Proper Irish Food

I mentioned in the last post about Corned beef and cabbage not being proper Irish fare  and it isn't. More appropriate for celebrating the day would be the national dish of Ireland Colcannon (cabbage and mashed potatoes) and maybe a little proper Irish soda bread. Here is a repost from way back in 07 or 08 with a recipe for Irish Soda Bread and a link to a recipe for colcannon.

I'm going down now to make a batch of soda bread right now and I should also let you know that it is extra special with Irish butter ie. Kerrygold. Yes, I am having corned beef and cabbage just because I like it and I never fix it and St. Patty's Day is a good excuse and beside it's raining.

In honor of the holiday honoring the patron saint of Ireland I thought it would be nice to share a traditional Irish recipe. It is a very basic bread that every Irish household would always have on hand. It only has four ingredients.

4 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups of buttermilk

Grease an 8 inch glass pie plate and set aside. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and put the rack in the middle of the oven.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir until everything comes together and then turn the dough out on a floured surface. Knead the dough for only a minute resisting the urge to do more. The dough should not be overworked. Form the dough into a disk about 6 inches across. Place in your greased pie dish. The dough won't touch the sides. Cut a cross in the dough about a half in deep all the way across and then bake for about 50 minutes until the slash widens and the bread is a nice golden brown.
Cool the bread on a wire rack until it is completely cool before slicing. Wrap the bread in a moist towel until ready to serve. You can keep this bread for a day wrapped and at room temperature but by the end of the day even the little amount of fat in the buttermilk will cause the bread to become pretty hard.

Enjoy with some good Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage or the national dish of Ireland Colcannon.

This recipe for Irish Soda Bread comes from Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan from a recipe by Marion Cunningham.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

It's not really Irish (most probably Eastern European) but corned beef and cabbage has become a tradition here in the U.S. for St. Patrick's Day. And like a bunch of others I almost always fix a batch.

I actually braise my corned beef in a large Dutch oven with aromatic vegetables and cook wedges of cabbage in the same pot after the beef is about 2/3's of the way done. I fix some nice root vegetable separately then marry it all together in one big bowl. It takes a few hours but it isn't very difficult.

For the corned beef:
Ideally you should corn your own brisket but I usually just buy a small (4-5#) chuck in one of the plastic bags. In a Dutch oven layer the bottom with 4 or so roughly chopped carrots, 4 or 5 roughly chopped ribs of celery, one medium onion coarsely chopped a few peeled cloves of garlic, a few bay leaves and a dozwn or so whole black peppercorns. On top of this bed of veges place your rinsed brisket, fat side up, and just barely cover with water. Bring to a simmer, cover and then place in a 300F oven for two hours. Cut a small head of green cabbage into 6 or 8 wedges and place these on top of the brisket and cover and cook in the oven for another hour or so. There is some argument over how long to cook the cabbage and beef together. Some say the cabbage and beef cook together for the whole 3 hours but I like a little texture to the greens so I only cook it for the last hour. Your choice.

Separately I cook some root veges to serve with the corned beef and cabbage as the ones in the Dutch oven are dead after 3 hours.

A pound of new potatoes, a pound of carrots, a pound of turnips and a pound of parsnips is a nice combination. Just prep them (peel and chunk) and put them in a big pot and either steam them for a half hour or so or roast them in a 400F oven for about 40 minutes to an hour. Drizzle a little olive oil and salt and pepper over them before roasting.

A nice addition is to make an herbed butter to serve over the whole enchilada. Fresh parsley and thyme or whatever finely chopped and well blended with some softened butter.

When the brisket and cabbage are done. Carefully remove the cabbage wedges to a bowl and cover with foil. Put them in a warm oven. Remove the brisket to a platter and cover it with foil as well as it is going to need to roast for about a half hour. Don't throw the cooking away as you'll need some of it. When rested slice it thinly against the grain.

Serve the beef and cabbage along with some of the veges in large bowls with some of the cooking liquid from the brisket.

You should be able to serve 6 with this and maybe 8.

Enjoy

Garden Chat and Monarch Butterflies

What's going on in your garden this week. It's only 5 days until spring so things better be hopping. Unfortunately, I've got two days of rain to deal with but I made good progress last week with an additional two raised beds built. Most everything but the tomatoes are in the greenhouse and the tomatoes have just germinated so it won't be long for them. Getting some of my last seeds ordered today for some of the things I forgot. One of the things, believe it or not, are some "weed" seeds. Actually three different varieties of milkweed (asclepias) so I can attract and encourage Monarch butterflies which are hugely endangered. I ordered my seeds through Georgiavines but there are a bunch of places that offer such things.

I also ordered some pomegranate seed. I went to a garden chat yesterday at a local nursery to hear Walter Reeves a local "agri-personality" and one of the people mentioned that he was having success with growing his own pomegranates so I am going to try as well. I love pomegranates so we'll see.

Gotta finish with the seed orders and some other stuff. Have a great Sunday and get that garden in order.

Free/low cost asclepias seeds:

Monarchs need your help NOW! This year AGAIN marks the lowest number of over wintering Monarchs in the Mexican mountains in the last 20 years…and we have only known about their over wintering sites for a little more than 20 years!. There are 97% fewer than at their recorded height and 50% less than there were last year. This is a back to back 50% decline in their overwintering numbers. Researchers are worried we may lose a large part of their migration this year if immediate action is not taken and severly threaten all Monarchs if the pattern continues.
This is a crisis situation! In 1991, over 75% of the wintering Monarchs from North America froze to death in Mexico as a result of three days of rain and sub-freezing conditions. Their numbers showed some recovery but now there is a nationwide shortage of milkweed. Freak weather patterns destroy habitat and kill millions of helpless Monarchs. But these natural events are not the only challenges that face the Monarch. Pesticide application and genetically modified crops cover important parts of the Monarch’s migratory path and serve as killing fields for any Monarch that pass through these millions of acres of toxins and biological agents that kill them and their young. They are unintended casualties in a war to protect crops. Are our Monarchs worth our efforts to protect? Do we even know the total effects on our environment from the use of these agents? The Monarch habitat must be protected now to ensure their survival, before we see the day when this miracle of nature is only a memory. The Monarchs need your help NOW. Please plant seeds and ensure their survival. A Milkweed in every yard!…

More seed & plant sources here.

Brilliant Weekend

Super weather this weekend and as a result a pretty productive weekend for the gardening. Got two beds of potatoes planted (Yukon Gold, Kennebec) and that includes turning the beds and all the prep. I also got two beds of peas planted(Green Arrow-regular green peas and Super Sugar Snap which is a mange tout) and again that meant getting the beds turned and amended as well.

A lot of stuff now sprouted and moved to the greenhouse...all the herbs, zinnas and marigolds, all the peppers and eggplant. It supposed to be nice until the end of the week when the nighttime temps are going to be pushing the freezing point again. I think I will be OK.

Moving all the trays to the greenhouse left me room under the lights in the basement to get all the myriad tomatoes started. Going to go with Celebrity again this year as the main season tomato with Better Boy as the secondary. Trying the new Super Saucer from Burpee for sauce but I am backing myself up with the heirloom Amish Paste. Two new heirlooms this year...Stupice which originated in Eastern Europe and I am hoping it will be like the small tomatoes you get in Europe with breakfast...about two inches across and just right for broiling. The other is Jasper and it is a black tomato. Of course there are going to be Cherokee Purple and Beam's Yellow pear as well.

I've got a lot of beds to build and the weather seems to be working in my favor for a change. I'll see how many I can get built this week. Each bed requires 22 cinder block and the requisite trip to Home Depot for said block. I can haul 22 in the Explorer but I couldn't haul enough for 2 beds in one trip. If I wasn't so cheap I would have the blocks I need delivered but I'll just do it the hard way.

Still Weather Out There

Rain and cold again today so it is inside work. All the peppers have been moved to six packs and into potting soil from the germination trays. As always way too many. Pretty much the same varieties as last year with some dropped and some added. Trying the long cayenne(an heirloom called Joe's) and a large jalapeno called Big Guy. Still have all the heirloom Italian long sweet peppers and the good old California Wonder. Of course there are plenty of Early and Hot Jalapenos as well as a few habanero.

All the varieties of basil are up... Italian, French and Thai as is the Italian parsley. All the leeks, shallots and onions have germinated and are in the greenhouse so I am real close to getting the tomatoes started...as soon as I can make room and move some more stuff from the basement to the greenhouse.

Got a green light from the surgeon to go back to regular activity which is none too soon. Lots to be done if I can get a little cooperation from the weather.

Now that I can dig and carry bags of stuff I need to get my small plot of potatoes started. I just plant a few so that I can have the fun of digging them up. Until I can afford the luxury of plenty of garden space I will just buy my potatoes. I also have to get the peas in the ground when I get a break in the weather. Right now it is still pretty cool and still the occasional freeze so I'll be patient.

Weather Woes

More weather woes but at least not snow and ice...just cold. It was 70 and sunny  yesterday but rainy and 45 today and we are supposed to tickle freezing again tonight and tomorrow night. I've got the hardy stuff in the greenhouse that has already germinated but everything else is just peeked out and is way too tender for the cool greenhouse. I am, however, maxed out on space in the basement. Not room for one more tray and way overloaded when it comes to lights. Just going to have to wait until stuff germinates and can be moved before I start any more.

Reading Julia Child's biography "Dearie" and enjoying it immensely. It actually got me to cook a roast chicken the other night and I am resisting a souffle. Sorry to say I used Thomas Keller's method on the chicken (450F and just salt and pepper/no butter just olive oil) instead of Julia's slower wetter and buttery method. I think the high heat short roast makes a better chicken.

Wednesday I see the surgeon again and try and get off the binnacle list. Fingers crossed.

Cold Snap

Just when I get everything going in the greenhouse the weather up and does a turn around. Spent a good while today moving everything back into the basement on hurriedly set up benches and rigged lighting. It will have to do for a few days while the night temperatures fall below freezing. Actually, I can keep the greenhouse warm enough if the temps don't fall too low but I'm trying to germinate seeds and that takes warmer instead of cooler. Still haven't started the tomatoes yet but all the peppers are up and growing so that's something. I've also got a good little stand of broccoli and cabbage going that should be able to go into the garden in a couple of weeks. Progress.

I did get one great gift from Mother Nature yesterday. I saw a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers in the woods behind the house  which was special.

Two Months Wasted Near 'bout

Been a few days since I posted anything but I have an excuse. Besides all my other issues with recovering from the surgery Madam decided it was necessary to bring home a head cold. She suffered with it last week and through the weekend and I took over the first of the week. I hit the zinc and vitamin C hard, rested and drank gallons of water with lemon and I am actually feeling better today. I also didn't mention the very painful stye that erupted on my lower right eyelid the other week. Still a bit of hematoma there but it is much better. I'm pretty sure the imbalance in my system from the stress of surgery coupled with the lack of exercise had something to do with it. My blood sugar had been about 20 points higher than it should be since the surgery and only in the last week has it been creeping back down to where it should be. My native staph population seems to act up when my blood chemistry goes off and even if I didn't check my blood sugar I would know it was off just from that.

Pretty nice weather this week...even shirtsleeve but the head cold kept me from getting anything done in the garden. I did get all the early seeds in trays and set on their way. Onions(cippoline), shallots, and leeks along with broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. I'll wait a week and then move on to the herbs and flowers. Another two weeks for tomatoes and a second batch of peppers. The second batch of peppers will be strictly for putting by and will mostly be an heirloom Greek pepper or pepperoncini of the variety Stavros. I'll also put in some chili Arbol which are nice an small and which dry well on the vine. They have good heat and have the added bonus of not being an annual. You can keep them over the winter in the greenhouse or even a Southern window and get fresh peppers year round. I had a beautiful one in the greenhouse that was about 5 years old but the hard freeze we had this year got it since I wasn't paying attention and didn't bring it in. Truth be told, it was in a pot that was too heavy for me to lift while recovering. I saved seeds though so I am ready to go.

Supposed to be a nice weekend and I am hoping one more good night's sleep will bounce me back enough to get going in the garden. I did get the beds cleared and all the debris in the composter but they all have to be turned and readied for the spring planting. We had a good thunderstorm last night which dumped some rain we really didn't need but one of the advantages of the raised beds is that they drain well. It's only going to be a couple of weeks (tax day) when I put in potatoes and green peas.

Madam and Miss Zoey should be back from "That Dirty Dog" and Zoey's bath and toenail clip soon and I actually feel up to cooking dinner tonight so I'll get that underway. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that yours truly can move beyond this lost first two months of 2014.

Spring Commit

OK, all the pepper seed is started as are the egg plant and hardy herbs. In three weeks the tomatoes join in. It's the race until April 15th and the beginning of serious gardening. Of course, between now and then we will be planting peas, potatoes,and all the other "spring"  stuff as well. I am two months behind on building beds and still not cleared for heavy stuff so it will be close.

Winter. Part Two

Looks like we are in for it again this week. Right now it is snowing here in the Northern burbs of Atlanta though according to the weather folks it is supposed to be raining. Snow is better than rain when the temperature is hovering near freezing. The big hit is supposed to be tonight and tomorrow with about 18 hours of precipitation and freezing temperatures. Let's hope it is snow and not an ice storm, which in these parts are really bad. The local pines don't do well with the layers of ice and come down everywhere. If it is an ice storm then we will likely lose power for some time.

I've got a batch of sourdough bread fermenting and a mess of pinto beans soaking. I have a gas range so even if we lose power I can cook. If my bread comes ready to bake and we have no power I will have to do it in a Dutch oven on the charcoal grill. Still another reason for me to get going on building my wood fired oven, right?

So I guess we are down for the next few days. Madam is supposed to have a Valentine's party with her cronies today at noon. The roads are still fine so I guess they will still go ahead with it. Other than that we are ready for whatever comes.

Not The Best News

I went for my post op today and whole the actual healing is going fine it seems I have a hematoma as a result of the surgery and that explains the pain and swelling almost three weeks since the procedure. Evidently it happens on occasion when all the juggling around of body parts during surgery causes some damage. The net result is I am still grounded and will be for another 4 weeks. The good news is I can ride a stationary bike,,just no weights. Going to challenge me to get the garden in.

It's A Forest/Trees Thing

David Atkins over at Hulabaloo has a good take on the frustrations we are having with trying to get the reality of climate change talked about as seriously as it should be. Couple this frustration with the latest idiot decision on the Keystone Pipeline and it becomes insane.

The thing is, we humans have real trouble grasping the true "big" picture especially if it is something we would rather not hear. We like to reduce it into manageable bites, that may individually be pretty bad but not nearly as bad as the "big" picture.

The Keystone XL pipeline and tar sands are a prime example of this. The pipeline is awful. It will leak...we know it and it will leak in the worst possible places. It will virtually destroy the most important aquifer in the world and pollute the breadbasket of the world. The ancillary environmental damage will be awful and who knows how many men, women and children will be affected by the pollution. All tragedies and all multi-generational...maybe a couple of million people will actually die. Expanding the use of tar sands will be insane as well...increasing pollution globally. Horrible.

While millions dying or sickened by the pipeline and the tar sands is bad it is actually not that bad when compared to the "big" picture. The reality is that if we make it possible and actually burn all the oil extracted from the Canadian reserves we will destroy the planet and that means humans and the majority of all other life gone forever.

We can dither and wobble over pipeline leaks and pollution and cancer and all but it is just a distraction so we won't have to think about the end of life on the planet.

The sad thing is that I am not sure the race has the mental fortitude and stability to actually grasp and tackle the problems we are truly facing. If I am correct then we are doomed to a painful death in the near term.

Blessed Imbolc

Here we are at the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox known as Imbolc. Imbolc is one of four major pagan sabbats, or holidays, along with Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. For some it is also called Brigid's Day, Imbolc honors the Celtic goddess of fire, fertility, midwifery and the young.

The term 'Imbolc' derives from Old Irish and means "in the belly," or alternately "ewe's milk." The interpretation lends significance to the holiday as a celebration of fertility, reproduction and the young -- all overseen by the goddess Brigid.

Imbolc observes the waning of winter and approach of spring. Pagans often use fire and other forms of light to encourage the lengthening of day.

Imbolc is also called Oimealg by the Druids, and is the festival of the lactating sheep. It is derived from the Gaelic word "oimelc" which means "ewes milk". Herd animals have either given birth to the first offspring of the year or their wombs are swollen and the milk of life is flowing into their teats and udders.

Now is is the time for the Blessing of the seeds and the consecration of agricultural tools.

Today marks the center point of the dark half of the year. It is the festival of the Maiden, for from this day to March 21st, it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal. Brighid's snake emerges from the womb of the Earth Mother to test the weather, (the origin of Ground Hog Day), and in many places the first Crocus flowers began to spring forth from the frozen earth.

For those of us that try and follow the old ways and are focused on our gardens and our own little bit of the earth this is truly a high holy day and a very important time for us. Spring is just around the corner and we will soon be placing the first of our seeds and tubers in the ground.

Have a blessed day and wondrous spring. Don't forget to light a candle today to encourage the increasing light.

Winter Rescue

My first venture out in two weeks was a rescue. Madam's Explorer died/wouldn't start last night while she was out at the Cultural Arts Center and AAA had a 6 hour wait before they could respond. I refused to go out at 11 last night so I had to go give a boost this morning. I then took her to Pep Boys and got her a new battery and she is off and running again. Not too bad but I am glad to be back home and in my sweats. The roads are pretty clear with only some black ice and stuff on the secondary roads. Still quite a bit of snow on the ground though but we should get some good warming today and get rid of it.

Going to finish up all my seed (or most) of seed orders this morning and just wait for spring. I've got a huge amount of work to do before I can seriously garden as this lost January has really put me behind schedule. I'm hoping the Doc will give me the go ahead to return to normal next Wednesday and, weather permitting, I will get to work. Until I get the clearance to lift more than 20 pounds I am not much good when it comes to building garden beds and moving dirt.

It's not much but I did get my taxes done and filed electronically and there is nice refund coming from the Feds. All of the out of pocket medical expenses made a big difference. The big deductible and recent surgery should do the same for me next year I hope.

Finished with winter now.

Frozen In Place

Here we are in Atlanta, frozen in place as it were. School students spent the night at schools, people spent the night in their cars on the freeways and on an on. In spite of the fact that the snow and freezing was forecast well in advance the brilliant folks in Atlanta all waited for it to actually start before they all made the mad dash for home or wherever and this resulted in frozen gridlock just about everywhere. This, BTW, is SOP hereabouts. Minimonk made it home barely, after it taking over 4 hours to go what should have been a 20 minute trip. A friend got home at 10p last night after a 9 hour commute from Gainesville that normally takes an hour.  Minimonk is supposed to be at the fire station today but her boss says that if they need her they will send an emergency vehicle for her.

The city is insisting everyone stay off the streets today as it is not going to rise above freezing and what little snow and ice removal equipment we have is maxed out. I just got a text from the city saying..."If you left your car on or by the roadway last night then look for it in the nearest parking lot as we are towing everything off the highways".

We are snug here and have no need to go out for anything which is just as well. The folks here in Atlanta never learn....it always happens this way. Maybe someday they will figure out that even the 2 - 3 inches of snow we got yesterday will gridlock the city and if you can, you go to ground as soon as you can....preferably before it even starts to snow. Don't hold your breath though.

It Snows

The forecasters were correct and it is, in fact, snowing here in the Northern burbs of Atlanta. Nowhere to go so we are good just to watch it come down....looks like we have about an inch so far and maybe will get another before it stops this evening.

Spent most of yesterday up and about but I might have pushed a little too hard as I am having some muscle spasms in the incision area today. Going to take it easy today and enjoy the snow.

Madam, against specific instructions never to buy meat at Kroger, drug home some pork loin chops. I'm thinking they will wind up in some kind of stew with a Latin spin. Kroger pork is labeled "Moist and Tender" which is code for injected with up to 15% saline solution. The added saline actually makes the pork dry out faster when cooking but it does allow them to sell you water at pork prices. A slow braise is the only thing that has a chance of counteracting the effects of the saline injection.

If you are getting winter weather be safe and warm.

Oh, Miss Zoey is not impressed with her first snow.

Long Slog

Well, it has been a week and two days since the surgery and I am happy to report that I can now sit and stand without groaning...just a little whimper. Still a lot of swelling and some bruising and periods where the pain is pretty intense. On the whole though I am getting over the worst of it. The weather has been cooperating in keeping me uninterested in doing anything much but sit on my ass. It appears we are forecast for a possibility of snow tonight which suits me just fine. It looks like I am going to be a slug for a few more days.

Still Sucking Wind

I'm still here but struggling with the post op pain and swelling. About all I can accomplish is sit up in bed and watch TV and sleep with the occasional few pages on my Nexus. I was surely fooled by previous experience with hernia surgery and while I new this was going to be worse than the arthroscopic version I wasn't prepared for just how bad it would be. No one warned my about the swelling....my you know what swelled to the size of grapefruit and turned dark purple and is still quite swollen and painful. The "litttle buddy" just about disappeared in all the swelling and is still bruised. While a lot of that pain is reduced the area under and around the incision is now the star of the show and only by lying very still is it even bearable and yes I have drugs. SO anyway I am slowly recovering but it is a slog and I don't even want to know how many hours of bad cooking shows I've watched along with American Pickers and Pawn Stars. I'm sure my IQ is down a few points. Here is hoping the weekend brings a revolutionary change and I can get back to life next week. I don't do slug very well.

It Lives

I made it through but very tender and swollen with lots of bruising. Didn't sleep a wink last night and just laid there from 6pm when I got home from the hospital until 7am this morning. Counted every minute. I thought sure the percoset would put me out but no such luck. I'll check in sooner or later but right now I'm going back to bed.

Under The Knife

Off in an hour or so to get this hernia fixed. They moved the surgery to the hospital instead of the outpatient place I went to last time because of some insurance thing. No big deal. I should be home by four or so but I doubt I will feel much like blogging for a day or two. As I mentioned the surgeon will do an actual incision this time instead of the arthroscopic thing since that method didn't do the job. I expect the recovery will be a little more difficult.
So here I am. Thirsty, hungry and no coffee. Later.

Lost Month

January 2014 is turning into a completely lost month. As I mentioned I have had a recurrence of the hernia which was supposed to be fixed by the surgery last July. Somehow it has come back and it is actually more uncomfortable than the event before the last surgery. Basically, I am down and out since the surgeon said "oops!" on the 31st of December. The second surgery is scheduled for Friday so after a few weeks of restrictions and recovery I should be OK for the spring gardening season...fingers crossed.
So anyway, I have been a slug for the past two weeks and it looks like the rest of the month will be pretty slow as well. I am getting some reading done but not much else. Watching a bit of TV but there doesn't seem to much rewarding there other than a few cooking shows that I haven't seen at least twie or three times. Not a lot of original content on the Food Network or Food Channel.
Not much in the news to get excited about either.....
West Virginia is a national disgrace when in comes to the environment and is completely at the mercy of big coal. Surprise!
The New Jersey governor is a bully.
Conservatives are living in a completely different reality than the rest of us.
Congress is a disgrace.
No one is going to do anything to slow or reverse climate change.
People that are carrying weapons on the street legally are crazy and not to be trusted.
Dare I go on?

On a good note I have a bunch of seed catalogs that are wetting my appetite for some gardening fun.
Oh! I don't miss working at Home Depot.

Balmy Outside

It's warmed to a balmy 37F outside and we might even hit 40 plus today. Even warmer for  the next few days. We survived the cold snap with no damage except to the winter garden. I might still get a cabbage or two but everything else is frost burned. If anything good can be said about it it is that at least it killed some insect pests and set the buds on the fruit trees.
Still in winter mode though. Getting ready for a pot of leek and potato soup for dinner and since I have the time I am making a batch of French bread to go with the soup. Not my two day version which requires a sour dough chef but the quick version with just yeast. It's on its ferment stage right now but in a few minutes I will form the batards and it all should be ready for dinner.
I hope everyone else survived the "dreaded polar vortex" which Obama made up just so he could tie this cold snap to global warming.

Since it is Elvis' birthday today I should be having grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches for dinner but it is going to be potato soup. Happy Birthday Elvis and maybe they will let you off early tonight from that diner your working in so that you can celebrate.

It's Cold and Getting Colder

24F right now in Atlanta and it's going to get a lot colder. The forecast low for Tuesday is 9F with a possibility of snow for Sunday night and Monday morning. I've still got broccoli, cabbage, kale and Arugula in the garden and I guess I am going to have to harvest the broccoli today and blanch and freeze it as it won't survive those temperatures. I will probably lose the cabbage. I'll pick some kale and roquette that will last for a few days in the fridge. This is supposed to be the coldest we have seen here in decades so I can't kick myself too hard. That's the deal with gardening, just like the too much rain earlier last year.
I will take the tender stuff out of the greenhouse this afternoon...citrus and peppers mostly as my little heater can't maintain above freezing if it gets that cold. About the best I can maintain is about 10 degrees above outside temperature so some of the stuff will have to spend a few days in the basement under lights.
Going to make a quick run to the store later just to get a couple of things but we've got plenty of milk, flour and beans if things get rough. I've also got charcoal if I have to get primitive.
If you are in the Midwest or Northeast bundle up and stay indoors. The forecast lows in those areas can cause frostbite after just a few minutes of exposure and for Goddess' sake make sure your pets are indoors and safe. Even if they have to poop and pee indoors just deal with it as those temperatures are just as dangerous for them.
Off to get a batch of sourdough started so I will have extra bread baked and maybe even some Scottish oatcakes for emergency rations. It is not silly to be prepared. It is only silly to panic or not be prepared.
So curl up with your seed catalogs, if you have them, and dream about spring and warmer weather. It might also be a good time to get a pot of beans simmering on the stove. I've got a ham bone and trimmings left over from Christmas that is just calling me.

Good Intentions

So, my good intentions for the New Year are not working out. It's too cold to garden and the surgeon confirmed my fears that the hernia has reappeared so no gym. Surgery is scheduled for the 17th to get it redone. The doctor was quite surprised to see me after only 6 months. The only issue is that he won't do it via arthroscopic as with the first but with an incision. Healing is going to be a little longer.
So my plans to hit the gym hard and get the beds in the garden finished are going to have to wait until at least February since lifting weights and cinder blocks  is not allowed.

The danger here is that when I am bored I cook and eat which is not good.

More Oatmeal Biscuits - This TIme Scottish Oatcakes

After my previous post about ANZAC biscuits it was mentioned that they sounded similar to Scottish Oatcakes....well, yes and no. Oatcakes are not quite as short(less fat) and not normally sweetened or have very little sugar added but they are mostly oats and biscuits and delicious as well. Below we'll talk about Scottish Oatcakes which are a nice treat for breakfast and with the afternoon tea.

Oatcakes are an ancient part of the Scottish diet. For a long time they were the main source of carbohydrates for your average Scotsman. In the old days you could probably find an oatcake or two in pretty much any sporran. Today oatcakes are commonly served with jam for breakfast or at afternoon tea with savory toppings.  You can find them sometimes in the British section of the market but, as always, homemade are best. There are several ways to get a somewhat proper biscuit and we'll cover most.  It's a pretty quick recipe and fast enough to make for breakfast.

Ingredients
    2 cups oatmeal (see options below)
    1/2 cup whole wheat flour
    1/2 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp Kosher salt
    1/2 cup boiling water
   6 tbsp unsalted butter

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt together in a large
bowl. Bring the water and butter to a light boil in a small saucepan.
Stir the water-butter mixture into the oat mixture until it forms a mass. Add more water
if necessary to bring the ingredients together as a dough. Set aside to rest for at least 15
minutes. This lets the oats hydrate.
Roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thick and cut into 3 to 4-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter.
Place the rounds onto a parchment lined baking sheet(or use a Silpat) and bake for 20 -
30 minutes, or until golden-brown and slightly crisp on the edges.
These are great just out of the oven with some good butter and jam. To serve with tea try
topping with cream cheese or smoked salmon. For a nice treat you might also top the
cream cheese with a bit of Pick-a-Pepper sauce or Major Grey's Mango Chutney.

Oatcakes Options:

The Oats: Scottish or Irish-style steel-cut oats are traditional for oatcakes but you can use
American-style old-fashioned rolled oats instead. Pulse the oats briefly in a food
processor or blender first to break them up a bit. It doesn't hurt to give the steel cut oats
a quick spin either to make them a little more 'meal' like.  Bob's Red Mill used to make a
Scottish Oatmeal that makes a great oatcake though I haven't noticed it on the store
shelves recently.
You can eliminate the wheat flour for a gluten-free version.
If you want you can add a little sweetness to your oatcakes by stirring in 1/4 - 1/2 cup of
brown sugar. A couple of tablespoons of honey or golden syrup
works too.
You don't have to use butter. Shortening, lard or even bacon fat work.
For a crispier biscuit roll the dough out to 1/4-inch.

ANZAC Biscuits Are A New Weakness

The latest issue of Saveur arrived the other day and while I was thumbing through it I stumbled on a recipe for ANZAC Biscuits. It was something I had never tried and I just happened to have all of the ingredients on hand. Besides, I like to have a cookie with my afternoon tea and my Christmas baking efforts were nearly depleted. Minimonk put a dent in my biscotti supply and the Molasses cookies were gobbled up by various visitors. These bicuits/cookies are named supposedly a recipe for a long keeping cookie made by Australian/Kiwi wives and mothers for their soldiers deployed with ANZAC and since they have no eggs keep well not to mention it was wartime and eggs were rationed. They are surprisingly delicious and chewy with the oats and coconut. This is a keeper recipe and they go lovely with a cuppa.

They do use Golden Syrup (cane sugar syrup) which can be hard to find but you can substitute 2 parts light corn syrup and 1 part molasses and get close. Try and find the Golden Syrup if you can. It will be in the British foods section of your market...I think I got mine at Whole Foods.

ANZAC Biscuits

2 1/4 cups of rolled oats(old fashioned oats not instant oats)
2  cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
10 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp Golden syrup

Heat your oven to 350F. Whisk the first four ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the baking soda in with the water. Melt the butter and syrup in a sauce pan and add the water mixture. Pour the wet into the dry and mix well to make a think dough. Using a 1 oz. scoop or 2 tablespoons drop the cookie mixture onto parchment or Silpat lined baking sheets and bake for 14 to 16 minutes until nicely browned(Mine took 14). Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes and then remove to cool on racks.

You should get about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: I had unsweetened shredded coconut(Bob's Red Mill) but it sometimes is hard to find. Though I haven't tried it I would imagined you could cut the sugar back a little and use sweetened coconut. Maybe 2/3 of a cup would do the job but not any less as the texture of the cookie would be affected.

Have A Great 2014

Happy New Year everyone. Even though there is no astronomical or other overriding reason to celebrate on this particular day, everyone seems to have agreed on it so we will too. It would make a lot more sense to celebrate the Winter Solstice but then that would give us Pagans too much cred and we can't have that.

Anyhow, true to form Madam and I and Zoey were sound asleep when the New Year rolled in here on the East Coast. I did have a nice bottle of Proseco chilled just in case these two olds made it to midnight but there is bound to be an excuse for it sometime soon.

2014 brings some changes around here. I mentioned that I had resigned from Home Depot and now I am "officially" retire. Hopeful to get some serious gardening done. I've also resolved to get more diligent with my guitar so we'll see.

I hope everyone has a great year ahead. We've has some hints at progress toward a better world during 2013 but not nearly enough action and I'm afraid with the same old players in place we won't see much this year either. Regardless, I am setting a goal for myself to do better at making at least my part of the world a better place. You do the same.

Last Weekend

Well, here we are on the last weekend of 2013. Just seems like this year has gone by awfully fast. Some change around here this weekend.

Tomorrow is my last shift at Home Depot. I gave them two weeks notice but they decided, after I offered, to cover the 4 shifts scheduled in 2014 with someone else and make my last shift in 2013. Makes sense.

All the seed catalogs have started to arrive so I need to spend some time getting all my orders ready. First I need to inventory what I have left over and saved from last year. I also need to decide what I am going to plant....to corn or not to corn, etc.

Got to get to work in the garden and finish up my raised beds. I've been thwarted by rain over and over again for at least a month or two and now that I don't have to work I need to get hopping.

One possible glitch in the gardening plans is that I am having some pain that is very similar to that I was having before my hernia surgery in June. I'm going back to the surgeon on Monday to see if I need a tune up or if something came loose. I sure hope it is under warranty. If I have to do the surgery again it will put me a month behind for the garden which won't make me happy. Last year was such a disappointing gardening experience that I am very focused on getting it right this year. I'm actually in real danger of running out of canned tomatoes!

Heavy rains forecast for this afternoon and tonight so outside is out for today. Madam's cell phone is refusing to hold a charge and she is due for an upgrade so at least part of the afternoon will be at AT&T figuring out what sort of gouge they will do for me. It is a crime what we are paying in this country for phone services.

Happy Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas everyone. Let's hope the proper spirit of the season takes the chill off the hearts of those that are doing all the Scrooge stuff.
Quiet little Christmas Eve here abouts. I've got today and tomorrow off so I can enjoy a little downtime. Minimonk is here for most of the day to celebrate though she is going in later so that the firefighters with children can be home for the evening. She's got her new best bud Pete with her and he and Miss Zoey have been romping about.
I hope everyone has a happy holiday...lots of tasty treats and a good and rewarding visit from Santa tonight.
Madam is throwing her annual Boxing Day do for her mates so I'll have some cooking and prep to do on Christmas Day. I'll have to open the store on Boxing Day at 545a so I will miss the house full of ladies (too bad!). Madam has chosen chicken curry for her menu with all the fixin's so it should be fun.
I've got rolls rising that should be about ready for the oven and we'll have Honey Baked ham, and other goodies for our Christmas Eve festivities. I've got to finish the deviled eggs and a few other chores before we get going.

Merry Christmas everybody!

BTW my Christmas present to myself was my resignation from Home Depot so even though I have two weeks to go my spirits are already lifted.

Healthcare, Here We Go

I changed my mind about signing up for health insurance through the ACA. The more I thought about it the more it seemed like taking too big a risk for the 8 months I wouldn't have any coverage before I'm eligible for Medicare. A serious problem could wipe out the savings I intend to supplement my SS with. The only hitch is that I need to call Home Depot quits. The extra income from the part time, soul sucking work puts me almost at the limit for any tax credits to help with the insurance premiums. Without the extra income I qualify for a little over 300 bucks in monthly tax credit towards the premium which equates to nearly half of the take home. Really a no brainer. I was already thinking of giving my notice and have almost done it several times. I've really only been working so I can get a minimal amount of health insurance.

So anyway I've signed up for a silver HMO plan that will hit me for a little over $200 a month and yes the deductible is $3,500 but at least I won't have to worry about something serious wiping my nest egg out. After the deductible the insurance is much better that what I had as a part time Home Depot.

So I will give my notice when I go in at 3pm today and rest assured I won't miss opening the store at 6am and closing at 10pm.

You may remember that I had been trying since the beginning to at least find out what kind of insurance I could get on the exchange and had completed the application part way back but hadn't been able to get to the part where I select insurance.  I had to delete all that old stuff and do a new application and it went through and I had insurance in about an hour of work. Now I just wait for the insurance folks to contact me so I can pay them.

Expensive Snacks

It was an expensive weekend around here. I was inattentive and left my hearing aids on my desk in their case but I left the case open. Zoey managed to snag the left one and chew it to bits. At least she didn't swallow the battery. A couple of grand down the tubes. Fortunately, it was still under warranty and a replacement will only cost me $250. She also managed to chew one my New Balance trainers pretty well. If she wasn't so cute I would be mad.  It is somewhat amazing how cat like she can be when she is determined to explore and get into mischief. She has obviously found her way onto my desk and we've found her on the kitchen counters and table. She has also discovered that she can travel around the den completely by leaping from chair to chair and couch and never touch the floor.

Full moon today and it is the Long Night Moon or the Winter Moon. If you have any magick to get done tonight is the night. Don't forget that the Winter Solstice is coming Saturday so you'll have two good chances this week to harness nature for a helping hand.

Still grinding away at the Home Depot and they are scheduling me mostly at night for the next couple of weeks. Last night I managed not to freeze in the garden center and tonight I am scheduled to supervise Self Check which is my least favorite thing. Watching stupid people do stupid things for 5 hours. I don't use the self check out ever and I can't see why people insist on it when there are live cashiers just a step or two away. They'll struggle to get the product scanned and usually wind up frustrating themselves for no reason. I'll have intervene over and over again when people have quantities of something and suddenly realize it means scanning each one or they have hardware with no barcode that can be scanned. You even have people trying to self checkout doors and appliances that they can't even lift. Major insanity.

Not For Me It Seems

A day off and Madam has planned a small dinner party for some friends moving out of state. Since it has been so cold and wintry I thought a nice stew would be a good easy meal. So I will spend the afternoon putting together a nice boeuf bourguignon and some nice  braised Brussels Sprouts glazed with a balsamic reduction. Normally you serve boiled potatoes with this stew but I am going with an egg pappardelle instead. A rustic French apple tart is going to be pudding. Going to be a nice afternoon putzing in the kitchen.

As for the title of the post....I've mentioned that I have been trying to get through the Healthcare.gov process and get some insurance to tide me over until September when I can enroll in Medicare. I still haven't been successful but with the changes to the website that kicked in 12/1 I can at least see what my options are here in Georgia. Turns out they are not so great. At my age and income I do qualify for a small subsidy but even with that I am looking at at $500 a month for a Silver plan and the plan has a $6,500 deductible. The best case scenario(I stay healthy) means a minimum out of pocket of $4,000 for the eight months and a worse case of  $10,500 if I get sick before I see any insurance. I am thinking I just have to risk not having insurance for those 8 months. I'm still stewing on it but I think that's the way I will go.

Everybody enjoy your Friday the Thirteenth and I am going to go cook. Working all weekend so it is likely quiet in these parts.

Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies

Updated: Added the photo.

It's another cold and rainy day off. It has been like this for days and it is starting to wear thin. It is, however, coming the winter holiday season and I begin to think of cookies. One of my all time favorite cookies is from my mother who passed this recipe from her mother on to me and is a nice soft and spicy molasses cookie. Not really a very nuanced cookie but substantial and earthy from the molasses and some might think a little too spicy since it has a lot of ground ginger and cloves in it. Whatever, it is still one of my all time favorites and it makes a big batch so you can share.

Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies

You'll need:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus a little more for rolling the cookies in
1/2 cup unsulphered molasses
2 large eggs slightly beaten
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Process:

In a large bowl cream butter, shortening and sugar and then beat in molasses and eggs. In another large bowl mix the dry ingredients with a wire whisk then add this to the butter mixture and mix well. Roll the dough into balls about 1 to 1 1/2 inch in diameter and then roll the balls in granulated sugar to coat. Place the balls on a cookie sheet and give them room to spread as they will flatten and spread as they cook. Bake a 350F for 10 to 12 minutes. Don't overcook these or they will get too hard.

Store tightly covered and if they start to get too crisp put a slice of apple in the can with them and they will stay soft.

The above recipe is the one from my mother but I just use a cup of unsalted butter instead. I also use extra large eggs when I bake. BTW use fresh spices and not those that have been in the cupboard for a couple of years. I am a Penzey's spice guy and I  think they are consistently the best available. If your ground spices are more than a  year old, toss them and get new.

This and That

Well, I've had two days off and its rained so no gardening. Instead I have been doing pretty much nothing. I did manage to get a batch of sourdough bread baked today and yesterday I baked cheese crackers in a continuing effort to make good cheese crackers at home...a work in progress. Cheesy but not thin enough or crunchy enough. It's supposed to rain through the weekend as well and I am scheduled for the garden center which is typical though it should be pretty quiet.

It has been interesting seeing the reaction to Nelson Mandela's passing especially from the right. Ted Cruz made the mistake of praising Mandela on Facebook and his already crazy followers went off the deep end. Rick Santorum likened Mandela's fight against apartheid to the GOP battle against Obamacare if you can believe it.

Anyhow, back to work tomorrow. Everyone have a great weekend.

Judy Rodgers - Thanks

Unless you are a foodie like me it is likely you have never heard of the late Judy Rodgers, chef at the famous Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. I was lucky enough to eat there only once and it was memorable but more importantly it is people like Judy, who not only love food and cooking but truly cared about the food in its entirety.
The following is an excerpt from an interview done in 2004 (h/t Michael Ruhlman) that expresses how Judy considered food and cooking. It really resonates with me. Judy passed away Monday from cancer at the age of 57.

This from a 2004 conversation, before she became ill with cancer, says it all:

That’s what we’re up against, that it’s perceived as a triumph that you can get strawberries in January as opposed to a catastrophe. Not all choice is good. Even if the January strawberry tastes OK, even if you have a really good strawberry that’s organic, I still know you turned down other things for that to happen.

A lot of our culinary habits in this country developed after refrigeration and freezing and certain technologies were inexpensive, whereas most other old world countries’ culinary traditions evolved before you had all those things. And so you had dried apples—not to put in your Cheerios, you had dried apples so you had something to eat.

That’s something I can do is try to make the menu, as much as I can, reflect a lot of the natural rhythms of this part of the world and reflect that this used to be the way you would eat before you could cheat.

There are a lot of reason not to buy Chilean blueberries. Let’s do nuts or chocolate or dried fruit for dessert. Part of not getting tired of food and cooking is not having every option every day, it’s responding to your constraints.  You don’t have that much to work with, so you have to be more resourceful.  If I were in St. Louis, I’d have a different palate of flavors to play with. I’d probably be more aggressive about putting stuff up myself during the season.

And guess what?  That’s what culinary tradition is, making the harvest season last all year long. My God, the most unique holiday we have is Thanksgiving, it should be something that if you really ponder what Thanksgiving is all about, you would really understand food. But people think it’s about gluttony, as opposed to truly revering your great harvest celebration, and now put stuff up so you don’t starve over the winter. But people don’t think about it that way—here, it’s the beginning of the eating season.

Judy Rodgers, 1956–2013
NYTimes.com obituary by Eric Asimov

Still No on Healthcare.gov

Tried again this morning to get to the enrollment part of the process. All the eligibility stuff appears complete but still no plans are presented for me to evaluate. I tried the on line chat but really got nowhere with that other than a suggestion to call the 800 number. Not sure I will actually enroll but I would like to compare plans and costs just to see what it would be. I lose the minimum health plan with Home Depot on the first of January and while it was pretty crappy it was something. I will have Medicare next September and may just try the go without route for 8 months but I can't make that decision without some information on the plans available here in Georgia. I'll keep trying.

Buttermilk Pie

Here is the recipe for the Buttermilk Pie that I fixed over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Nothing complicated but it makes a very nice pie and is a nice change from the usual
fare. Rumor has it that it started with the Amish. As a note I use extra large eggs when I
am baking and I use whole buttermilk not the reduced fat.

You'll need:

1/2 cup butter melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 deep dish pie shell ( homemade or store bought)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at time and
beat until well mixed, add the vanilla and salt. Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk
while mixing and beat until smooth.
Pour into a deep dish pie shell and bake at 400F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350F and
bake for 50-60 additional minutes. It helps to bake pies on the lowest shelf of your oven
as it helps prevent a soggy crust. Pie should turn a nice golden brown and a knife
inserted should come out clean.

Post Black Friday and Stuff

I survived Black Friday. Actually, it was not too bad, other than the early start. Not nearly as many shoppers as I expected and most only came for the special price on the Martha Stewart Xmas tree that was advertised and they were gone pretty quick. They actually let me leave an hour early since we were heavily overstaffed. There was a lot of time when the number of orange aprons present outnumbered shoppers.

Thanksgiving dinner was nice and even though it was just for four I think everyone enjoyed it. As usual I fixed enough for 12 and there are a lot of leftovers and out guests went home with plenty as well. I was especially proud of the fact that everything, with the exception of the turkey, wine, and a few ingredients came from the garden. Steamed fresh broccoli, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, succotash to mention some and everything else was made from scratch. The surprise hit was the Buttermilk pie which was a last minute whim. If anyone would like to try, let me know and I'll post the recipe.

Working again this afternoon but only for 5 hours and again tomorrow for a full shift. No weekends around here very often.

Day Ahead Butterry Dinner Rolls

Here is a recipe for nice dinner rolls that you can do most of the work the day ahead and that make a very necessary addition to the Thanksgiving feast. The overnight rest in the fridge actually improves the flavor of the bread and saves a lot of mess on the big day. This makes about 2 dozen rolls so there are usually plenty left over for turkey and cranberry sliders.

You need:

1 1/4 cups milk ( whole or two percent or even buttermilk)
2 TBLSP sugar
1 packet or 1 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1 large egg beaten
4 - 4 1/2 cups of all purpose unbleached flour (20 to 21 1/4 oz) I use King Arthur
1 1/2 TSP kosher salt
8 TBLSP softened unsalted butter divided into 8 pieces and 6 TBLSP
6 TBLSP of  softened salted butter for forming, brushing pre and post baking.
Process:

Warm the milk and sugar in the microwave until it is about 100 degrees F
In the bowl of a stand mixer put the warmed milk and sugar and add the yeast letting it stand for 5 or 10 minutes or until you see yeast begin to foam. Add the beaten egg and 4 cups of the flour and mix until it just comes together with the dough hook. Let this stand for 20-30 minutes to let the flour hydrate. Add the salt and knead on medium with the dough hook for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes and the  8 TBLSP of butter one TBLSP at a time, letting each mix in well before adding the next. After all the butter is incorporated your dough should be coming away from the sides of the bowl but if not add additional flour 1 TBLSP at a time until it does. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by had for 1 or two minutes. Put the dough into a large buttered bowl, cover and refridgerate overnight. It should rise slowly overnight until it doubles in size. Remove the dough to the counter a couple of hours before you are ready to bake and let the dough come to room temperature.

 Cut the dough into 24 pieces and with well buttered hands form them into balls by pulling the dough and pinching to form a smooth surface. Put on a large baking pan (half sheet pan) cover and let rise until they double. Baste lightly with melted salted butter and bake in a preheated 375F oven on the middle rack until golden, about 20 minutes. Lightly brush again with melted salted butter and serve.

Instead of making round buns you can roll the dough out until it is about a 1/2 inch thick and cut out circles with a biscuit cutter, brush with butter and fold half then let rise until doubled. Your choice.

Enjoy.

Wintry Day and Gravy To Boot

A little dusting of snow around this morning in the Northern burbs of Atlanta though the temp is just slightly north of freezing and a lot of gusty wind. Should be clearing by the afternoon but it makes a great day for staying inside and getting all the prep done for the "foodalypse" or "turkeylypse" or whatever.

Going to get the cornbread baked for the dressing and all the onions and celery chopped and chilled. Get the pie crusts done and the dough for the rolls made up and in the fridge. While it will save me time tomorrow it actually makes for a better bread if the dough ferments slowly overnight which produces a much fuller flavor. Not much else to do ahead but it will make throwing the dinner tomorrow much less hectic. Oh, and I'll make the broth for the gravy today as well. You can make gravy with just boxed broth but making your own broth with a mirepoix and a foundation of boxed broth makes for a much better product. I'll share my method below.

Minimonk has cancelled and decided just to stay home and chill but it doesn't change the plan but it does mean more leftovers(and more pumpkin pie for me).
Everybody have a safe holiday and enjoy your time off. If you are traveling on the East coast be careful. If you are flying...woe is you.

For all you folks a little wary of making your own gravy and resort to the packets or jars give the following a try and you won't go back. Good gravy can save the day and this gravy is not restricted to just turkey. Yeah, it takes a bit of work but you can do the stock days ahead and even freeze it weeks ahead. The final assembly takes just minutes. Try it, you'll like it.

Classic Herbed Gravy

You'll need:

For the stock:
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    2 stalks of celery chopped into 1/4 inch dice
    2 carrots chopped into 1/4 inch dice
    1 onion, coarsely chopped
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    4 cups water
    4 cups low sodium chicken broth
    1 bay leaf
    2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
For the final gravy:
    3 tablespoons  unsalted butter
    1 teaspoon each finely chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage (you can use a tablespoon of dried poulty seasoning here)
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter for the final finish
    1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    salt and pepper to taste
   
Make the stock:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over moderately high heat and add celery, carrots, onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add water, broth, bay leaf and peppercorns and bring to a boil.
Simmer uncovered, until reduced to 6 cups, about 1 hour. Strain through a fine sieve and skin off any excess fat. Set aside. You can do this a day or two ahead or freeze for weeks. You'll just have to warm it before final assembly.

For the gravy:
Heat the 3 TBLSP butter in a large saucepan over moderate heat, When the butter begins to foam whisk in the flour and cook until golden brown, about 4-5  minutes. Add the fresh herbs and then whisk in the hot stock in a slow stream whisking constantly, until smooth. Simmer until thickened and reduced to about 4 1/2 cups, maybe 20 minutes but maybe longer...don't worry it will thicken when it boils. Finish by stirring in the final two tablespoons of butter. Adjust the seasoning. This is the last minute part but you can do it while the turkey is resting, just make sure to keep it warm.

Note: If you want to use turkey fat from your roasting pan instead of the butter for the gravy part go right ahead and the same applies for any roasting juice instead of the stock. Just make sure all of the fat is separated from the roasting juice and add your stock to the juices to make the 6 cups you need for the gravy. That is all.

Monday This and That

Gonna freeze my butt off this afternoon. Still below freezing here at 1030 in morning and I am scheduled to be the garden cashier this afternoon 1 until close at 9p. Normally the store doesn't open the garden registers when it is this cold but the tree lot is now open so the dead trees must be sold. I'll layer up but after a few hours in the cold and wind nothing stops the cold from seeping down to the bones. The big storm is supposed to move in later this afternoon as well so I may get the added bonus of rain, sleet and freezing rain. Can't wait.

The store is gearing up for Black Friday and it is really depressing. The shelves are always lines with Chinese made garbage dump fodder but with the big shopping holiday approaching the aisles are getting filled with even more. Virtually every box is prominently labeled with CHINA and there are mountains of worthless, cheaply made crap for the suckers to buy. I for one have made it a personal goal not to buy anything from anyone on Thursday or Friday...it just encourages them. Just remember that every dollar you spend is a vote for the world you want to live in. Consider joining me in not shopping Thanksgiving or on Black Friday. There is absolutely nothing you can't live without out there and for Goddess' sake don't patronize Wally World or any other retailer that is opening on Thanksgiving. Trust me....you don't need what they are selling.

It was going to be a quiet holiday around here but Madam has invited some friends who are in the process of moving over for the Thanksgiving Day. I don't mind and I at least have some warning. I do have Wednesday and Thursday off so I will have time to put it all together. The Depot did give us all a frozen turkey so there is that. I am still trying not to think about having to be there at  445am on Friday...Goddess that is going to suck.

All the idiots that hoorayed the Iraq debacle are pshawing the Iran agreements..whoda thunk? In my view anything that doesn't involve bullets and bombs is a good thing. It's not 'world peace' by a long shot but it is a step in the right direction.

Now that the Senate has the opportunity to actually become a functioning part of government I expect something to actually happen. I'm getting a little impatient.

I'm thinking pumpkin, pecan and buttermilk pies for Thanksgiving. Does anyone have any other requests? Apple maybe? How about lemon meringue?

The menu is lining up as pretty standard fare:
Dry brined turkey
Cornbread dressing
Gravy
Mashed Spuds (homegrown)
Candied Sweet potatoes (homegrown)
Succotash (homegrown)
green vege - undecided
cranberry-orange relish
Assorted pickles (beets, okra, cukes, etc.)
Fresh yeast rolls

Above mentioned pies and whatever else strikes me. Any of your favorites I should add?

New Cholesterol and Statin Guidelines

You may have read that there are new guidelines out for cholesterol and statins that basically say that virtually everyone should be taking statins.

What you should know is that these guidelines are driven by the drug companies that stand to make a profit from selling more drugs and there are a lot of clinicians who don't agree.

Marion Nestle has taken a look and summarized what you should know and do.

Talk to your doctor.
Eat more vegetables.
Get more exercise.

Illusion of Choice

If you venture off the outer perimeter of your grocery store and shop the inner isles (and we all do) and then try to make conscious decisions about which brands to buy then you are suffering from an illusion of choice. Virtually all the brands on grocery shelves are controlled by 10 Mega companies. If you pick the Kashi cereal over other brands because you are impressed by its claims then know that you are actually buying Kellogg cereal. That's just one example that strikes home for me since I like Kashi.

The reality is that the following 10 companies control most all of your food that is not fresh or homegrown and in many cases even the fresh food in the grocery is from some them.


Proctor and Gamble, Nestle, Kraft, Coca-Cola, Pepsico, General Foods, Kellogg's, Mars, Unilever and Johnson&Johnson.

Here is a nifty map that shows the relationships of most of the food companies and their corporate owners.

You can get the full size view of the map here.

As you can see there isn't much on the grocery store shelves that doesn't have one of the big ten food companies fingerprints all over it. All in all it is pretty depressing. That is all.

hat tip to Marion Nestle for the heads up

Rainy Friday This and That

Supposed to work 9 to 6 today but after 45 minutes they decided they didn't need as many folk and sent me home. Not unusual when it's a rainy day so here I am. The new schedule is out today as well and it seems I have the "privilege" of working on Black Friday from the open until 2p. Gonna be ugly as we open at 5am and I have to be there at 445a...aaargh!

Since it is such a crappy day I'll cook something and since I am scheduled off for tomorrow as well I can start a batch of sourdough bread too. Looks like it will be a pot roast since Madam bought a nice sirloin tip yesterday which will braise nicely and it is a good day for a nice comforting dinner. I might even go all out and make a couple of focaccia to soak up the gravy. I get real content when there are roasting beast smells mingled with baking bread smells in the house.

Miss Zoey had a run in with what was most likely a yellow jacket yesterday afternoon. Had a severe enough allergic reaction that we took her to the vet. A benadryl iv and some subcut fluids got her back to normal pretty quickly but she is a bit sleepy today and apparently none the worse for wear.

Back At It

Well I've been off for two days but I am back at it hard today. Scheduled for two full days of returns...Not going to be fun. Got the garden and greenhouse all ready for the cold weather which came as predicted but it is supposed to warm a bit before the weekend. Spent a lot of time cuddling with little Miss Zoey who seems perfectly content to just be in your lap. She has settled in nicely and seems to have accepted this as her new home. She hasn't quite realized that she is not a cat because nothing is safe if there is a way for her to get to it. So far she has retrieved items from the kitchen table and dining room table and actually walk across the table between the two chairs in the den when she wants to change laps.
Off we go.

To All That Served

Regardless of whether it is called Veteran's Day, Remembrance Day or Armistice Day we should all take a moment today and acknowledge the sacrifices of so many that have served nobly over the years. You must remember that some point these brave men and women turned to their nation, families and fellow countrymen and said I will defend you with all my ability even if it means giving up my life. It is no small sacrifice and commitment as truly deserves to be honored on this day and all days.

I salute my fellow veterans and wish with all my spirit that at some point we will have created a world when such sacrifices are no longer needed and instead we can focus our energies toward the common good.

Happy Friday

It's Friday and I have the day off...hooray! Pretty quiet around these parts. Little Zoey seems to be settling in and getting her two servants properly trained. Actually got a bit of a frost last night which I believe is the first for this fall. I'll probably spend some time today cleaning up in the garden and putting away hoses and that kind of stuff.

Happy 10th blogging anniversary to Bobby Cramer at BBWW.

I don't know about you but I am a big fan of porridge (oatmeal), especially in the fall and winter. I especially like steel cut oats even though they take much longer to cook than the regular rolled oats you normally find here in the U.S. I stumbled upon a simple new way to cook porridge from April Bloomfield that is now my go to method. You get the best of both worlds when it comes to oatmeal.

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups of milk
heavy pinch of salt
1/2 cup rolled oats (not the quick cooking kind)
1/2 cup steel cut oats sometimes called Irish oats

Bring the milk, water and salt to a simmer and stir in the two different oats. Cook slowly uncovered for about twenty minutes. You get the creaminess of the rolled oats and the nice bite from  the steel cut oats. I serve it with a bit of honey, and additional milk but brown sugar or maple syrup is nice as well. Well worth a try.

Everyone enjoy your Friday and weekend.

New Buddy

Couldn't deal with the pet withdrawal so it was off to Atlanta Humane Society on Friday. There was a new arrival just that morning and we hit it off immediately. Her new name is Zoey and she is a Jack Russel mix...which is probably chihuahua or the like. A year and a half old and almost 14 pounds. I think we'll get along just fine.  I'll get a better picture when I get a chance. I'm typing one handed right now as I am tied down with the little girl on my lap.

Sacred Night

It's the Celtic New Year's Eve (Samhain) or the Eve of All Saints Say (Halloween) so choose your holiday. According to legend the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest on this night so have your protective charms at hand and it probably wouldn't hurt to have a clove of garlic in your pocket today. Regardless of how you celebrate have a safe and happy holiday. I have to work this evening but I will have a few treats handy if some goblins, ghosts or witches come threatening tricks if no treats.

P.S. if any Republicans come by I'll give them a treat as well but all the time knowing that I will get tricked anyway.

P.P.S. If you want to know more about the other things that share October 31st then you might take a look at Wikipedia.

Quick Minestrone

Off today and I feel the need for some soup. A favorite is this quick minestrone and the nice thing is that I almost always have the ingredients in my pantry/garden. Like all the recipes I post here, this is the basic/minimum. You can add some additional vegetable such as squash(zucchini,yellow, acorn, butternut) and/or you can start with some bacon or pancetta. You can finish with another green such as spinach or even turnip or mustard. Use what you have and like. Obviously, you can make this vegan by substituting vege stock for the chicken. Whatever.

Quick Minestrone

Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped (1 1/2 cups)
3 carrots chopped into about 1/2 inch dice or about 2 cups
3 stalks of celery chopped into about 1/2 inch dice or about 2 cups
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tbsp dried thyme(use a couple of tsp of fresh thyme if you have it)
1 large can(26 ounce) of diced or chopped tomatoes or a quart of home canned
6 or 7 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 15 oz can of cannellini beans drained and rinsed
1 cup of dried small pasta ( I like ditalini)
8 oz. or so of fresh kale stemmed and chopped roughly
1/2 cup dry white wine ( I use vermouth)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Extra Virgin olive oil for garnish

In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, in two tablespoons of olive oil cook the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of stock, bay leaf, and add maybe 2 tsp salt and a tsp of black pepper. This is going to be driven by how salty your stock is and whether you used bacon or pancetta in the beginning. You can add a bit more later if needed. Simmer this for about 20 minutes, remove the bay leaf and then add the pasta and beans. Cook this for another 15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Add the chooped kale or other greens (kale takes a bit longer than spinach but you want the greens just tender and not cooked to death). Shouldn't take more that 10 minutes. Add the white wine. Serve in wide bowls and sprinkle with the Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

This should be a thick, hearty soup but you can adjust with a bit more stock if you think it is too thick. Needless to say this should be served with crusty bread and a nice salad.

You can make this earlier in the day and just turn it off and leave it covered then just carefully reheat it when you a ready to eat. You can make it on the weekend and it keeps in the fridge just fine so you can have a no fuss meal later in the week. This makes 6 nice servings.

I'm going to go start mine right now and I just happen to have some left over pizza dough that is going to magically turn into Parmesan bread sticks.

Tuesday Stuff

I'm still a loser when it comes to completing the process on healthcare.gov. The application is all done and I am supposedly ready to enroll in some form of insurance but I get nothing back when I select to look at the available plans. I guess I just need to keep trying. No, I haven't tried in the early morning hours yet.

One of the things I haven't researched yet are the income tax implications. Right now insurance premiums are deducted pre-tax and you don't pay income or SS taxes on that money. What happens after January 1st to those of us having to transition to a plan where we pay the premiums? Are health insurance premiums going to be tax deductible? I guess I need to research that.

Still missing little Betty every day as there are constant reminders popping up. What am I going to do with this last bite of toast? Who wants to lick the yogurt bowl clean? There are still scratch marks in the carpet under my desk. I guess I don't have to turn on the light to walk down the hall since there is no one to step on. No one is really excited to see me come home after a long day.

I had yesterday off but it was raining and therefore I got nothing done in the garden. No new beds in a couple of weeks but what is planted looks really good. Back to work today for a dreaded 6 hour shift from 3pm til 9p. I hate these since store policy is that you only get one 15 minute break during the 6 hours. If it was a 4 hour shift I would still get a break and if it was 7 hours or more I would get two breaks and a lunch. Three hours at a register with only  a very brief respite really sucks. What's even worse is that I am scheduled to do returns today which adds a nice layer of crap to the whole deal.

Betty the Beagle Has Left The Building

Little Betty the Beagle has left us after just a few months. We have been battling some liver issues and the vet had recommended we have an ultrasound to try and find out exactly what was wrong. We had that done this morning and the pictures showed  a blockage of the bile duct which should be correctable with some surgery. The surgery was this afternoon but when the surgeon got in he found some extensive damage to the liver that was beyond repair and actually called us from the operating room to let us know that he didn't think she would last much longer and that there was nothing he could do about the damage. His recommendation was to just let her go and though it was a hard decision we agreed. So we are beagle - less once again. Not a happy day around here. She was a good dog and we did what we could and at least she had a few months of loving care. Bye Betty Boo.

ACA Website Healthcare.gov

Just a hint for those of you trying and not succeeding in making progress on the Healthcare.gov website. I've been trying, without success, for a couple of weeks using Firefox. In a whim today, after failing once again with Firefox I switched to Internet Explorer and zoomed right in and managed to complete an application and get my eligibility results. If you're having trouble using another browser other than IE to access the site you might try it and see if it makes a difference.

Quick Asian Inspired Mushroom Soup

2nd Update: I didn't mention it in the original  posting but this post is inspired by Hecates post America Needs Mushroom Soup
I plead old age and lack of sleep.

It's cold and flu season and you really should be thinking about boosting your immune system and mushrooms are a good start. Here is a quick vegan soup that leans Asian but is very nice and has the added benefit of helping your body fight off those nasty bugs. You can find kaffir lime leaves in most Asian markets and they bring a lot of flavor to the game. Just roll them and slice them thinly (chiffonade) and then chop the resulting strands finely. The Chinese noodles can be replaced with an appropriate amount of Udon or other noodle (even whole wheat pasta). As with all recipes posted here this is just a guide and while I generally follow the recipe pretty closely I sometimes get inspired to play around. i.e. no cilantro use parsley, no Shiitake use another mushroom. No bird's eye chili use jalapeno or chili arbol or red pepper flakes. No bok choy use cabbage, spinach or kale. No onion use shallot or leek. No fresh lime use rice vinegar. You get the idea. Remember the goal here is multiple dimensions of flavor. Need some spice heat and acid to bring brightness. The veges add texture and additional nutrition. The only thing really important are some form of mushroom. You can even sub the vege stock with Dashi but that changes the vegetarian definition a little.

Asian Inspired Mushroom Soup

    1 tablespoon peanut, canola or safflower oil (I use peanut oil since it is likely non GMO)
    1 small onion, finely chopped
    1 carrot, thinly sliced
    1 rib celery, thinly sliced
    3 leaves kaffir lime, finely chopped
    1 bird's-eye chili or chili arbol, finely chopped
    6 Shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
    4 button or crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
    6 cups vegetable stock
    1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
    1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or rice vinegar but lime juice is best
    2 blocks dried Chinese noodles
    Handful baby bok choy, chopped finely
    Handful cilantro for garnish


Cooking directions

    In large heavy bottomed non-reactive pot heat peanut oil and onions. Cook about 5 minutes or until they are translucent, Add the carrot and celery and cook 3 more minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook another 2 minutes until they start to give off some of their liquid. Add the chopped kaffir lime leaves and chili.
    Add the liquids (vegetable stock, soy sauce and lime juice) and cook until vegetables are tender maybe 10 minutes. Add dried noodles and baby bok choy. Stir to break up noodles. Simmer until noodles and baby bok choy are tender.  Garnish with cilantro.

This makes at least 6 servings.

If you are not vegetarian you can always add a few chopped shrimp or bits of chicken or a pork chop or whatever to make it heartier. Just make sure the meat is in small bits that will cook quickly and add it when you add the mushrooms.

Update: I should have mentioned that a bit of firm tofu in small cubes is a very nice addition as well.

Fall Is Here

Here we are on the 20th of October and it is finally beginning to feel a little like a proper fall. According to the USDA this is the first day on which we can expect a frost but it seems we are some ways away from that as it finally fell to 50 F for the first time last night. The trees are beginning to show a little color and there are few leaves on the ground already but my guess is we won't see a real frost until the middle of November. We'll see.

Madam has a bad cold and unfortunately it struck on her birthday Friday. It slowed her down a bit but she still managed to spend the day with friends antiquing and lunching(the worst German meal ever I'm told). I had to work from 0545 till 245p but I still fixed a nice rack of lamb with Potatoes Boulanger and her favorite Creme Caramel for pudding. Rather a quiet birthday even it was a big 'naught' birthday. She is feeling a bit better and the fever is gone but she is still piled up in the bed with the beagle(who has decided that my pillow is the place for her nap when I am not using it).
I gave her a nice bowl of homemade Jewish penicillin(chicken soup) for dinner last night and that went over well so we will continue the nursing today.

Off today and not planning anything too strenuous. Minimonk has requested a batch of biscotti to give as a gift so I will probably whip up a couple of those (one for her gift and one to split with her for ourselves and other than that it is a chill day.

Oh! and I tried once again to get onto Healthcare.gov again with no luck. This time it was very early Sunday morning and still just a white screen after the login. We'll keep trying.

Everyone have a nice Sunday and charge up for the week. It looks from the schedule that I will be the garden center cashier most of the week next week so I need to break out some warmer clothes and get my boots prepped. I've learned the hard way that when it gets cooler you don't want to wear trainers and spend hours out in the elements.

Chicken Out If You Are Smart

Just so you know...the chicken processor Foster Farms is still shipping chicken from the already identified contaminated processing plants. Costco has pulled a bunch of rotisserie chickens from the shelf because of salmonella contamination AFTER cooking. Costco supposedly cooks their chickens to 180F which is 15 degrees higher than the 165 degrees that is the accepted level that should kill any bacteria. Make your guess as to what is going on. It should also be noted that Costco has not pulled the Foster Farms chicken from it stores...you can still buy the raw contaminated chicken....good luck with that.

Here is an article from Mark Bittman that covers the whole issue pretty well.

Beagle Mysteries

Ever since we rescued little Betty the Beagle we have been struggling to get her to eat. I've tried everything with only marginal success. All the best dog foods both dry and wet. Blue Buffalo, Paul Newman, Rachel Ray, Beneful, all of them. I've cooked her little dinners with fresh burger, ground turkey, or ground pork all with rice or pasta and even freshly soft boiled eggs and toast...buttered even. Nothing really which she seemed to fancy. She would eat a little but usually leave half for more in her bowl. It was really strange having a hound dog that wouldn't eat anything and everything presented. Our two previous beagles would have scarfed it all and asked for more.

It now seems the problem is solved. On a visit to see the friend that found and rescued her for us she was offered some Kibble and Bits and she devoured it with relish and was looking for more. I bought a bag for small breeds and she eats it all at every meal and like a real hound dog looks for more. Very strange but it is a relief to see her eat.  Maybe that was the food she got in her previous life and what she was used to and has been wondering all this time why we wouldn't feed her anything good. It sure is a lot easier than cooking little meals twice a day and wondering every meal if  she would eat. Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the little beef, pork and turkey patties I have in the freezer.

Fun with HealthCare Website

Well I just spent the last couple of hours trying to get started with the Healthcare.gov website. Got the account created and most of the profile completed but I got to the last stage of review and sign and it blew up. Now it doesn't even allow a login. My guess is that now that it is wake up time on the left coast the additional user demand from there made it toss cookies. The reports of problems with capacity seem to be correct. I probably won't try again until I can get in early on a workday as I am sure the weekend demand would be even greater than on a weekday when a lot of people are at work. I have to work both days of the weekend anyway and I even get to open tomorrow(that's a 0545 start if you are interested). Maybe someone will do something about bandwidth in the meantime. I'll try again and report back, if and when I am successful.

Here And There

I know I have been missing from around here for a few days but it has been very busy. The Flea Fling was Saturday and appears to have been a big success and I spent all day cooking dogs and sausages. I had full shifts Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and Sunday was especially bad since it also included the annual "Cashier Olympics" on Sunday night after we closed. I've finally gotten a day off and I am still exhausted...I even slept until 7am this morning and I am most always up and around by 5. My intent to go to the gym first thing has been thwarted by a bit of lower GI disturbance which is probably due to just being so bloody tired and I don't feel safe going to far from home right now. Maybe later.

Just a heads up on how the shutdown may affect you. As you may or may not know the CDC here in Atlanta is crippled by the shutdown and the function of tracing food borne illness is not operating. AS luck or whatever would have it there is at outbreak of food poisoning from chicken out there due to Salmonella Heidelberg and possibly produced by the firm Foster Farms but we won't be able to determine the extent or source of the problem until or if the shutdown goes away. My best advice, since we don't know the extent or source of the problem, is to avoid all chicken until we have all of our safeguards in place again. If you just have to have chicken then double up on safety and cook the hell out of it. That means rubber gloves, double sanitizing work areas and food segregation. Remember that even rinsing raw chicken and poultry causes splashes and water mist(probably contaminated) in a large area of your kitchen. Be insanely cautious. While you may safely live through the actual bacterial infection the ancillary damage to kidneys and other systems my be with you a lifetime.

Speaking of shut downs you really must support the President in this. While the shut down and credit default are monstrous, the actual real danger in all this is the future of the office of POTUS. If the GOP is successful in getting away with their hostage taking then they will forever change the way our government works and effectively neuter the office of President. If they can override the election and the settled law of the land and the power of the executive veto then we are going to be in a world o' shit. The President knows this and he definitely does not want his legacy to be the President that destroyed the office.

If the GOP forces the government into default we are going to see a full blown recession that will make the last few years look like a walk in the park. Start thinking about how you can weather such a storm.

Flooding Maybe

I just checked the latest weather forecast and they are calling for heavy rain on Sunday. I decided I had better defer my baking until later today and make an effort in the garden to protect all of my hard work. I've gotten the raised beds all set and mulched the paths between but I really haven't done anything to control the water that comes off the property that is up hill to the West of me. In heavy rain it really gushes down and through the garden. I have a ditch around the West and North edges that catches and diverts a lot of it but it can get overloaded when it really pours. I need to build a cinder block dam to the West to divert even more water and deepen the "moat" a little more. I few hours with the shovel and a little engineering ought to do the trick.

I was kind of looking forward to a quiet, relaxing day in the kitchen but since this will be my last chance before the forecast heavy rain I'd better bite the bullet and get it done.

Time to get my ditch digging gear on and dig. I'll be glad I did on Sunday. I've already gone and done the shopping for my biscotti....shelled pistachios are $4.99 for an 8 ounce bag at TJ's...Ouch! Good thing this for charity but I'm going to have to charge $.50 for a single cookie at that rate. I've posted my recipe here a while back if you are interested in making your own. They are nice and especially with a nice cup of espresso.

Not Shutdown

Even though GOP insanity has shutdown the government Mother Nature is not overly concerned as she is getting ready to give the Southeast a little heavy weather over the weekend. Good for us that the people at FEMA and NWS aren't furloughed.

I am actually on the second of three straight days off. Yesterday was gym and garden. One thing about a big garden is that the fall cleanup is a bear. It is especially bad when the garden was such a disappointment. Still have over 2/3 of it to finish but I got a good start.

Tomorrow is the Great Flea Fling. It's a big fundraiser for the Historical Society's effort to restore the Hembree Farm buildings to their 19th century state. I have once again agreed to provide the cooking for hot dogs and brats so I'll not get anything done tomorrow but that. It does look that we will be able to get the whole thing done and cleaned up before any of the weather from TS Karen rolls in. We'll keep the fingers crossed.

I also always provide biscotti for the bake sale tomorrow so today is going to be baking day. I'll run out in a few minutes for supplies and then get to baking a few batches. Cranberry/walnut and pistachio are the plan. I actually didn't have time for the baking part last year and there were many complaints so I am under pressure to produce this year.

So, while the government is shut down yours truly is quite busy.