussed it with Shawn and Jett (poor Marc is at work and didn't get a vote, guess I need to reread CTBHHM next) and they thought that these were good ideas and things they wanted to try in our home.

So I've printed my list, and I'm hanging them up around the house.  They will also be our copywork until we can get them memorized. 

I would like to think that if nothing else in life, I'm honest.  So I'll be the first to say that there isn't alot of originality to be seen in my posts...  most everything I try is something I've seen somewhere else and been inspired to attempt on my own. 

My main thing is finding little diversions to make life fun, or to discover a more effective way of doing things....

My question now is: what are you going to do with your sprouted beans?

I sprouted pretty little white beans, and made some chili from them....  The recipe was inspired by one I found last week on Tammy's Recipes and despite my changes I think it turned out quite nicely.  Measurements as always are not something I really do with things that aren't baked... use what you feel led to use....

White Chili

White beans/great northern beans... I started with 3 cups when they were dried, I have no idea how much were in the final quantity....  These were sprouted.

Cook the beans until they are done and soupy

In another pan, saute a couple of chicken breasts cut into small chunks or strips with 1/2 an onion cut into chunks.

Add the cooked chicken and onion to the beans.

Add 1/2 can of creamed corn, and 1/4 cup of salsa to the beans.  Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 tbsp of cumin.  Stir well and simmer on the stove for another 30 minutes.

Add 4-8 oz of Monterey Jack cheese (pepper jack might be good as well)  in chunks with the stove turned off.  Allow this to melt.  Serve with cornbread or tortilla chips....

I was thinking a few weeks back that my blogging days were done, but I'm afraid that I'm feeling somewhat inspired yet again, and plan on posting regularly as I used to do.  I think I'm always afraid of being unoriginal or in being more boring here than I am in real life (which is pretty bad), and don't want to post without truly feeling like I have something to say....  I'm not big on repeating where I've already been, but the thought of revisiting a subject does appeal to me. 

Today that subject would be sprouting....

I get bitten by the bug of spring each year and just want to grow anything I can.  Not only on the outside, but I want to grow inside my house too, and one way to achieve this is thru sprouting.

I won't post all of the gory details here, but you can link to last year's post to find out the why's and how's.... 

Seeds are always nice, but I will say that one of my favorite things to sprout would be beans.  I do love beans, all beans pretty much, and the only thing that can make them better is the act of sprouting them.

It does take a bit of time and preparations, but in my opinion it's worth the effort....

I soak the beans overnight (filtered water is the best to use)

Drain the water and allow the beans to sit at room temp.. a colander is great for this job.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy.  Keep the beans covered while they sit.

Rinse them every couple (3-5) hours.  I obviously let them sit overnight. 

The warmer it is the quicker they will sprout...  I've had some sprout in 24 hours, but it generally takes about 2-3 days. 

You can use them when the sprout is barely visible, or let it go further....  Beware:  If you sprout any bean or seed for an extended period it is still edible, but the outer layer (skin) will come off.  Please disgard these before eating unless you just want the extra fiber (I think they make things nasty and throw them out).  This can be done by covering the bean/seeds with water and swirling them... the skins should float to the top...

I then cook mine just like normal...

I work most every Saturday it seems, and the rest of our week is pretty much spent with school, Marc at work, or church on Sundays.  This means that we have pretty much no family time together except for a bit here and there.

I decided it might be fun to have a scheduled night of family fun.  This is really not like me, but I feel the need to make an effort of little things that might be memorable.  Those little details that are silly, but fun.

So after stealing several ideas from others, I came up with a St Patrick's day theme.  I found the coolest rainbow cake (leprecaun's gold vibe), and made it with the standard box directions from a yellow cake mix.  I didn't have gel colors, but it still turned out pretty neat.  I also made the outer icing sky blue, and the kids didn't expect the rainbow inside....

We also had jello shaped into shamrocks.  I followed the 'jigglers' recipe on the box and used a cookie cutter to shape them.

We had desert first that night, and for dinner we had the Irish staple of potatoes.  I baked the potatoes and loaded them up with toppings, including green bell peppers cut so that they are shamrock shaped!

We were supposed to shoot off some of our (illegal in Ga, but what isn't) fireworks bought last week in TN, but it was rainy.  The firecrackers had to wait until Sunday night, but we had more family fun with board games and a movie.

The past few weeks have been diet hell for me.... or at least it could have been.  I have decided not to just change my diet for 2 months and slam off some pounds, but really think about what I'm eating, why I'm eating it, and change the purpose of meal times.

This sounds much more philosophical than it is, but it really is about the long term... at least for me. 

I've realized that I was overeating, and realized that just because something is healthy doesn't mean I can eat a ton of it.  I had also been eating too much fat, and have started to routinely cut back.  I've also discovered the 'mega-fiber tortilla' for what that's worth.

Also... I've discovered some wonderfully beautiful blogs.  It would seem in my limited food state, I've been wanting to make what I eat meaningful and worth the caloric committment. 

Three of these sites are:

Omnomicon 

The Art of Pretentious Eating for the Bourgeoisie Crowd

Pete Bakes

Now I'm not eating rich, wonderful foods at every meal, but if I have a small splurge then I find that it's worth it.  I've found some inspiration and fun ideas at these sites, and they've made dieting not so dreary....

I love meatloaf....  Plain and simple, it's one of my most favorite foods.  I also like the way I make my meatloaf.  It is basically a Paula Deen recipe, and is great with mashed potatoes and something green....

Meatloaf  (and this one turned out really huge):

2 pounds or so of meat... I like mixtures and used half ground beef and half ground pork

a bunch of chopped veggies... I used onion, celery, and bell peppers

tomato sauce (3/4 of a normal-sized can)

1 beaten egg

1 cup of rolled oats

Mix all of the above together and for a loaf in a pan.

Take the rest of the tomato sauce (I usually leave it in the can to avoid getting another bowl dirty) and add mustard, any style, small amount of ketchup, and some brown sugar to it and mix.

Pour this over top of the meatloaf and cook at 375 degrees until it looks done (ie not pink inside)... it will vary depending upon the size....

To make me happy, that is....

There are those simple pleasures in life that just make life worth while sometimes, and for me.... it's a muffin pan shaped like fish.

I haven't even used it yet, but just like having it sit out on the countertop so that I can look at it.....

So... after making lard there are cracklins left over.  The first thing I thought to make was cracklin cornbread....

I grew up hearing about how wonderful cracklins were, and while I'm thinking they were most likely over-rated, I am willing to try about anything at least once.

Cracklin Cornbread:

3/4 cup soft white wheat flour

3/4 cup corn meal

3/4 tsp salt

2-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 cup creamed corn

3 tbsp lard, melted (or butter)

1/3 cup cracklins

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  I use a 8 or 10 inch iron skillet to cook mine.  Add 1 tbsp of the lard (or butter) to the pan and allow to get really hot as the oven preheats.  Swirl the fat to make sure it coats the entire skillet before adding the cornbread batter.

Combine dry ingredients.  Add buttermilk, egg, creamed corn, and 2 tbsp lard.  Mix well.  Add 1/4 cup of the cracklins to the batter and pour into your skillet.  Top with remaining cracklins. 

Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes. 

Who really uses lard, and who really wants too?

Let me just add myself to this list....  I've been searching for more natural fats that are healthier overall for myself and my family, and it seemed to me the most logical steps were to go back to lard and butter. 

I'm not going to get all scientific or present a bunch of research, but it's out there if you look for it.  My main decision in using lard was because I have just gotten a pig (as in shrink-wrapped and frozen) that wasn't fed chemicals and was given a pretty good diet as far as pigs are concerned. 

I'm also not eating it by the spoonfuls.  I'm using it to grease pans and occasionally adding it, as it seems good, to different dishes here and there.  I even made some cracklin cornbread, but that should be another post.....

It was actually alot easier to render the lard than I thought.  I was also warned about the smell, and loved it for the first several hours, but it does get strong by the end of the day.  (ie.. I was sick of smelling it)....

I used a crockpot method to render mine.  The one mistake I feel I made was that I didn't cut the fat into small pieces... next time I will.  But I pretty much just loaded it into the crockpot, set it on medium and stirred it around the next several hours until all of the fat had liquified and the cracklins/crunchy-looking things floated to the top and then dropped to the bottom.

I then strained my lard thru several strainers to remove all the gunk and impurities.

I had some quart jars in my canner, but I chose not to can mine as I only made 2-1/2 quarts of the stuff.  But I did get the jars hot and sterilized before putting the lard into them.

Initially the lard was a golden liquid, but it solidifies into a creamy white shortening-looking stuff.  There is a very faint 'meat' smell, but the few times I've used it I haven't noticed any strangeness with food flavors or smells.

Sources say it should last several months in the fridge, and by then I can defrost another bag of fat and make some more....

In the midst of dieting one would think that a fats would be something to avoid, but I am embracing them at this point.

We drink farm-fresh, raw milk (for pet/animal consumption only, please, in the state of GA), and I've been watching my fat grams per my trainer.  I've always drank whole milk and liked it that way, but in the spirit of following her directions I decided to skim off the fat.

You would think that I would always do this, but it really is just easier to shake it up and drink it as it is... but it really isn't that hard to do otherwise either.

What I do is mark with a sharpie where the cream line is on the gallon jug.  I then carefully pour off the cream... the milk should still reach the line if I've been careful.  I then let the skimmed cream set for a while and then skim it again.

For butter I use the Nourishing Traditions recipe.  I let the cream set at room temp for at least 8 hours, and then in the food processor, I process it until the butter forms. 

The butter should then be strained, with the liquid left being buttermilk.  I then stir it with a wooden spoon to remove the last bits of liquid, and then add  some water and continue to smoosh it until all the liquid is gone.  I then store it in a crock and refrigerate.

It should look like regular butter from the start when you are done, and it should also taste pretty much the same...  There are others who salt theirs, but I figure why add an extra step if I'm happy with my end result....

I've been so busy lately that I often find it is after midnight before I even start to think about settling down for the night.  I've been on a successful diet along with major exercise for the past few weeks, as well as bumping up work while maintaining some facade of homeschooling.  We've done birthdays and hung out in trees....

I've just got to find the time to sit down and put it all together....  and gardening season is just beginning, and maybe bigger than in years past....

I did want to share this little nugget though....  I don't watch alot of TV, and everyone in the world maybe up on these, but my mother has been raving about a floor steamer for quite a while, and I had no idea what she was talking about.

I've become frustrated with cleaning lately as I just don't have a ton of time, and between Marc, 2 kids, 2 dogs, and 3 cats, the place felt dirty.  I borrowed her floor steamer and was amazed... so yesterday I splurged and got my own.... and don't my floors look amazing.

In my urgency to actually complete a blog entry, I failed to mention what this cleaner does exactly....  It basically is a steam cleaner for your floor.  It can be used on any sealed wood, laminate, tile or linoleum surface (and some out there say they are okay on cartpet, but mine doesn't).

Mine is a Bissel Green Tea steamer.  I got mine at amazon, but the price has gone up $10 since last week.

It uses steam, and only steam, to clean your floor, and mops with a microfiber pad that you wash in the laundry and reuse.

You put water, I used filtered, in the reservior and then plug it in and press a lever to activate the stream.  Marks on my floor that I had scrubbed with Magic Erasers or vinegar are gone with a few seconds of steam.  I found it was quicker than mopping regularly, was more effective, and required no chemicals (or vinegar) and had no waste.