HEAVY ON THE GREENS

I am just itchin' for a bit of spring, especially since we had over 6" of snow dumped on us last night!
So for brunch today (brunch, because I typically eat around 11am, and sometimes eggs or cereal just doesn't sound all that good that late in the morning) I made a green sauce to go over the baked salmon I knew my body was craving.(or I should say my "waistline" was craving!!) This sauce is so springy tasting, with lots of parsley, lemon, and basil. I am, perhaps, a bit TOO liberal with the sauce, since I am not crazy about salmon, and the sauce makes it SO much more palatable!

Cyn's Green Sauce for Fish

1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 bunch fresh basil
1 TBL fresh mint
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 heaping TBL capers
4 anchovies
zest of 1 lemon
2 TBL fresh lemon juice
1/2 to 2/3 cup olive oil
pepper, to taste

Put all of the above in food processor, and process till coarsely chopped. Serve over fish.
Keeps in the fridge for several days, perhaps even a week or more.

A PROMISE I'LL KEEP

Years ago, at an estate sale I came across this butter dish.
It was love at first site.
The asking price? $25.00...WAY out of my league.
I had $15 on me. Would they take it?
Then came the little story of the butter dish. It had belonged to Grandma. Was always on her table for every meal. They remembered it fondly, like every other piece they were having to sell. Bits and pieces from their past. Treasures from their memories.
My promise?
I will not "buy to re-sell".
I will give it a good home. It will not be "on display", but used daily.
It will become piece from my life, for my children, and my childrens children, to look back on some day and remember fondly.
It is now "Memere's butter dish".
And the sweet little bowl to it's left?
Part of a birthday package from Joy at savvycityfarmer.
It holds "Raw Sugar", which incidentally is NO healthier than the white stuff, just looks prettier!

SATURDAY AT THE IMPROV

We've all done it.
Kitchen improv.
Today it was an eggplant dip recipe I got some time ago watching The Barefoot Contessa.
I had the eggplant....and that was just about it.
No red peppers...just a yellow and orange pepper. Easy enough substitutution.
No red onion...but a large yellow one. Fair exchange, I'd say.
So here it it: Cyn's version of Ina Gartens Eggplant Dip

1 eggplant, cubed (no need to peel)
1 yellow & 1 orange pepper(cubed)
1 yellow onion(chunks)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Drizzle whole mess with olive oil, (careful, tho, as eggplant and olive oil have a "love" relationship, and cannot seem to get enough of each other...eggplant just soaks up the "love"), and toss to coat(I do this right on the baking sheet...why dirty another dish?)
salt & pepper liberally (I watch my salt, tho, as I deal with high BP issues)
Bake in a 350 oven or so till soft, maybe 1 hour or less, stirring maybe once or twice
Put in food processor, or use immersion blender with: 1 TBL or more of tomato paste & process till chunky
Serve warm or cold with raw veggies or crackers

I am purposely NOT showing an "after" photo, as it is not a particularly lovely dish, but it is quite delicious. So far, Ina has not let me down!

MAKIN' LEMONADE

You know the old proverb: "If life hands you lemons...make lemonade!"
Well...we have been having our share of lemons around here!
Truck out of commission
Vehicle that DOES run has "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" light on continuously
Washing machine: busted
Dishwasher: busted
VERY ill step-father
2 extra people living here
Husband w/o work for 3 LONG months

You might ask: "WHERE is the lemonade in all this?"

The van is still running, in spite of the light
Good friends lent us a nearly new washing machine till "whenever"
Kids have learned the fine art of washing and drying dishes
With husband out of work, much needed attention has been able to be given by him to step-dad, things which Cyn would DEFINITELY not have the stomach or the strength for
One of the "extras" living here is my sis-in-law, who has been able to contribute by buying the groceries every week
The other "extra" is a friend of my son's who is in desperate need of ministry, and we are able to provide that
And again, with farmboy out of work, he has been able to devote much-needed attention to my step-dad, and with materials already on hand, finish the downstairs bathroom

"In EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thess. 5:18

This does NOT mean I am to be thankful FOR all the adversities that have come,
BUT
in SPITE of the adversities!
And when I do that....I AM MAKING LEMONADE!

LIGHT & HEALTHY

BULGUR & BLACK BEAN SALAD

First off, I am NOT a purist when it comes to "organic".
If at possible, and the pocketbook allows, I will always get organic anything. (unfortunately, since we are feeding 6 on a tight budget, most of the organics I buy are of the leafy green variety, (almost always on sale or "reduced")
with some grains thrown in. Organic meats are, for right now, out of the question.)
BUT...when you can get organic bulgur for only $1.25 #, then by all means, that's what I'll use.
And...if you are watching what you eat after the holiday over-kill, then this salad is perfect!

To 1 cup cooked bulgur add:
1 can black beans, rinsed (I used black soy beans, as that is what I had, but really, any bean would do. I am particularly fond of cannellini beans, and I think they would be perfect as a black bean substitute, tho the soy beans are chock full of protein!)
1 red/orange/yellow pepper, chopped small
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped cucumber

Dressing: whisk together...
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (is there ANY other kind???) Actually, there is, and I have some in the door of my fridge...but this time I DID use fresh, as that is always preferable to me)
2 TBL balsamic vinegar (tho I think a rice wine vinegar would also be nice)
1 teas cumin ( I LOVE cumin, but be careful, too much is like, really, too much)
1/2 teas kosher salt
1 TBL fresh, chopped garlic ( I nearly always add more garlic than the recipe indicates...sorry dear husband!!)
Toss into the bulgur/veggie/bean mix
Serve chilled or room temp
Usually I am drooling by the time I finish creating this, so I get a bowl and dig in.
Today, this was brunch.
Too late for breakfast, and too early to be fixin' a hearty lunch.

Typically, I would serve this along side maybe a small grilled tuna filet, or small chunk of baked salmon.
Bulgur and black bean salad.
YUM!
What are some of your favorite ways to slim down and cut back?
Talk to me!

COLD DAYS= HOT SOUP

Truly one of the best comfort foods known to man(besides a glass of wine!)...
Turkey noodle soup
We were given a 14# turkey recently and pretty much re-created our Thanksgiving menu on Tuesday.
Lots of leftovers for those that just want a plate of turkey and fixins'....
OR
A steaming bowl of turkey noodle soup!
I choose soup.
To the turkey carcass (not pictured here for obvious reasons...just plain ugly) add maybe 2 gallons of water.
Let simmer for a couple of hours till meat has fallen off the bone.
Remove carcass and add huge bowl of chopped: onions (2), carrots (8 large), and whole bag of chopped celery.
Simmer maybe 1 hour, or till veggies are tender.
Sometimes I will add a bit of Knorr brand Tomato Boullion, and Chicken Boullion, depending on how flavorful the broth is.
At this point I add a qt container of store bought chicken STOCK... not broth...
HUGE DIFFERENCE!
Homemade noodles go in next...and when they are homemade, they literally take only about 5 minutes till tender, yet chewy.
Homemade noodles are SO easy! If you have never tried them, give it a shot.
Far easier than homemade bread or rolls.

I always make a large pot of soup...no matter what kind I am making.
Who doesn't like a bowl at lunch the next day?
And with 6 of us living under one roof...a large pot doesn't last long!
Serve with an easy bread machine/whole wheat roll recipe and it is a meal fit for the coldest of days!

THE FRUGAL HOUSEWIFE

HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP TUTORIAL

Take 2 bars of Fels Naptha soap and grate with a box grater.
Place grated soap in large soup pot and add very hot water to nearly the top of the pot.
Approximately 1 gallon.
Leave overnight.
By morning, the soap will have melted and absorbed the water, and will look like one big gelatinous glop. Heat the glop over a medium heat till melted...maybe 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a 5 gallon bucket, put approximately 1 1/2 cups of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Powder, and 1 1/2 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster (all three of these items can be found in the laundry/bar soap aisle of your local grocer)

To the powders, add very hot water, approximately 4 gallons, (less, if you used more than 1 gallon in the fels naptha pot) stirring to dissolve.
Finally, add your melted soap/water mixture to the bucket. Your total amount of liquid should be about 5 gallons, maybe a bit less.
I stir off and on through the day with a long piece of pvc pipe. Mixture will thicken to the consistency of pudding.
Have husband/son carry bucket to the washer/dryer area.
Soap is now ready to use.
I add anywhere from 1/2 to 1 cup per load of laundry.
This laundry soap does not get sudsy, like you are used to.
But I find it gets my clothes as clean as any soap I've used in the past...except for perhaps Cheer.
And for approximately $3 or so for a 5 gallon bucket...I'm not complaining!

Make sure you grate the soap and add your hot water the night before you are going to make the soap. I tried just melting it on the stove w/o letting it set overnite, and it took a couple of hours, and stunk up the house like soap!

ROASTED GARLIC or THERE ARE NO VAMPIRES HERE!

A family from our church started a garlic farm a couple years ago, and WE are reaping the benefits! Offered to church folk first, (at a fabulous price, I might add!) we happily grabbed up what I thought might get us thru till next fall.
I think I miscalculated!
We eat a LOT of garlic here!

Roasted garlic tutorial:
Slice end off top of whole head of garlic so most of the cloves are peeking out.
(I do a few heads at once...they keep for quite a while in fridge)
Place on piece of aluminum foil.
Drizzle with a bit of olive oil...maybe a teaspoon or two per head.
Fold foil over garlic to enclose.
Roast at 425 for maybe 45 min to 1 hour.
When cooled ever so slightly, squeeze out the softened garlic into small dish.
Spread on crusty, toasted anything.
For leftovers...cover with olive oil and store in fridge for maybe a month or so.
You can find many uses for roasted garlic.
Add a few cloves to your mashed potatoes. Add to cream cheese with various herbs, for a fabulous garlic spread.
Just don't do what I did the 1st time I roasted garlic.
I could not stop eating it. It was so creamy and almost sweet. It had lost all it's "bite",
or so I thought.
It bit me, all right.
The next day eau de garlic was oozing from my pores.
I kid you not.
I stunk to high heaven.
And gas???
WE DO NOT WANT TO GO THERE.
All I can say is: learn from my mistake.
USE IN MODERATION!
But use it.

How could I NOT???

After reading a recent post by Mimi, of French Kitchen in America, concerning spices and herbs in her cupboard, I felt inspired to dig out several bottles of my own that have been collecting dust in my pantry. Now, what possessed me to purchase such unusual items in the first place is beyond me, except that the bottles were so pretty, and the names were so unusual. I thought to myself, "surely I will find a myriad of uses for such spectacular salts and rubs."
NOT.
At least not so much.
Maybe you can help me change that.
Above, find "Field Day", aka "earth-a-kit", a blend of garlic/onion/mustard/sea salt/pepper/sugar/fennel seeds/oregano/ginger/rosemary/basil/paprika/lemon verbena/tumeric/petals.
What CAN'T you do with such a blend?? And what are "petals"???
Their suggestions include: grind over chicken, lamb, or meat before grilling, casseroles and stews.
Next up: "Crystal Pools". (for serious chilling out)
Hand harvested sea salt/blue poppy seeds/lavender/chamomile/corn flowers/lime flowers
They suggest this as a replacement for refined salt
Third: "Green Pieces" (whale of a time)
sea salt/onion/garlic/ pepper/flat leaf parsley/fennel/oregano/ rosemary/lemon verbena/lemon zest/petals
"A piece-ful combo to add a delicious tang to salads, dressings potatoes and chicken before roasting, avocado, omelettes and veggies"

3 more wonders from the world of herbs and spices and "petals"
The first one: "Magic Wagic Mushrooms" (an overnight sensation)
Contains: sea salt/chanterelle & porcini mushrooms/onion slivers/flat leaf parsley
"A mind altering blend to add a mouth watering mushroom taste and aroma to pasta sauces, salad and veggie dishes, baked potatoes, omelettes and salad dressings."
This one kind of speaks for itself. I think I could use this one, no problemo.
Next: "Oh!Zone" (nature's washing machine) WHAT does THAT mean???
A blend of: sea salt/fennel seeds and fronds/ chinese ginger/ lemon peel/ coriander/celery/mint/cardamom
They say: "A cleansing blend to add a "lift" to stir-fries & curries. Also salad dressings, sauces, & in place of refined salt for a healthier table condiment."
Lastly we have: "Zest for Life" (it cooks)
A "playful" Sicilian blend with lemon/ roasted garlic/ flat leaf parsley/ rosemary/thyme/lemon zest/capers
Playful???
"Aromatherapy for your Food"
"The caress of tangy lemon and wild garlic and the freshness of italian parsley adds zest to any dish. Massage generously onto spatchcocked chicken before roasting on a bed of sliced onions tossed in olive oil. Enhance fish by rubbing before pan frying with butter and experience the taste of life".
Just what is a "spatchcocked chicken" anyone???

Now that I have pulled these from the abyss of the kitchen cupboards, I think I will leave them out on the counter for a while, and I believe just seeing them there will inspire me to actually USE THEM!!!
As if their most vivid descriptions aren't inspiring enough!

I MADE A NEW FRIEND!!!

My kids think it is funny/weird that I make friends wherever I go. (see previous "6 weird things about me" post)
However, some new friends I have made this past year or so, have come to me right here in my bedroom, while I have been sitting at my computer.
Yes, I am talking about fellow bloggers.
It's always amazes me, how we find each other. I might check cityfarmers blog, and comment. I see that someone new has also commented on her blog. Out of curiosity, I check out the new commenters blog...and
VOILA!!!
A new friend has been found!
That said, I cannot, for the life of me, remember how I found my new friend, Mimi.
Mimi has a blog, http://frenchkitcheninamerica.blogspot.com/
that has become one of my favorite places to visit.
On a recent trip to Mimi's, I found this fabulous recipe for Tomato Soup en Provence. Stop by her blog, go back a few entries, and find it for yourself.
All I can say is, "this ain't yo mama's Campbells Tomato".

Yum, Yum, Yum.
You can accompany this soup with any beverage you like.
I happen to like a nice, hearty Chardonnay, and as a side note, a homemade whole wheat roll.
You won't be disappointed.
And try Mimi's home on the web...I trust you'll also find it a great place to visit!

CRAZY EGGS!

What is up with this???
I am pretty much getting anywhere from 7 to 9 eggs daily from the 9 hens.
On occasion, this is what I find!

We have a small egg scale, and the large egg weighs just a hair under 4 oz.
The baby egg weighs 1/2 oz.
I wonder if egg farms have the same situations? Is this strange occurance because my hens are free-range, scratch fed chickens?
The mystery remains.

6 WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ME

O.K....if the photo isn't weird enough...here are 6 weird things about me..

1. I have to plug my nose to go under water
2. I think I can sing....my family thinks otherwise
3. I forgive easily, as I have usually forgotten who offended me in the first place
4. I am a serious Chapstick addict (12 step program to come this year)
5. I make "random" friends wherever I go. No really...garage sales, grocery stores, garden centers, etc.
6. I call the hens "the girls", and folks think I mean my flesh and blood daughters

See, I think these things are perfectly normal, but my kids insist I am weird. In fact, my son challenged me to find 6 things that AREN'T weird about me!!!

Now, I cheat at this game, and so even tho I was tagged by Wildside, I hate tagging anyone else. So, if your reading this and feel up to a "tag", then "your it!"