Adventures in Wonderland

Easy veggie juice

2011-09-11T12:47:00.001-05:00

So I decided to make some homemade V8 type juice. I got out my juicer and went to town. I threw in:tomatoes, a little garlic, a little onion, one jalapeño, a smidgen of beet, a bag of arugula, fresh basil, cucumbers, carrots, and some green peppers. I didn't measure anything, just kind of guessed and adjusted to taste. I put it all in a big pot and brought to a simmer... This really deepened the color, and made it taste and smell much richer. :) I seasoned lightly to taste with seasoned salt, pepper, smoked paprika, lemon juice and Worshestershire sauce. Pour into jars, label and freeze. Easy and so yummy!

(veggie juice on right, berry juice on left)

Here it comes

2011-08-22T20:56:00.001-05:00

So the tomato onslaught begins.

I roasted and froze 2 quarts garlic/tomato purée, and juiced and froze 4 quarts homemade "v-7". I also juiced and froze 4 quarts aronia berry juice, and have three dyepots going on the stove.

Organization

2011-08-02T18:20:00.001-05:00

I believe that with enough mason jars, you can organize ANYTHING!

Corn n beans

2011-08-01T18:37:00.001-05:00

Froze a bunch of gmo-free corn, and 6 quarts sopa de elote.

And canned 4 pints dilly beans.

101 degree day

2011-07-20T20:58:00.001-05:00

Funky scrappy quilt back... With cat. I realized all I have left to do is the binding!

Funky scrappy quilt front... With rabbit.

Homemade grape soda (grape juice and sparkling water). So good.

Deliciousness

2011-07-10T10:08:00.001-05:00

Bastardized kimchi made from Bok choi, kohlrabi and a leftover apple :)

Blueberries!!!!!!

Random awesome things

2011-07-08T21:19:00.001-05:00

Pole dancing, complete with awesome shoes.

Hot pink hair.

Biking!!!

Vinyl, baby....

Homemade from scratch grilled pizza

The view from my first five mile run.

Chickens!

2011-06-27T12:19:00.001-05:00

I have been wanting to keep chickens forEVER! But hadn't, as I don't have a suitable chicken coop. However... My partner in crime, Becky, said she would get chicks too and we would help each other build coops. We are women who know what we want...and make it happen :)

So off we trooped to the local farm store and proudly purchased "rainbow layers", chick starter food, waterers and feeders, and heat lamps.

Becky got six chicks...and two ducks. I got 12 chicks, 4-5 which will live at my small urban yard, and the rest of which will live at Prairieland Herbs.

Cottage cheese, and more strawberries!

2011-06-20T18:22:00.001-05:00

Today I made my first cottage cheese! It was so easy :)

3 pints strawberry freezer jam.

And so it begins....

2011-06-20T18:13:00.001-05:00

I defrosted the big freezer today... Just bits of veggies, fruits, some pesto, and carmelized onions are all that's left from last year. Freezing 4 quarts strawberries and two quarts rhubarb today.

Washin' Fleeces

2011-04-01T10:01:00.004-05:00

Super Simple Bulky Art Yarn Scarf

2011-03-19T14:33:00.008-05:00

I am often asked what can be made with my bulky art yarns, so I created this super-simple knit scarf using a 60 yard skein of my super-bulky handspun art yarn.

Here's what the yarn looked like, in it's etsy listing.

It's a base of locally produced hand-dyed polypay wool, spun with three different commercial yarns for a fun, continually changing extra-bulky yarn.

To make a scarf like this, you will need:

Size 19 needles
40-60 yards bulky handspun art yarn

To knit: Cast on 9 stitches.
Knit three rows.
Next row, YO Each stitch.
Knit three rows.
Next row, double YO each stitch.
Knit three rows.
Next row, YO each stitch.....etc., until your scarf is desired length.
Knit three rows, and cast off.
Leave a few yards of yarn and create some fringe, if you desire.

You could also use larger needles or cast on fewer stitches, depending on the look you want.

Random film pics

2011-03-14T10:41:00.004-05:00

Wheel p0rn

2011-03-04T11:08:00.007-06:00

Yarn and Yarn Bowl Giveaway!

2011-02-18T09:07:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone! My potter friend Becky did a blog giveaway last month, and this month she and I are doing one together!! She wrote a blog post - and since she did all the work I'll just cut and paste here :)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WE - Maggie and Becky - are giving away a yarn bowl, 6 buttons, a set of knitting needles, and a skein of yarn (handspun by Maggie!). How awesome is that, right? Check out the photos below, the info on the pieces, and the rules for entry into the drawing. It could be YOU! Oh, and if you're not a knitter, and you think you could never have a need for something like this.. remember: mother's day, birthdays, and maybe even stash it away for next Christmas. ;)

First Up: The Yarn Bowl. This is a large yarn bowl that easily holds a ton of yarn. It's made from stoneware clay on the wheel, trimmed, carved, and had a little needle holder added. It's glazed with 'Sage' and is very solid. It won't fall over if you give the yarn a good pull.

Next: The yarn... omg.. the yarn. This yarn is handspun from locally produced and processed Rambouillet wool from Whispering Acres farm in Van Meter Iowa (plus yarn scraps). It's 112 yards, 3.5 oz.
You can't knit without: Needles! These needles are Size 9 Surina needles. Surina Knitting Needles Website

Last up: Accessories. If you're knitting something that needs that little extra oomph, how about some handmade buttons? These little oblong buttons have my 'lizard' texture on them and are glazed a calming sea green. You could use them on a pair of wrist warmers, or to add accents to the end of a scarf. They're also made from stoneware clay.

So how's that for a giveaway? It's valued at:
Yarn bowl: $30
Handspun yarn: $30
Surina needles: $10
Handmade buttons: $15
Total value: $85!
Your cost: Free, if you sign up and win! ;)

The Rules:

1. Sign up for Willow Avenue Pottery email list. Click HERE.
2. 'Like' GirlWithASword Productions on Facebook. Click HERE.
3. 'Like' Willow Avenue Pottery on Facebook. Click HERE.
4. 'Share' this blog post on Facebook with all of your friends and encourage them to enter the drawing too!
5. Leave ONE comment for this post that says you completed steps 1-4, and you're entered in the drawing! (If you're commenting anonymously, please be sure to add your name so we know who you are!).

Last, but absolutely not least, I want to give a special thanks to our photographer. John Gibney took the wonderful photos of our goodies for the giveaway. If you'd like to see more of his work, visit his photo blog by clicking HERE.

The giveaway will go until NOON on Wednesday, February 23rd. At that time, all the names will be given a number and a random generator will choose a number. Good luck!

Want to check out more work from both me and Maggie? Visit our Etsy Shops!
GirlWithASword Etsy Shop (Maggie)
Willow Avenue Pottery Etsy Shop (Becky)

My spinning wheel was dancing with the sunlight this morning

2011-01-19T15:45:00.007-06:00

Dyeing with Cochineal

2011-01-11T13:11:00.010-06:00

Here's a quick little photo journey of dyeing with cochineal.

First, mordant your fiber; I used alum. (note kitty prints...they were helping).

Next, tye your dyestuff in an old bit of cotton cloth or some cheesecloth.

Add it to a large dyepot full of water, and simmer for a while.

Add your fiber, and let it simmer (very gently) for a while, until you like the color.

Gently rinse fiber until the water runs clear, and hang to dry.

Repeat with more fiber until the dye material is exhausted. I got four different colors, with four different types of fiber, from one set of dyestuff. I did not change mordants or do anything different; the colors simply change with different fiber blends and as the dye materials give up their color to the fiber.

And then you have beautiful fiber! This is a cashmere/wool blend yarn.

And this is a silk mawata, or spinning hankie.

Film!

2011-01-08T09:23:00.009-06:00

some pics taken with my Pentax film camera, developed in Jill Brown's kitchen (thanks for the film developing lesson Jill!). Check out John's blog for more!

Rainbows!

2010-10-13T19:29:00.004-05:00

It's possible I have a fiber-dyeing addiction problem.

Naturally dyed yarns

2010-09-29T10:17:00.002-05:00

oh the fun you can have with natural dyes!!

I love natural dyes!

2010-09-15T15:41:00.002-05:00

I am in love with this set of dyed yarns.

This is a 30% silk, 70% wool blend yarn. It's worsted/heavy worsted weight. This set contains 12 skeins, all solar-dyed, and mordanted with alum. Each skein is dyed with a different natural dye material, or combination of dye materials. The colors are so lush, they just seem to glow from inside, that is what I love about natural dyes! And the combination of silk(blend) yarn and natural dyes is just FANTASTIC. I have a lot of "plain" wool yarn to dye up, but in future, I will be getting more silk/wool yarn to dye, because it just sucks up the colors like no other, it's really wonderful!

Each skein is 200 yards, so this whole set contains 2400 yards of yarn!

goldenrod

2010-09-02T08:32:00.003-05:00

Naturally dyed silk scarves - solar dyed

2010-08-25T15:08:00.004-05:00

So remember a few days ago I posted about my fun, solar-dye experiment? I wanted to see how low-impact I could be with my natural dyeing. So I took a bunch of jars (scavenged mostly from garage sales), and added assorted natural dysestuffs, some alum (a mordant), water, and a bunch of wool yarn and silk scarves. I left them all in the sun. Well, the results are awesome. :)

Here are 4 scarves that have undergone 2 processes. In other words, dyed in one color, removed, tied or knotted as a "resist" technique, then put into another dye color. The result is basically natural tie-dyeing. These colors are a little washed out in the picture, they are much more vibrant in real life, but I just wanted some quick pictures. These will all be carefully photographed and put in my etsy store eventually. The colors are, from left to right: queen anne's lace/black tea, turmeric/madder, cochineal/logwood, and osage orange/black walnut. I WILL be doing more of these, as I'm VERY pleased with the results.

These are dyed single color. From left, 4 scarves dyed in hemp, 2 dyed in black tea, 2 dyed in turmeric.
These are also single color dyes. From left, 6 scarves dyed in logwood, 2 dyed in cochineal, 3 dyed in osage orange, 3 dyed in madder root.

I'm really pleased with this low-impact dyeing. I removed the first round of scarves and wool from the dye jars, added some more alum, and put in more wool and silk and cotton yarns. I will continue to do this until the dyebaths are totally exhausted, then compost the organic matter. However, this will take some time, as the dye materials are quite strong, and after sitting in the sun for several weeks, are continuing to get stronger and change. A few have developed some mold, but as I know from my compost dyeing experiments, that usually only improves the dye. Cool stuff. :)

Banana Nut Jam

2010-08-17T11:09:00.001-05:00

Banana Nut Jam

10 ripe bananas, pureed for total of 3 cups
2 Tb. lemon juice
4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. toasted walnuts, minced
1 box powdered pectin
1 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. nutmeg, optional

Mix bananas, walnuts, lemon juice and powdered pectin in a large non-reactive
pan and stir while bringing to a full boil. Add sugars stirring continuously,
heat until full boiling boil. Continue to heat 1 -2 minutes. Fill jars to 1/4
inch of top and apply lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Makes 6 half pints or 3 pints.

I haven't tried this yet but it looks yum.

Solar Natural Dyeing - wool

2010-08-16T13:11:00.003-05:00

Having some fun with natural dyes and a bunch of glass gallon jars I got at a garage sale. :)

Yarns dyed with black tea, sandalwood, onion skins, cochineal, logwood, carrot tops, osage orange, and turmeric.

Salted Butterscotch Peach Jam

2010-08-05T09:24:00.005-05:00

AKA: Lazy Girl's No-peel Over-ripe Peach Jam!

First: Obtain a large quantity of peaches, then suddenly get insanely busy for about 4 days.

Then, finally have time to can your peaches, and realize that they are just a *titch* overripe. But oh so fragrant!

Next: Begin the peach- peeling process. Simmer water, have a bowl of ice water at the ready, and 2 other empty bowls left to hold the peaches, and the pits/peels.

Blanch peaches in simmering water, place in ice water, and then peel the skin off. On regular, perfectly ripe peaches, this is easy. With overripe peaches, this is not easy.

Swear alot, then go to plan B.

Plan B involves thinking about how people eat peach peels when they eat fresh peaches so how could they be THAT bad in jam, and then dumping the bowls of hot and ice water and simply washing, stoning and quartering the lovely soft peaches and putting them in a big heavy pot.

Next, consult the Inspiration Recipe. I rarely, if ever, cook anything exactly FROM a specific recipe, but rather, gather one or more Inspirational Recipes and loosely follow them, and improvise muchly. (Yes, I said muchly. It should be a word.)

The Inspiration Recipe, in this instance, is this Butterscotch Peach Jam recipe, which is YUM! I know, because I tasted Abby's (thanks Abby!).

So I followed this recipe, more or less. I smooshed my peaches (with my hands, because I don't have a potato masher), then added brown sugar to taste. I think "to taste" is very important in this recipe, because it will depend on how ripe/sweet your peaches are, how sweet you like your jam, and, how salty you like it. Because yes...next I deviated from this recipe. After adding my brown sugar and about a half cup of lemon juice, I let it simmer at very low heat for a bit over an hour, while the peaches cooked, and the whole mixture got dark, rich and fragrant...mmmm. Butterscotch-ey. Then, THEN. Then, you bust out the GOOD SALT. I used some delicious, moist Celtic Sea Salt....and added about a tablespoon. Stir, taste, and see what you think. I ended up adding about 1 1/2 tbsp., because to me, that was the lovely blend of sweet/salty/peachy/butterscotch that I was looking for. YMMV, so, taste as you add.

Pour into your hot jars and process as for peach butter (consult the Ball Blue Book for times in your area), and then...devour!

I am thinking this is way more versatile than just Jam. YES, I plan to enjoy it on some good whole wheat toast bread with a bit of butter. But I also plan to warm it, and spoon it over fresh shortbread with whipped cream on top. And I think it would be divine over fresh homemade gingerbread. Or on ice cream.

Free, cute canning labels

2010-08-04T12:50:00.001-05:00

http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/2102.asp - all kinds of labels, not just canning jars.

http://tipnut.com/canning-jar-labels/ - awesome list!

http://www.sweetpreservation.com/labels-crafts - I love the clean, classy look of these.

Banana Chutney

2010-08-03T11:12:00.003-05:00

So, Inspired by a $.99 bag of slightly overripe bananas, I concocted this Banana chutney, which is an amalgam of a couple of recipes I found online and in books, plus what I had on hand. I freely admit to not measuring things, but going by smell, taste, and feel, so, I have done my best to approximate amounts here, but as always adjust to your tastes.

Banana Chutney
1 bag slightly overripe bananas, cut into bite sized pieces
1 good handful raisins (3/4 cup?)
1 good handful dried cranberries (3/4 cup?)
1 large purple onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 small jalepenos, finely chopped, seeds left in
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. powdered ginger

Combine all ingredients in a large pot, and bring to simmer. Let simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust ingredients. Ladle into 8 oz jars, seal, and process for 10 minutes. YUM!

Pickled blueberries

2010-07-27T20:08:00.001-05:00

I have to make this! Sounds sort of like a blueberry chutney. Yum!

Pickled Blueberry Recipe

Peach Bbq sauce recipe

2010-07-27T10:34:00.002-05:00

I haven't tried this, but doesn't it sound divine??

6 cups finely chopped p[itted and peeled peaches
1 cup finely choped seeded red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 1/4 cup honey - liquid
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestersh**e sauce
2 tsp hot pepper flake (I didn't do these)
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt

In a large saucepan combine every everything and bring to a boil. Reduce and stir freq until it is the thickness of commercial BBQ sauce. About 25 minutes.
In boiling bath canner process for 15 minutes for 1/2 pint jars.

Recipe from Laurie, on the Mary Janes Farm Forum. Thanks Laurie!

Beekeeping. I LIKE it!!

2010-04-19T16:54:00.002-05:00

Goddess. With Drink Umbrella.

2010-04-12T14:38:00.000-05:00

bliss

2010-04-10T09:43:00.000-05:00

purple socks!

2010-04-07T11:07:00.002-05:00

This quilt is Doberman-approved.

2010-04-06T08:34:00.000-05:00

Dawn's Potato, Leek, and Asparagus Soup with Rosemary and Chardonnay

2010-03-29T11:35:00.000-05:00

Another awesome soup swap recipe from Dawn Suarez!

"I threw things in. 64 oz of veg stock, two leeks-sliced, a big bunch of asparagus, and 3pounds of potatos-cooked, skinned and cut how you like, a goodly sized handful of dried Rosemary and 1/2 a bottle of dry white wine. Keep on low for about 35 minutes add 1/4 cup of butter ( sounds better than a stick) and yum yum. That made 6 ish quarts. "

Add a bit of cream when you heat it up and you're in heaven....

Sneaky bunny!

2010-03-22T16:59:00.000-05:00

Soup Swap! Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk

2010-02-24T11:08:00.000-06:00

Maggie's Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk

I don't use recipes, but here is what I did to the best of my recollection.

Clean out the bottom drawer of your fridge and see what root veggies you find. I cut potatoes, onions, carrots, and I think an apple or two into bite sized pieces, placed them a large class pan, added olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper, sage and rosemary and roasted everything at about 425 until they smelled great and were caramelized and roast-y. Stir every 15 minutes or so.

Then, put a whole butternut squash, pie pumpkin, or a couple of smaller acorn squash in the oven. I am lazy so I roast them whole. When I can easily stick a fork in them, but before they collapse to mush, I take them out and let them cool. Then peel them and remove the seeds. I used a large "Long Island Cheese" squash for this particular soup, because it's what I had.

Place your roasted veggies, pumpkin/squash, and a bunch of veggie stock in a large pot. I make veggie stock with leftover bits and ends of things, so I used my homemade veggie stock, but you could use store bought stalk, chicken stock, or water if you like. Bring to simmer. When all veggies are tender, use a stick blender to make the soup creamy. (could put it in a blender, if you don't have a stick blender). Or leave it chunky if you like...it's up to you. :) Then I added 2 cans of coconut milk, and a bunch of spices: Penzey's Tandoori seasoning, curry powder, turmeric, coriander, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste, and you're done!

Soup Swap! Super Duper Cheddar Cheesey Baked Potato Chowder

2010-02-24T10:30:00.001-06:00

Jen Heins' Super Duper Cheddar Cheesy Baked Potato Chowder

Ingredients:
3 Large Baking Potatoes
3 1/2 cups milk
4 oz Cream Cheese
4 ox Cheddar Grated Cheese
2 tbsp Butter
1 cup sliced green onions
Salt
Coarse Pepper
• Bake potatoes in the oven or microwave. (If in the microwave
slice in half and cover with milk).
• Blend Cream cheese with most of the milk until smooth.
• Coarsely mash potatoes, added cream cheese mixture,
Cheddar cheese, butter, onions, salt and pepper. Add more
milk to consistency of choice.
• Low heat on stove top while mixing.
• Top with sour cream or crumbled bacon if you like.
Note: This are the general ingredients. I added a little more of
the cheeses and used sea salt and a peppercorn blend. I added
the milk to the consistency I wanted and seasoned to taste. I
don’t follow instructions well but it tasted great. I hope you
enjoy.

Soup Swap! Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-02-24T09:53:00.003-06:00

John Gibney's Chicken Noodle Soup.

Stock.

3 whole chickens, giblets removed.

3 large onions

5 sticks celery

5 carrots

1 lemon

parsley, thyme, salt, pepper (and/or other seasonings) to taste

Cut vegetables into large pieces, quarter onions and lemon. Place all ingredients in stockpot. Add just enough water to cover the chickens. Heat till just boiling, then reduce to barely simmering until chickens are cooked. Skim grease off surface as it appears.

When cooked, remove chickens and allow to cool. Strain the stock. When cool enough to handle, take the meat from the chicken bones.

Soup.

Stock

Cooked chicken meat

3 large onions

1 head garlic

5 carrots

5 sticks celery

Seasonings to taste.

Cut carrots lengthwise into quarters, then slice into ½ inch dice. Cut celery into similar-sized pieces. Chop garlic finely. Sauté the vegetables in olive oil until the onions are starting to clear. Add stock and heat to simmering. Add chicken meat.

Noodles. (Makes 1 lb.)

2 ¼ cups flour

3 eggs

¾ tsp salt

1 T olive oil

1 T lukewarm water or milk

Make a well in the flour, break in the eggs and add the other ingredients. Whisk the eggs lightly, gradually picking up flour until a dough is formed. If it is sticky, add a bit more flour. Knead the dough gently for about 7 minutes. Place in a bowl and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes, then roll out and feed through pasta maker.

We made very thin angel-hair noodles – these cook in a very short tine, just add a few minutes before serving.

Soup Swap! Vegetable Beef and Barley Soup

2010-02-23T09:18:00.000-06:00

John Fleeger's VEGETABLE BEEF BARLEY SOUP

3 tbsp. salad oil
2 lb. beef chuck, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 c. chopped onions
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. marjoram
6 c. water
2 cans beef broth
1 1/2 c. diced carrots
3/4 c. diced celery
3/4 c. barley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

In large stockpot ( No, not that one... the bigger one!) or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add half the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides. Remove meat and set aside. Brown remaining meat. Return all meat to stockpot.
Add onions, garlic, thyme and marjoram; cook, stirring, 10 minutes more. Add water, beef broth, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Add barley and simmer for another hour uncovered. Enjoy!

Soup Swap! Italian Wedding Soup

2010-02-22T09:42:00.000-06:00

Elaine Fleeger's Italian Wedding Soup

She says - Please forgive.. I am a "toss it in the pot" type of cook, but I'll do the best I can.

Chicken Breast
Water
Chicken Bullion
Chopped Frozen Spinach
Small Pasta Noodles (I use rings but can use any small pasta)
Parmesan Cheese
Meatballs (I made my own, but can use frozen)
Minced Garlic

Boil chicken breast in stock pot with water and chicken bullion. Add bullion to taste.
Remove chicken and save stock. Remove chicken meat from bone and chop up. Add back to stock.

Add garlic and meatballs to stock. Boil to cook meatballs. Add pasta and frozen spinach.

Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Soup Swap! Taco Soup

2010-02-22T08:16:00.001-06:00

Donna Julseth's Taco Soup

2 lbs ground beef (brown with onion)
1 onion
Add
1/2 can Rotel Diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 - 14.5 oz can Mexican style diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans with juice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 can Verde Salsa, or can use green chilies
1 envelope Taco seasoning mix

After browning the meat and onions, all the rest gets dumped in, you can see that you can spice up or down depending on how spicy you like things, then I let it simmer until I am happy with the taste. Toppings can include avocado, cheese, sour cream and chips.

(Maggie's note - I make a vegetarian version of this ALL the time - simply leave out the meat, use loads of beans. It's delicious.)

Soup Swap! Veggie ABC Soup

2010-02-21T20:17:00.001-06:00

Linda Shelley's Veggie ABC Soup

"I made my own vegetable stock but you could use canned. I got my stock
recipe from John Deere Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and adjusted. I
mixed veggie stock with equal amount of V8 juice. I added fresh carrots
chopped, fresh potatoes chopped, fresh onion chopped, fresh celery
chopped, small amount of fresh garlic, frozen peas, frozen corn and canned
kidney beans. For seasoning I used some salt, pepper, parsley, basil and
Italian seasoning. The last 5 minutes I added the abc pasta. You can use
veggies of your choice, whatever seasonings your family prefers. If you
want you can use beef stock instead of veggie and add beef. To make a 5
quart crock pot full I use one can tomato juice or V8 and 2-3 cans of
stock or equal amount if homemade stock. Then just add veggies of your
choice. I leave in crock pot on low about 8 hours. You could add pasta
last 5 minutes or leave out. I just the the ABC's were fun and my
grandsons love them. Enjoy."

Soup Swap! Cream of Mushroom Soup with Barley

2010-02-21T15:00:00.002-06:00

Danielle Wirth's recipe for Cream of Mushroom Soup with Barley

Chicken Broth
Mushrooms
Onions
Picket Fence Creamery Cream
Organic Hulled Barley
Salt to taste (most canned chicken broth has salt added)

Home - made chicken broth is best, but you can also use canned broth. Be sure to avoid prepared chicken broth with MSG (monosodium glutamate) often used as a "flavor enhancer". MSG can be a trigger of migraine headaches.

For large batches.

Start with 32 oz of chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)

Heat the broth in a large stock pot and add 2 or 3 onions.

Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer the onions for 20 minutes (or so)

Depending upon how much soup you want, in addition to the broth already in the stock pot, add 2 cups of water (or broth) for every cup of hulled barley.

Bring the mixture to a boil and add the hulled barley. Cook the barley on medium heat for 45 minutes.

When barley is cooked enough, add at least 1 pound or more of thickly sliced mushrooms.
Cook on low heat until the mushrooms are firm and tender - not mushy.
Remove from heat.
Stir in as much Picket Fence Creamery whipping cream as you'd like. (I use at least a quart)
Return to low heat and stir until the cream is thoroughly mixed in with the mushrooms and barley.

Salt to taste.

Soup Swap! French Onion Soup

2010-02-21T13:58:00.002-06:00

Sally Kilkenny's French Onion Soup

4 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped
3 TBS butter
3 TBS flour
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
31.5 oz (3 - 10.5 oz cans) beef broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/2 inch thick slices of French baguette
8 oz shredded mozzarella

- in a large pot, over medium high heat, saute onions in butter for 10 minutes or until tender - stir in flour, pepper and sugar to form a pasty mixture
- add broth, water and herbs - simmer 10 minutes - add wine and continue cooking 10 more minutes - taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
- preheat oven to broil while ladling soup into 6 individual oven-proof bowls - top each serving with a sliced baguette and cheese - broil until cheese is melted and bubbly

Soup Swap! Dilly Bean Potato Soup

2010-02-21T13:27:00.000-06:00

This is Tanya Hermann's Dilly Bean Potato Soup recipe

(From Simply in Season, by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert)

If you are going to have a crowd, this soup will serve at least a dozen.

1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
6 carrots, shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
12 cups chicken or vegetable broth
9 large potatoes, diced
Salt, to taste
8 to 9 cups cooked Great Northern beans
2 tbsp dried dill weed
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt or sour cream
3 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

I also added a half of an onion chopped fairly small

Heat oil in a large soup pot, and saute celery, carrots and garlic (and onions if you decide to use). Add broth, potatoes and salt and simmer until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Mash some of the potatoes in the broth mixture for a creamier taste. Add beans and dill weed to the soup. Combine yogurt or sour cream, flour and pepper and stir into soup. Cook and stir until thickened. Serves 12 or more.

Soup Swap! Chicken Sweet Potato Soup with Chili and Lime

2010-02-21T12:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we had our soup swap! It was LOADS of fun. We had 14 people, with 15 varieties of soup (Sally F. brought 2 batches). Each soup was incredibly different, and they all sound AMAZING! Many people went home and started sampling their soups from last night, and all reports so far are good. :) I think people would love to enjoy the recipes, so I will be posting them here as they come in. We cannot wait to do this event again in the fall!

I'll start with Carrie Kimrey's AWESOME and very original Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup with Chili and Lime.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 medium size yellow onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3-4 garlic cloves
2 roasted jalapenos or more
1 tsp basil
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
3-4 med size sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
8 c chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 chicken, boiled and picked
1/4 c cilantro
juice of one lime

Heat oil and butter, cook onion til almost caramelized, add celery and cook x 10 min, add garlic and cook 30 seconds, don't brown it. Add peppers and next 4 ingredients, cook x 2 minutes, add sweet potatoes, broth, bay leaves, bring to low boil. Reduce heat and simmer x 40 minutes or til potatoes tender. Stir in chicken and cook til heated through. Brush corn tortillas with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt and bake at 400 x 10 minutes and serve with soup.

(Carrie's note: This is a rough draft, I don't usually follow recipes as they are written. )

FINALLY! Finished!

2010-02-17T13:26:00.000-06:00

Cheesemaking Adventures: Brunost (Scandinavian Brown Cheese)

2010-02-09T11:01:00.000-06:00

So, I have alot of whey. I make queso blanco at least once a week, and am venturing into other cheesemaking adventures. I use it in bread, and to cook grains and beans, etc, and STILL have alot of whey. So I decided to try this unusual recipe for a scandinavian type of "brown cheese", made by essentially boiling your leftover whey (with a bit of milk and cream added, if you like) to make a thick, carmelized sort of whey-cheese.

I used about a gallon of whey, and added 2 cups each whole milk and cream, as recommended by this recipe.

Here is the whey reduced to about half. It is starting to get darker.

Here it is reduced to about one fourth. Getting very dark,and thick, and starting to smell caramel-ey.

This is where I stopped it. It was quite thick and dark and I had to stir it constantly. Until this point, I mostly just let the mixture bubble away on medium heat on the stove, just stirring every now and again as I wandered through the kitchen. Not exactly a high-maintenance project.

I did notice at this point that the cheese was lookinga little grainy. I poured it into a shallow pan and took it outside (it's very cold here right now, so I figured that would cool it off quickly) and set it on a cold glass table and stirred until it was cool. The grainyness does not detract from it's taste, but I'd much prefer a smooth cheese.

Now, the taste. It is REALLY interesting and super hard to describe. I like it VERY much. It's both salty and sweet, with caramel overtones. I think it would go well with both sweet and savory dishes. I am going to do alot of experimentation with this fun cheese to see how I like to serve and eat it. I am most intrigued by the idea of serving it on waffles, that sounds really good to me!

Real Food Challenge, Week 1

2010-02-08T08:44:00.000-06:00

So, I'm sort of following this Real Food Challenge put on by Nourised Kitchen. It's really interesting and I'm leraning alot. However, the pace is WICKED fast - and nothing is announced much ahead of time so you dn't have time to, say, aquire a whole stash of organic sprouting grains, or research and buy a dehydrator and grinder. So mostly I'm watching, reading, trying a few things as I have time, inclination, and supplies. Some local natural mamas are thinking the same thing, and have a more realistic plan: do a similar challenge, but over TIME. Seems very smart to me!

Anyway, on Day one, you were supposed to toss out all your junk food, refined food. I am comfortable with the level of junk food in my house. It's very little - there's very little refined food on the premises, and what we have is what we're keeping. I don't think a can of coke (liberally laced with rum and lime) once a week or so is going to kill me. :) And, yeah, I should be making my own pasta, and I will, but for now, I'll finish off the bag of organic dried pasta. And so forth.

Day 2 - aquire new healthy foods. Again, I pretty much have those. So, easy.

Day 3 involved soaking grains. Okay, I'd been meaning to try that anyway. I've soaked my meusli in a bit of whey and water overnight for the last 3 days. in the morning, rinse it, cook it and eat it. Easy. I don't know that I notice any changes in how I digested the food. it had a slightly different texture, but tasted fine. I do have alot of whey on hand, generally, left over from cheesemaking, and usually use it in my bread dough (generally Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes bread), so I think overall I was kind of doing that anyway.

Other challenges for the week included starting a sourdough, and sprouting grains. I haven't done either of these yet. I have some Carl's Sourdough starter that i've been meaning to play with anyway, so this will be incentive to get me doing so. And, I'll try sprouting seeds sometime, to add to bread, I think it would be an interesting texture. I like the looks of this recipe. I DO love the Artisan bread in 5 method, but also kind of miss doing the kneading and rising process, especially on snowy days at home like this. I would still like to learn more about making bread the "old-fashioned" way. So much to do, so much to learn! I have never used a dough enhancer, or vital wheat gluten. Anyone have recommendations about these, yay or nay?

Feta!

2010-02-05T21:06:00.000-06:00

I finally christened my (bartered for) cheese press, and made FETA! It's cow's milk feta, using this recipe. It's aging in the fridge now...I hope it turns out good!

Herbed Yogurt Cheese

2010-01-29T22:43:00.001-06:00

I am so delighted with how these turned out!

First, make yogurt, or purchase plain yogurt.

Next, take your yogurt and turn it into what I call yogurt cheese, or what is also known either as cream cheese or greek yogurt. (Basically, you just put it in some cheesecloth, let the whey drain out, and you have a thick creamy tangy ball of yummy stuff.)

Then, take your yogurt cheese and roll it into little balls, and refrigerate.

Next: choose your spices. I picked rosemary, thyme, parsley from my garden, and ground them in my mortar and pestle.

Then I added some freshly cracked black pepper, sea salt, and Penzey's Creamy Peppercorn mix. Yum.

Now, marinate your yogurt balls in some yummy olive oil - I would not skimp on quality here, I used an extra virgin organic olive oil, very yum - and your herb mixture. Truthfully, you can just mix this up and eat it and it's still pretty damn good, but it's better with a bit of marinating time. But hey, we do what we gotta do, right?

Next: EAT! I ate this on crackers. YUM. I think it would also be fantastic smashed onto fresh bread. Double yum. I also want to try this on pizza some time. I bet it would be good with fresh veggies as well.

2010-01-26T11:50:00.002-06:00

I am continually amused by watching Andy interact with the household pets. Peter just LOVES him, and Andy seems to like his attention. Here Peter is licking, feisting, biting, playing, rolling on, and generally mauling the bunny (gently). I swear, Andy loves it.

2010-01-22T15:45:00.002-06:00

More fun with my Sew What! Skirts book. This is the basic wrap skirt, but I didn't round the edges, just left them angular. It's a different look, I like it!

2010-01-21T09:08:00.002-06:00

Having more fun with my Sew What! Skirts book - this is the basic a-line skirt, I made it with some cotton fabric I got in a barter. I made it a wee bit bigger than I need, but that's okay. It's got a drawstring waist so it's still perfectly wearable, and I'll know to cut down the hip measurments a bit next time.

2010-01-20T08:29:00.002-06:00

Recycling and dyeing yarn, part 2 - thanks to Cassie (and to my faster internet connection today...I'd wanted to post more dyeing links but the interwebz were too slow).
THIS is the original picture that inspired me to start yanking apart cheapo sweaters - isn't that wrap pretty? Here's the free pattern! And THIS is the original tutorial I read about how to do it.

Knitty has another fantastic tutorial about how to create gorgeous handpainted yarns using plain old food coloring. I love the idea of saving yourself literally hundreds of dollars (if you think I'm joking, check out the prices of, say, a hank of handpainted 100% cahsmere or merino yarn) by spending maybe $10, MAX, on a sweater and several bottles of food coloring. I have found MANY cashmere sweaters at Goodwill - if they aren't my size or style, I simply tear them apart, dye the yarn, and then have loads of gorgeous cashmere yarn to knit with.

You can also dye yarn with easter egg dyes. This is extremely economical if you stalk the local grocery stores the day after Easter. You'll find all their excess dye on sale for as low as 10 cents per package ( no joke). Stock up and have fun dyeing!

2010-01-19T21:02:00.005-06:00

This post is for 2 of my awesome friends, who are brand new knitters. I love knitting, and I love recycling/upcycling/repurposing. Which is why I think taking a $1.99 Goodwill sweater and turning it into hanks and hanks and hanks of yarn is TOO fun.

When I started knitting, this was a GREAT way to build stash without spending money. (Wait...it still is!). IT's especially freeing if you're playing with DYEING. I have had some fairly disastrous natural dyeing attempts, and it is very comforting to know I didn't ruin/felt/uglify some expensive nice yarn. Just an old sweater that needed a new purpose.

So, here is an excellent blog post about how to take apart a sweater and turn it into an intergalactic megaton of yarn. I personally find Gap sweaters to be great to tear apart. They tend to have awesome fun yarns, and are easy to take apart.

and here is a great Knitty article about how to use koolaid to dye yarn! I never drink Kool Aid, but I DO enjoy Kool-Aid dyeing. So you can turn a solid colored sweater into MANY colored skeins of yarn!

2010-01-15T19:27:00.001-06:00

Getting my sewing mojo back on! I made this skirt using no pins, and no pattern - just the most EXCELLENT instructions from the Sew What! Skirts book. I LOVE that book!! This is a basic wrap skirt, it wasn't hard to make. But I still feel like a freaking genius. :)

2010-01-13T17:11:00.003-06:00

I'm hosting a SOUP SWAP! Saturday, February 20th, 2 PM at Prairieland Herbs (rural Woodward).

And you are invited! (and anyone you know, and all your friends, heck, bring your doggie. It's all good!this is for sure a more-the-merrier type thing)

If you don't know what a soup swap is, here is the very bare-bones summary. Each person brings 6 - 1 quart freezer containers of homemade soup. Then, you swap with other people, and take home six entirely different containers of yummy homemade soup. That's it!

For a more detailed explanation, please visit the Soup Swap website, it has loads of great information and explains the whole process very thoroughly. Here is the "how to swap soup" page, which I will be following for our soup-swapping shindig.

So, if you'd like to participate, please do plan to come! You do not need to rsvp, although if you'd like to drop me an email (girlwithasword at yahoo dot com) to let you know you're coming, that would be good (so we have a basic idea of how many people to expect).

Vegetarians, please note: We cannot guarantee that there will be six vegetarian or vegan soups for you to take home, so please be flexible and understanding. If you'd still like to swap, perhaps some of the carnivorous soups would be a wonderful gift for a family member or kindly neighbor. (If you are super-concerned about this, but would still like to swap, let me know. Perhaps something can be arranged. I do know lots of vegetarians and suspect several of them will participate in this swap!)

You are not required to share your recipes, however, if you'd like to, it is encouraged!

Please DO make sure your soup is freezer-friendly. If you have a great soup recipe but aren't sure if it's good after being frozen, make some, freeze it, then defrost it and give it a taste. A quick google search for "freezer soup recipes" led me to a bajillion links, so I am sure the wonderful interwebs can help you find a delicious freezer recipe!

I'd like to meet and mingle at 2 PM at the classroom at Prairieland Herbs (delicious snacks will be provided), then swap it up...I imagine the whole shindig wouldn'tt ake more than an hour, unless we really get yakking.

Oh, one last thing. If you want to participate but can't actually be there on the day of the event, that's fine. IF you bring your six soups to either Maggie's house or Prairieland Herbs before the event, we'll do the swappin' for you! Not a problem.

2010-01-12T20:27:00.004-06:00

This is the SECOND huge and wonderful box full of yarn I've gotten this week. I love barter. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I use all these crazy odds and ends to make the sideways scarves (see post below).

Also, I am sewing again! This is a wraparound skirt - or, well, the beginnings of one. I am using some funky chinese-inspired cotton, and the "Sew What! Skirts" book for a pattern.

2010-01-12T09:41:00.003-06:00

I concocted thisrecipe the other day. It's SUPER Yummy, at least I think so. I'm writing it here mostly so I can refer back to it (as I don't actually write recipes down, generally). But perhaps some of you would enjoy it too.

1 can coconut milk
juice of one lime or lemon
1 tsp. green curry paste (or to taste)
dried minced garlic (alot...maybe 2 tsp?)
brown sugar (2-3 tbsp)
1/3 - 1/2 cup chunky natural peanut butter
soy sauce
some bangkok blend curry (penzeys brand)

I mixed these ingredients together in a small saucepan until warm, then added green beans (from my freezer) and 1/2 small butternut squash, cooked. Heat all together, adjust seasonings, and serve over basmati rice. DELISH.

2010-01-11T10:54:00.001-06:00

While it LOOKS like the kitty underneath the bunny is complaining, she is really having a great time, I promise. Andy the bunny loves to play with our fosterkittens. :)

2010-01-09T18:39:00.004-06:00

Randomness today.First. Weather that does THIS - is just wrong. The driver's side wiper on my van quit working, so, I took my mom's car home during the last snowstorm, leaving my poor van out in the country with 9 inches of snow and 45 mph winds. You can see how buried it got! There was snow packed - PACKED - entirely under and around the car, all the way underneath, in the wheel wells and the hubcaps. Not pretty. Nor fun to shovel out.

And, these are just the latest of my crazy sideways scarves. I started knitting these before Christmas, and I'm obsessed. It started as a way to use my extra stash (which is way, WAY larger than I had realized). I have made at least 40 of these so far, I haven't actually counted, but, they simply disappear. I give them away, people buy them, everyone loves them. So, for you knitter types, here is what you go: Get yourself some size 17 (or so) circular needles, and a big stash of yarn. ANY yarn will do, from fingering or lace weight up to super bulky. You can choose a color theme, do a rainbow (as shown above) or just be totally random. I have yet to make one that is ugly; somehow, they always turn out funky and beautiful. And the more mixed-up the fibers, the better! I use cheap acrylic, handspun, and everything inbetween. Funky eyelash and ladder yarns are great, as are ribbons or even thin strips of fabric. Mix is up, it's all about texture. Anyway, cast on 80 stitches or so. 60 will make a short scarf, 100+ a long one. I have done it all. Leave a long tail when you cast on, and a long tail at the end. Now pick another yarn or group of yarns, leave a long tail, knit all the way across, and leave another long tail. Repeat until you run out of yarn, get tired, or decide it's done. Cast off, the knot the fringe ends. That's IT.

If you're using fat yarn, one or maybe 2 strands per row are fine. I used up alot of my sock yarn bits, then I'd do 4 or 5 per row. I have enough of my fave colors stashed up to attempt a shawl using this method, I'll be sure to get pics and blog when it is finished. :)

2010-01-08T10:48:00.000-06:00

My awesome friend Becky sent me this WONDERFUL little care package, which arrived on my doorstep in the middle of a blizzard!!! She even had to email me to tell me that she had tracked the package and found it had arrived....I hadn't seen it, for all the snow! :) Anyway, this is a WONDERFUL assortment of goodies she made, packaged, and labelled. Aren't they gorgeous? We have, from left, maple syrup from her OWN TREES (!!!!!), sassafrass jelly, rosehip tea, homemade vanilla extract, and lemon balm and chive blossom vinegar. I am so blessed to have such generous and talented friends! :)

2010-01-03T14:11:00.002-06:00

I FINALLY got my computer back! Well, okay. I still have to re-download, like, EVERYTHING I had on it. (thank god for mozy.com). But, it's working! wheee!

So, this is one of the pairs of pants I "hippiefied" for John, for Christmas. I am rather pleased at how they turned out! They were super fun to do. I used scraps of fabric I had in the house, and a pair of his jeans that were slightly to small.

Also? John created a Cafe Press store, with this SUPER CO OL T-shirt! I NEED one. NEED!

2009-12-21T11:32:00.002-06:00

I love etsy. Etsy ROCKS.

I have been getting some amazing handmade clothing lately, from small companies that use organic and ecofriendly materials. I got this organic kimono wrap top from One Love Creations and have been wearing it more or less nonstop.and I have this super cute fairy belt from Indigo Inspired, which I love!
Anyway, my friend Sara is doing a giveaway of these amazing clothes on her blog, so, go check it out and enter yourself! and if you want to treat your self to some custom-made, affordable, durable and eco-friendly clothes, for sure check out these clothes, they are wonderful!

2009-12-14T11:10:00.004-06:00

Snowed in. Knitting an afghan for my sister, she requested it for Christmas and picked out the yarn! i'm using 3 strands at a time, on size 17 needles.

2009-12-05T20:31:00.002-06:00

So, news here. I got a bunny, thanks to my awesome friend Abby! We originally thought she was a girl and named her Anya. I know NOTHING about bunnies, so, it's all a huge learning curve. It soon became clear that 1) Duncan (the doberman) was utterly obsessed with her, and 2) the cats tooooootally ignored her. Duncan followed her around for about a week, obsessively staring at her. Not in an "I want to eat you" way, just in a "what are you and can I poke you with my nose?" kind of way. Fortunately for all of us, he's past that. Anya is an angora mix, and has lovely luscious fur that I will spin! She was pretty matted, and my awesome mom took 2 hours last week to help me groom her. And by help me, I mean, I held the bunny and she did all the work. (She has mad grooming skills, and brushed/cut/shaved all the mats out of Anya). However, this week, Anya started, well...showing affection for our foster kittens in a MOST inappropriate manner. OBSESSIVELY. And now I am pretty darn sure that Anya is actually Andy, and has an appointment to get neutered next Wednesday, so s/he can go back to being a calm and peaceful member of this crazy little family. (s/he is a housebunny, working on housetraining and learning NOT to eat electrical cords).

2nd big excitement. I got a CHEESE PRESS! Bartered for it, which is even awesomer. (is that a word?) I don't actually have any clue how to use it, but, I will figure it out. Now,time to get serious about cheesemaking. I have and endless supply of amazing farm fresh milk thanks to a generous wonderful friend, and our neighbors at Picket Fence Creamery, so....time to get making cheese!

2009-10-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

I've been having more fun than you'd ever believe...taking a hula hoop class. Yep, you read that right. A hula hoop class. it is SO FUN. I thought this picture was pretty cute. my favorite hoop, strapped in the van, ready to go to class.

Have hoop, will travel....

2009-10-12T17:06:00.001-05:00

BRILLIANT idea for next year's VMD's (Veggies of Mass Destruction...my pet name for those oversized crazy zucchini that always...appear.....)

Zucchini Candy.

Posted by my friend Abby, and as she says - I'm sure we could come up with something better than Kool-Aid to flavor the zucchini.

2009-10-10T14:11:00.002-05:00

long time, no blog -sorry. Been busy!!! You know how it goes, right?

Last night I was gifted with these apples. (cat shown for scale.) Just after some friends told me how they wanted to learn to can stuff. So guess what - we're going to have a canning party! with apples! There are many lovely things to make with apples - applesauce, apple butter, apple pie jam, chutney, apple pie filling, and Miss Effie just posted this yummy recipe for cinnamon apple ice cream topping. I'm going to let the canning "class" decide what they want to make, but my vote would be for caramel apple butter, and apple sauce with berries. mmmmm!

In other news. IT SNOWED. Yep, October 10th, snow. Not a tiny bit of snow, but actual snow that fell and stuck and covered everything. Crazy, huh?? And tonight - 24 degrees predicted low temps. Which means, hard freeze, which means, gardens go bye-bye. :( I will be sad to see them go. I *am* a little tired of the 3-hour post-work canning sessions, which delay dinner until 9 or 10 and make for a slightly cranky Maggie the next day. But I AM grateful for shelves full of grape juice, apple pie filling, jams and jellies galore, salsa, tomatoes, soups and more. It's worth it.

2009-09-08T10:39:00.000-05:00

Three is just too adorable :)

2009-08-10T10:43:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year...when cucumber and tomatoes abound! I came home the other day to find some really large zucchini and cucumbers gifted to me.....good friends gave me lots of recipe ideas, and one of them was this AMAZING gazpacho recipe. I'm totally hooked. I've made it twice now, and it's just great stuff. The veggies used in the recipe are shown above. As you can see, it's a great way to use a lot of garden vegetables at once...WITHOUT heating up your house by cooking. How brilliant is that?

Gazpacho
(Thanks Gina for the great recipe!)

6-7 large, very ripe tomatoes (great way to use tomatoes that are almost too ripe)
2 large cucumbers, peeled
2-3 cloves of garlic (to taste)
half a medium/large onion
day-old crusty baguette or other dense bread--about a 4-inch chunk
olive oil
red wine vinegar
salt to taste

Remove the crusts from your bread and soak in a dish of water.
Coarsely chop the tomatoes and remove the seeds (I don't get too worked up over this, though--gazpacho is an easy dish...why make it hard?)
Peel the cucumbers, seed them, and coarsely chop one and one-half, reserving the other half
Peel the garlic
Peel and coarsely chop the garlic

Toss all of the VEGGIES into a blender with a little slosh of olive oil to help emulsify everything, and then puree. You might have to do this in stages if your blender won't hold everything at one time. Once you've got a nice puree add about a tsp or so of the red wine vinegar and blend in well. Then, squeeze the excess water from your bread and puree it into the mix. Salt to taste, then refrigerate until served. The flavors really come into their own several hours later, and IMHO gazpacho is truly at its best the day after (or even that day after that) it's prepared.

You can of course experiment with this recipe as you like, but it's really great as-is. I used a mixture of balsamic and apple cider vinegar, as I didn't have any red wine vinegar. The second time I made this recipe, I added a green pepper, some black pepper, and a wee bit of basil. I like to serve it topped with some homemade sour cream, fresh parsley or cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. YUM!

2009-08-05T15:53:00.001-05:00

It's HERE it's HERE!!!!!

The worm house has arrived! To blatantly steal a phrase one of my customers used....it's possible that I am irrationally excited about this. :)

But now my worms have a swanky new home!!

It's very exciting.....if you're me.

2009-08-03T11:18:00.002-05:00

It has begun.

I came home yesterday to find three club-sized zucchini and six large cucumbers waiting on my table.

Now...I need help! What do I do with these vegetable monstrosities??

I am familiar with canning, but have never really made pickles.

I have 2 big freezers ready to be filled with goods for the winter.

I don't eat alot of sweets (although I will make some sweet chocolate zucchini something-or-other for my grandpa, who loves sweets).

Help? suggestions? recipes?

2009-08-01T18:09:00.002-05:00

Camouflage is not OJ's strong suit.

And Gus says "What yarn? I'm not sitting on any yarn...."

2009-07-22T10:25:00.003-05:00

FINALLY! my socks are finished! (thanks, John, for the great picture and AMAZING yarn!)

go here to see pics of this fiber as roving, then a spun hank of yarn. So cool!

2009-07-13T10:23:00.005-05:00

Treadle number two (which is actually the first one I aquired). Bartered for! And picked up in northern Missouri. Model number B73785, Which I believe makes it a Singer 27, made in November, 1904, in New Jersey. It's missing one little bit, which I can get on ebay!

Once again, all I did was gently wipe off the dust and cobwebs with some mild soapy water, then added a light layer of handmade furniture polish. All the moving bits flow freely and really, it's in great shape! I'll get the missing plate ordered...and then figure out how to get it threaded and get treadling!

2009-07-10T21:00:00.010-05:00

Sphinx 27 Singer Treadle Sewing Machine

Made in New Jersey, 1902.

Given to me by a friend....just because. :)

She had purchased it years ago in Colfax, Iowa, and used it as decoration, then it sat in her garage for years. She never used it. She knows it spent some time in Yale, Iowa, because when she purchased it it had a Yale phone listing, circa 1950, in the drawer.

Today I finally had a chance to clean it up a little. I'm a hesitant to do to much to it, becuase I don't want to damage the paint or decals. But truly, it's in pretty good shape. Mostly I used a gentle soap/water solution to get off some dust, dirt, and cobwebs, and then used some natural handmade furniture polish on it. And that's it. All the moving bits move smoothly. I think that's really what fascinates me about these machines....they're utterly gorgeous, and REALLY well made. I mean, just think of the plastic junk we have now. Could any of it be forgotten in dusty sheds for decades on end, then pulled out and be essentially ready to use? Um, I think not. Our disposable society disgusts me. For example, we us printers at my work. Simple cheap computer printers. And at least once a year, we have to literally throw one away, because we've worn it out and cannot fix it. They aren't built to last, and the companies that make them have no interest in servicing or repairing them. Even if I want to, I can't. It's ridiculous.

Anyway. I have yet to actually get to the inner workings and figure out how the, well, work, and clean them up. That's next!! But for now...check out this amazing puzzle box that was in the drawer!!

This tidy, tiny little wooden box opens up to reveal:

A treasure trove of cool little attachments and tools! Now, I don't have a CLUE what these do. Not. A. Clue. But I'll figure it out eventually. Anyway, it doesn't really matter, because I just think this is so need and tidy and gorgeous, it makes me swoon.

PLUS? There's at least that many more attachments, loose in one of the sewing machine drawers. I may spend my lifetime figuring them all out....

Here's a closeup of one, just so you can see how intricate some of the attachments are. This would fit very comfortably in the palm of my hand, to give you an idea of size.

Thanks John for the puzzlebox and attachment photos...I know you've got more so post them on your blog and I'll like from here!

I have pics of my other treadle too....will post them soon.

2009-07-08T20:57:00.002-05:00

I was gifted this GORGEOUS treadle sewing machine! A friend had one she didn't want anymore, and knew I was interested in them. So she just gave it to me! I haven't had ANY time to play with it yet , but I did get these quick pictures and looked up the serial number. If I'm figuring it correctly, this machine was made in 1902 in New Jersey. It's a busy week here, and I don't have much time to work on it, but I'm REALLY wanting to start cleaning and restoring it, and get it working. ALSO? It has a GORGEOUS puzzlebox full of attachments that came with it. Pics of that coming soon......

2009-07-08T19:09:00.004-05:00

This amused me greatly. I got some GORGEOUS hula hoops from Dancinginthecircle on etsy. I will get better pics of them unwrapped, but isn't this hysterical? They were mailed just like this!!! Note the bubblewrap, priority mail stickers, and address label. I wonder what my postal guy thinks???

I'm pleased to report that the composting worms are doing their job beautifully! I know - this isn't the prettiest of pictures. But it shows how efficiently they are turning kitchen waste into wondeful black compost. Chow down, little worms!

We've been doing lots of biking, and starting to look pretty official. Now that we have bike shorts (oh, padding is gooooood!), biking sandals (not shown in this photo), helmets, gloves, and racks to go on the bikes...yeah. we're starting to look like everyone else on the trail!

and, just a gratuitous kitty pic. This is oj, snoozing on the keyboard. why? because he's a cat. that's why.

2009-06-30T14:57:00.002-05:00

Made this last night. (toppings: fresh arugula from Small Potatoes CSA, fresh herbs from my garden, sun dried tomatoes from Blue Gate Farm, Robiola from Reicherts Dairy Air, gouda from Frisian farms and some other cheese that I got at the farmer's market but lost the label to)

Want MORE!!!!!!!

2009-06-29T14:41:00.001-05:00

Just giddy over how well this sock turned out :) now, to knit the 2nd!

2009-06-23T19:40:00.000-05:00

oh, how quickly they learn. all kittehs love the fiber!!!

2009-06-17T15:41:00.001-05:00

John spun this gorgeous yarn for me -it's some natural Lincoln wool from our friend Martha Williams. John spun and navajo-plied it, so it is naturally self-striping. He spins SO FINE! Even though it is 3-ply, I am STILL having to knit it with SIZE ZERO NEEDLES!!!!!!!!! I have never used below size 1 before. I think I am going to have to take up lace knitting, to best use the yarn he spins for me.....

2009-06-09T19:05:00.001-05:00

I have discovered strawberry heaven. It is:

1 pint local fresh strawberries
whatever alpine strawberries you can find in your garden
dressed with a smidgen of lemon juice, elderflower cordial, honey, and a bit of homemade peach liqueur (or red wine).

2009-06-07T11:06:00.001-05:00

okay, so I cheated and bought a huge gorgeous tomato plant loaded with baby green tomatoes at the farmer's market a few weeks ago. but still...the first tomato of the season.....it makes me happy!!!

2009-05-21T18:45:00.004-05:00

Happy Things:

Being part of the Downtown Des Moines Farmer's market - utterly full of amazing food, people, and loads of fun. I'm so delighted we have such a fun, vibrant and exciting market here!

My new sparkly hula hoops. :) (this little mini-pictorial of my hobbies amuses me greatly).

The mini-herb garden located 1 foot outside my kitchen door. I have no idea how people cook without loads of fresh herbs nearby. Here we have 2 kinds of thyme, 2 nasturtiums, rosemary, basil, cilantro, marjoram and parsley. More thyme, sage, oregano, lemon balm, mint, fennel and some others I am forgetting are planted just a few feet away.

And these gorgeous birthday flowers I got from my wonderful, sweet, generous friend Amy! Aren't they beautiful?

Also not pictured, the "new" bike I got, and, the fact that I can now run 3 miles without dying. Now, if only I could master the pullup bar and a handstand...when I can do those things I will be a VERY happy girl.....

2009-05-06T21:09:00.003-05:00

I got a copy of Wild Fermentation from Chelsea Green Publishing and I am utterly fascinated. My first fermentation project - Pineapple Vinegar! Shown on the right. I also have a juicer that a WONDERFUL friend gifted me - so I am using some of the apple/orange/carrot/lemon/ginger pulp to make vinegar (shown right). I'll let you know how it turns out.

I'm also making tonic for some friends...trying a different recipe this time. (Spike felt the need to get his butt in this picture. he's like that).

and today - I got some hula hoops to play with. :) :) :) SO FUN! and really good exercise!

2009-04-12T17:44:00.003-05:00

Spike and Three spent a whole afternoon cuddling together on the kitchen table. :)

2009-04-10T20:24:00.001-05:00

I used to think this was my pillow, but now I understand that it's really Willies, and he just lets me use it at night.

2009-04-06T17:33:00.003-05:00

Ollie is absolutely shameless. (To give you an idea of his size, this is a king sized bed.)

In this picture, Oj is not only keeping me from my knitting (current project resides in the green bag), but he's also hampering any possible computer activities. Now if only he was laying on the book I'm currently reading, he would have earned the coveted title of Kitty Hampering Most Human Activities At One Given Time.

2009-03-30T12:19:00.006-05:00

Sublimely happy - a yarny nap (doesn't she have the cutest pawpads? This is Tori).

Spike and Three were spinning and shopping for bellydance dvds online when they decided it was naptime.

Spike (aka Blondie Bear)

They all LOVE my laptop. (This is Three).

Spike loves Lorraine's wool as much as I do!

There's your gratuitous kitteh cuteness for the day - stripey style.

2009-03-30T12:18:00.001-05:00

I've got worms!

The good kind. Red worms, for composting indoors. I've had them for about a month. I've wanted to do vermicomposting for AGES - it seems like such an easy and logical way to deal with kitchen food wastes, especially during the winter months.

A friend and I split an order for 2 lbs of worms - I found the box stamped "live worms" to be most amusing. My worms are happily living in an old plastic tote, settled in a bed of shredded paper and a bit of dirt, eating my kitchen waste (primarily coffee coffee grounds, citrus peels, and teabags in the winter). They require basically no work - I check on them every few days or maybe once a week, and throw in some more food waste, make sure the container is moist but not TOO moist, and that's it. There is no smell, and I can tell the worms are doing their job - food waste is being converted to compost, which will end up in my garden this summer.

2009-03-23T12:12:00.004-05:00

I have been busy knitting hats for charity. I had a ziploc bag full of alpaca and alpaca-blend yarn scraps, and just couldn't decide what to do with them, so....I have been just having fun knitting funky striped hats to donate! I don't have a charity specifically picked out yet - anyone have a favorite they want to recommend?

This is some luscious mohair/corriedale that I dyed and spun. Love the peacock colors.

In exciting fiber news, I got a huge box of fantastic fiber from Cherie at Willow Ridge Fibers. As you can see, Boots the cat is approving of the roving (note that she is also lying on my knitting bag....her favorite spot!). I haven't gotten a chance to spin it yet - I'm DYING to, but promised I'd help a friend with a spinning project first - but it is soft, luscious, clean, and gorgeous! And each fiber comes with a pretty little card with the picture and name of the sheep who "donated" it. WONDERFUL touch!!!

2009-03-19T11:11:00.003-05:00

I'm-Broke-And-Cleaning-Out-The-Cupboards-But-Damn-This-Turned-Out-Good Vegan Lentil Soup

(Made this last night and it is sooooo yummy).

1 bag mixed green and yellow lentils (given to me by a friend who didn't want them - so free to me, retail value about $1.00)

5 carrots (the last from my CSA - cost estimated at 60 cents)

1 onion (40 cents)

1 quart bag frozen heirloom tomatoes (from my CSA - estimated value $1.00)

1 head organic elephant garlic (I traded flats of white peaches from my orchard for a bag of organic garlic from a neighbor, so free to me but....I believe these sell for about $1.50 each)

3 wineglasses tap water

Spices: loads of basil, parsley and sage from my garden. Some sea salt, cracked black pepper, and some Old Bay Spice Seasoning. (est. cost 25 cents)

Dump everything in crock pot, turn on high, and go to work.

Come home 8 hours later to amazing delicious food smells!!!!!!!! Cook 2 more hours (while salivating), then eat.

I had 2 bowls. It was awfully delicious for such a simple recipe. No fat, high fiber....I think this would be delicious with rice, too, or could be a filling for crepes or a tortillas.

My cost: $2.25
Street value: $3.75

I estimate that this will feed two adults for 4 or perhaps 5 meals, so the average cost per serving is somewhere around 25 cents.

2009-03-18T13:15:00.004-05:00

I stumbled across this amazing blog - The One Dollar Diet Project. Two perfectly sane adults, with reasonable incomes, decided to spend a month eating only $1 per day worth of food (each). It is absolutely fascinating to read about their experiences - they write thoughfully, honestly, about health, food, poverty, making do, and enjoying what you have.

I was thinking about this, because - my fridge is currently pretty darn empty, and I'm looking at it remaining that way for the next week or two. My lifestyle change of eating predominantly local food occurred at the same time (but not because of) as a drastic reduction of the amount of money flowing into my household. I learned the incredible value of a 25# bag of flour, the joy of bulk organic potatoes, how to barter for food, the excitement of free freezers and canning supplies found on craigslist and freecycle, re-discovered the fun and frugality of canning and freezing local vegetables, and the exquisite joy of an orchard producing bushels of fruit - free for the picking. And wildcrafting! Once you open your eyes to the natural world around you, you can't believe how much free, delicious food is available....simply for the taking. (And trust me when I tell you, my homemade pizza with sauteed wild nettles, ramps and morel mushrooms is simply out of this world).

Don't get me wrong. Given the choice, I will still splurge on food. I LOVE food! Imported cheeses, fine wines, great whiskey, and expensive fancy mushrooms make me swoon.

But...... I have also discovered the joy of peasant food, and how to concoct something delicious out of very very little. Have flour, water, maybe some eggs? Make noodles. Have milk too? Crepes! Pancakes! Have dried beans, rice, and a few spices...a myriad of ethnic-inspired dishes are at your fingertips, for pennies. Got veggies from the garden? Vats of healthy, delicious veggie soups await. I simply cannot fathom spending $6 for artisan bakery breads after having discovered the joys of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes. Even using local organic flours, homemade is bread is ridiculously cheap and easy - not to mention fresh, healthy, and delicious. Roasted root veggies with a touch of olive oil, rosemary and sage, are sinfully sumptuous.

I don't know. I'm just rambling, but, really...it's all very interesting, isn't it?

2009-03-16T10:59:00.002-05:00

I love supporting my local fiber industry - and am absolutely delighted to see that the UN has designated 2009 as the International Year of of Natural Fibres! Thanks to Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm for pointing out the link....I can't wait to get my roving from them....they assure us it's soon!

In other news, I'm delighted to be getting some fiber from Willow Ridge Farm in the very near future....I'll post pics when it arrives!

2009-03-13T10:39:00.003-05:00

A bit of spinning turned these:

In to these! The bumps of fiber were pretty small, so I plied several of them with some commercial yarns, for different effects. (also a good way to use up leftover scraps of my commercial yarn stash).

And this is the infamous "my little pony" yarn, which, I actually love (even though I'm not usually a "pink" girl".) I left it as a single ply, and I think there's enough to make a hat. I'll post photos when I get something made with it.