End of the Road - But Not!

I've been thinking about this for awhile, and as is so often the case, my actions told me what decision I was making well before I consciously chose.

As some of you may know, I also post over at the Cauldron Born, with my husband Michael.  It is there were discuss our spiritual and religious ideas, and because we are pagan, I thought those subjects might not be particularly welcome by those who come here to enjoy recipes and crafty things - and likewise thought those who read there probably weren't interested by such 'mundane' concerns.

Well.... that's just silly, isn't it?  ALL of it is about the life we live and it is increasingly beyond me to be able to pick out where the separations are.  So enough of that.  I am going to end this blog, but the things I post here will be happening over there.

I do realize that some may be challenged by reading religious matters, for any number of reasons.  I hope that won't be too large a problem, but for those for whom it is, go in peace and be well!  For the rest, I hope you'll join us at The Cauldron Born, where the hearth is warm and all are welcome.

Thank you so much, all of you, for your kind words over the years!

October Decor & What's Cookin' Oct 14 - 20

My menu last week worked for about half the time -- my nemesis was (and has been since the dawn of time) getting things thawed!  Whole chickens, even small stewing chickens, always take much longer than I think it should, necessitating a last minute scramble to adjust dates and sometimes upending plans totally.

So, trying again this week!  Next week, we're heading up to Boston/Salem for a few days to enjoy our honeymoon, so I'm being a little cautious about having too many perishables to deal with.  I'm leaving Sunday's plan open in order to finish off anything that won't keep.

I didn't manage any pictures/recipe entries last week - I will try to do better this time.

Monday Oct 14

Taco Salad (no chips)

Salsa, Guacamole

Tuesday Oct 15

No-Grain Pumpkin Waffles

Bacon

Stewed Apples

Wednesday Oct 16

Pork & Veggie Stir-Fry

Thursday Oct 17 (Meeting tonight)

Cottage Pie with Mashed Sweet Potato Topping

(prepare early to be cooked for dinner by Michael)

(thaw short ribs early, to be slow cooked tomorrow)

Friday Oct 18

Slow Cooked Short Ribs and Mushrooms

Salad

Saturday Oct 19

Curry Meatballs
Spaghetti Squash

Sunday Oct 20

Leftovers / Clean out the Fridge Day

Because of our trip, I am going to leave my Calendula Oil to infuse until I return, and work on the next stage of that project then.

~~

Autumn Mask - Renee Olson

Spring Mask - Renee Olson

I had some exciting news yesterday - I won a pair of masks from Samhain's Sirens - aren't the beautiful?  Here's the best part - the maker of these beautifies, Renee Olsen, also posted a tutorial for making  them.  I am looking forward to trying my hand as these, next time I get myself to a craft store, and of course playing around with some Summer and Winter motifs!

I think the Autumn mask is going to do quite nicely added to our Samhain shrine, don't you?

 Today's Samhain's Sirens entry is a literary one - you'll find a recipe for spiced apple cider (yum!), just perfect for reading the posted short story, or dipping into today's giveaway: a novel by Wendy L. Callahan called "The Pain Maiden.  There is also a blog makeover on giveaway, so stop by today.  This contest ends tomorrow morning.

Head over to Pagan Culture as well, for the So Good So Grim Blog Party, going on from October 13th - 21st.  All sorts of spooky stories, artwork and other delights that speak to the good hiding in the darkness, along with some amazing seasonal giveaways.  I'm spending time over at The Cauldron Born talking about the dark(ish) side of Tarot all this week.

Calendula Oil & What's Cooking, Oct. 7 - 13

We've got some stormy weather and tornado watch today in the DC area - after a little burst of summer, the weather is about to turn firmly to Autumn, and suddenly the trees are a riot of color.

This is my favorite time of year - the colors, the scents.... everything is earthy and smoky and delicious.  And it is definitely time for me to be planning meals to maike sure we get plenty of this season's bounty while it's here.  I find that when I fail to plan our meals, they become decidedly make-do and uninspired.

Here's what's in the works for this week:

Monday

Leftover Hash (Tri-Tip Beef, Mushrooms, Potatoes, and Veggies)

Tuesday

 (stew a chicken in the crockpot)

Chipotle Pulled Chicken

Paleo Tortillas

Salad

Wednesday

Leftover Chicken and Veggies

Mashed Cauliflower

Thursday

Bacon and Mushroom Quiche

Salad

Friday

Pork and Pumpkin Stew

Grain-Free Bread

Saturday

(Farm & Farmer's Market for meat & produce)

Leftovers

(slow cook a stewing chicken for tomorrow)

Sunday

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Stir-Fried Veggies

Today, I started on a project I'll be working on as a part of my Yule gifting - while I'm sure I'll be doing some purchased items, I really am wanting to try to keep most of our gifting handmade and personal.

So, as a part of that, I want to make up some healing salve that includes calendula as part of its properties.  Calendula is a variety of marigold, and is one of those herbal powerhouses that make a good addition to any all-purpose salve.  It is anti-inflammatory, soothing for burns and irritated or chapped skin and has some bug repellent properties.  It is gentle enough for those with sensitive skin and children to use.

Today's step was easy - I'm infusing some dried calendula petals (I got mine from Mountain Rose Herbs) in olive oil for the next couple weeks.  The ratio is easy - 1 part dried petals to 2 parts olive oil.  I used 1 cup of petals to 2 cups of oil - in a couple weeks, I'll be straining this out and making up some salve with it.  The oil itself could also be used as is, and it will keep for about a year.

The jar I used was a bit larger than necessary, so I used a baggie (weighted with some water) to hold down the petals below the surface of the oil.  After taking the picture, I moved the jar to a dark place until it's ready for the next step.

Before I go for today, I want to point you all over to Samhain's Sirens - today's lovely giveaway is two pairs of October themed earrings - one set is an adorable pair of witchy hats, and  the other a pair of pumpkins - just the thing for the Halloween fashionista!  Both of these were handcrafted and donated by Tess from "A Witch By Any Other Name".  Today's entry also includes a delicious medley of roasted veggies. Go check it out!

~ Lynda

Shared with: 
Menu Plan Monday, Busy Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Creative Monday Blog Hop, Frugally Crafty Home Blog Hop, Homemade Mondays, Homestead Barn Hop, Made By You Monday, Monday Funday, Marvelous Monday, Motivated Monday, Natural Living Monday, That DIY Party, More the Merrier Monday.
Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Time to Sparkle, Tuesday Greens, Tutorial Tuesday, You're Gonna Love It Tuesday.
Fluster's Creative Muster, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Inspiration Exchange, Lovely Ladies Linky, Make-Bake-Create Party, Party Wave Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Show & Tell Wednesday,  Waste Not Want Not, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday.
DIY Accomplished, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Home Sweet Home, HomeAcre Hop, Homemaking Party, Open House Blog, Home & Garden Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Transformation Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursday Treasures.
Be Inspired, Creative Friday, DIY Linky, Farm Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday, Frugal Friday, Friday Favorites, Freedom Fridays, Old-Fashioned Friday, Pin-Me Linky Party, Pity Party, Show and Tell Friday, Small Footprint Friday, Thrifty Things Friday.           
           

Happy October!

I didn't actually intend to take a long summer vacation from blogging here, but that is what has happened!  I'll be writing a 'What I Did On My Summer Vacation" entry here soon (hint: Michael and I got married!), but today, I'm taking advantage of an opportunity to kickstart myself back into updating by sharing with you Samhain's Sirens, a fabulous month-long Samhain celebration, chock full of music, recipes and giveaways.  Every single day between today and November 1st!

Today's kickoff is awesome!  Head over for a sweet Autumnal granola recipe, and enter for two fantastic giveaways - a $200 weblog makeover by PIP Designs and a stunning handmade blank book made by Lapulia Studios worth $332.98.

Come join in the fun!

~ Lynda

What's Cookin' June 3 - 9

Summer's definitely here in the DC area, and with it, plenty of humidity!  We've been spending more time outdoors and we have the bugbites (me) and the poison ivy rash (Michael) to show for it.

Meals have been, well, a little bit 'meh' between temperatures too hot to want to cook, end of the month pantry blahs, and just general busy-ness, and I never even got around last week to even posting a plan.

So here's what we did eat:

Monday May 27 (Memorial Day)

Attended a fish fry at Davies Memorial UU Church, so didn't cook dinner - 

nibbled on cheese and liverwurst with some wheat-free crackers.

Tuesday May 28

Homemade Beef and Vegetable Soup

Wednesday May 29

Leftover Soup

Grain-Free Quick Bread

Thursday May 30

Take Out from Dogfish Head Tavern

Friday May 31

Hash (Homemade Pork Sausage, Sweet Potatoes, and Mushrooms

Saturday Jun 1

Cheese Quiche

Salad

Sunday Jun 2 (My birthday)

Ate dinner at a brewery/restaurant in Baltimore

(great service, food was fine, beer was blah and can't recall name)

No pics, no recipes because really, the only thing that was interesting was the hash and I failed to snap a picture.

On the upside - with Saturday we entered a new month and took a trip to the farm to replenish our freezer with good, locally raised meat, and also headed off to the Farmer's Market for veggies.  We came away with some salad fixings (romaine, tomato, cucumber, radishes- lots of delicious radishes!), collard greens, spring garlic and onions, the last of the season's asparagus, some cauliflower and cabbage, as well as some potted herbs: horehound (on a whim, to see if I can grow it), mint, lemon balm, and a couple varieties of basil.

Top: mint, lemon balm, horehound, lemon basil, Thai basil. Bottom: Impatiens, Dahlias, Fuschias.

We do still have to make a trip to a grocery store for a couple items, but I feel re-energized for some summer cooking now!

The plan for this week:

Monday Jun 3

Taco Salad

Tuesday Jun 4

Grain-Free Cheeseburger Pie

Asparagus

Salad

Wednesday Jun 5

Leftovers

(make cole slaw for tomorrow)

*get grocery shopping done tonight*

Thursday Jun 6 (Stitch n Bitch)

(Michael cooking)

Salmon

Asparagus

Cole Slaw 

Friday Jun 7

Artichoke and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Spring Garlic and Potatoes

Saturday Jun 8

Roast Whole Chicken

Collard Greens

Vegetable Sticks

Sunday Jun 9

Leftovers

Shared with:

Gluten-Free Weekly Menu Plan, Menu Plan Monday,  On the Menu Monday, SusieQTPie's Menu Plan Monday.

Almond Flour Coconut Waffles

 

Yesterday was one of those days - I woke up to discover a tick burrowed into my back. Now, I don't have any critter phobias, but ticks wig me out (and for just cause!), both for what sort of diseases they can cause, and for the whole nasty way they go about acquiring their lunch.

So, that was no good start to the day - trying not to panic, I went to go find Michael, who'd already gotten up to get that thing out of me pronto, and he was nowhere to be found. So, holding my panic at bay, I got dressed and went to go look outside for him, and saw his legs about half way up a ladder, looking at something up on the roof.

I went inside to wait (muttering, 'ugh, tick, hurry hurry...' while I waited), and when he came in, I said "good morning, I have a TIIIICCCCKKK...." right about the same moment he said, "Good morning, we have a HOLE IN THE ROOOOOFFFF."

sigh.  He fixed my problem, but the one he uncovered is going to take a bit more doing - a few years back, he'd had some gutter screens installed, and they've been one hassle after another - while they keep large objects like leaves out of the gutter, they allow smaller items - pollen, dirt, whatever small things fall out of the trees onto the roof - to pass through, gunk up the gutter and be nearly impossible to get out due to the screens.  And one of them someone created a hole where it was attached large enough that it's been letting water drain down inside the wall of  the house for who knows how long.

Yaaaaayyyyy.

We were definitely in need of something indulgent, so waffles for dinner it was.

I don't need to post this recipe - we used this one from PaleOMG without alteration.  I doubled  the amount so we could have some for breakfast this morning.  I used coconut oil to brush the waffle iron, and this made 5 full waffles - very rich, crisp on the outside, tender on the inside waffles.

I used some cherries and blueberries from the freezer, lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup and we had them with fresh whipped heavy cream and some sliced banana.

They. Were. Awesome.

Reheating the next day - in the oven, so they stay crisp - worked perfectly, and I will be doing this again, and often.

Shared with:

A Favorite Thing, Finding the Pretty & Delicious, Get Schooled Saturday, Saturday SHOW-licious, Say G'Day Linky Party, Serenity Saturday, Show & Tell Saturday, Simply Natural Saturday, Super Saturday Show & Tell, Weekend Potluck, Weekend Re-Treat, Your Great Idea Link Party.

Creative Blogger's Party Hop, Creative HomeAcre Hop, Sunday School Blog Carnival, Sunday Show Off, Think Pink Sunday.

Busy Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, Homemade Mondays, Made By You Monday, Make It Yourself Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Making Your Home Sing Monday, Manic Monday, Marvelous Monday, Mealtime Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Monday Funday, Mop It Up Monday, Mostly Homemade Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Natural Living Monday, Thank Goodness It's Monday.

Family Table Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Hearth & Soul Hop, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, You're Gonna Love It Tuesday.

Allergy-Free Wednesday, Flusters Creative Muster Party, Frugal Days - Sustainable Ways,  Gluten-Free Wednesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Inspiration Exchange Link Party, Make-Bake-Create Party, Party Wave Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Real Food Wednesday, Seasonal Celebration Wednesday, Show & Tell Wednesday, Two Girls and a Party, Waste Not Want Not, Wednesday Fresh Foods, Well Fed Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Wonderful Foods Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday.

.  DIY Accomplished, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Home & Garden Hop, The HomeAcre Hop, Homemaking Party, Hookin' Up with HoH, Open House Party, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Thursday Favorite Thing, Thursday Treasures, Transformation Thursday,                                        

Purple Sauerkraut

A couple months ago, I made fermented sauerkraut for  the first time, but never got around to sharing it here - and then we ate it, still without posting about it.  A little bit later, I tried fermented carrots and ginger - also very good (best as an addition to salad, or a bit mixed in with tuna salad), again no post.

So yesterday, I started some sauerkraut again! This time using a red cabbage and a Napa cabbage (because they had no plain green cabbage in stock).

This is a really simple way of getting some fermented veggies on hand, and it takes so much more delicious than storebought kraut.

I think the big key to the process is using Fido jars.  I have a couple Bormioli Rocco blue lidded jars that I just love - they have a great solid seal, and the blue glass lid is so pretty.  The thing about Fido jars is that they let excess pressure leak out, but they let no oxygen in - no oxygen means no molding.

I like not having to worry about things like that.  The other thing that ensures it, of course, is making sure your containers, utensils and work surface are all clean and sanitary.   So, with that out of the way, here's all it takes:

Purple Sauerkraut

Ingredients:
1 head Napa cabbage
1 head red cabbage
4 T. salt

Equipment:
Cutting board
Large sharp knife
Large mixing bowl
Food processor
Potato masher
Large serving spoon
Fido jar (50oz or larger)

Wash and dry your cabbage, removing any worn outer leaves.  Cut the cabbage into chunks, removing the cores.  Feed the chunks through your food processor set to grate coarsely.  As processor gets full, turn the grated cabbage into the large mixing bowl, and sprinkle with some of the salt.  Continue to process and salt the cabbage until done.

Cover the bowl loosely and let it sit about 1/2 hour - the salt will start releasing liquid from the cabbage.  Using a potato masher, pound the cabbage for a couple minutes to more completely release the liquid.

Scoop cabbage into Fido jar, mashing it down as you go to fit more cabbage.  Make sure all liquid from the bowl ends up in the jar - the cabbage should be covered with liquid.

Seal the jar and set it aside in a dark place with a moderate temperature (70-80F) for 4-6 weeks, then refrigerate.

======

I had about a 1 1/2 cups of cabbage that wouldn't fit into my container.  Since I was making stew and hadn't yet salted it, I just tossed the extra into the stew pot, where it disappeared so completely you couldn't even tell it was in there.  I'll check back with you in about a month and let you know how the 'kraut came out!

Shared with:
Allergy Free Wednesday, The Creative Spark, Down Home Blog Hop, Fluster's Creative Muster, Gluten-Free Wednesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Make - Bake - Create Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Real Food Wednesday, Show & Tell Wednesday, Two Girls & a Party, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up, Well Fed Wednesday, Wellness Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Wonderful Foods Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday.   
Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Home & Garden Thursday, HomeAcre Hop, Hookin' Up With HoH, Open House Party, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursday's Treasures, Transformation Thursday, Weekly Homemaking Party.

Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Home & Garden Thursday, HomeAcre Hop, Hookin' Up With HoH, Open House Party, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursday's Treasures, Transformation Thursday, Weekly Homemaking Party.
Allergy Free Lunchbox Love, Be Inspired, Feathered Nest Friday, Fight Back Friday, Foodie Friday, Freedom Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Favorites, From the Farm Blog Hop, Frugal Friday, Old-Fashioned Friday, Pin Me Linky Party, Pity Party, Rattlebridge Farm Foodie Friday, Shine On Friday, Show and Tell Friday, Simple Meals Friday, Thrifty Things Friday, What I Am Eating.
A Favorite Thing, Finding the Pretty & Delicious, Get Schooled Saturday, Saturday SHOW-licious, Say G'Day Linky Party, Serenity Saturday, Show & Tell Saturday, Simply Natural Saturday, Super Saturday Show & Tell, Weekend Potluck, Weekend Re-Treat, Your Great Idea Link Party.        

What's Cookin': May 20 - 26

Other than a couple rearranged days (and one night where we skipped dinner altogether), last week's menu plan was followed pretty closely - this is what we ate:

Monday, May 13

 Take out from Chipotle

Tuesday, May 14

Pork Tenderloin

Roast Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday, May 15

 Skipped dinner

Thursday, May 16

 Chicken with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Friday, May 17

 Chili

Grain-Free "Corn" Bread

Saturday, May 18

 Leftovers

Sunday, May 19

 Habenero Chicken Sausages

Sweet Potato Fries

This is this week's plan:

Monday, May 20

Eating out with friends

Tuesday, May 21

 Gulaschuppe

Grain-Free Bread

Wednesday, May 22

Leftovers

Grain-Free Brownies

Thursday, May 23

Grain-Free Waffles

Fruit

Friday, May 24

Homemade Pizza

Salad

Saturday, May 25

Mushroom Spinach Quiche

Salad

Sunday, May 26

Vegetable Beef Soup

Grain-Free Crackers

Shared with: Gluten-Free Weekly Meal Plan, Menu Plan Monday, On the Menu Monday, SusieQTPie's Menu Plan Monday.  

Zucchini-Tomato Italian Chicken

The Farmer's Markets in our area are pretty much all opened up for the season, but sadly, we've not made it to any of them yet.  The only days we can really get to one is Saturdays, and lately our Saturdays have been packed to the gills busy.  Except today - such a rare occurance of non-scheduled time that se slept without the alarm and wound up sleeping late and spending the day happily doing nothing.

But, even though we aren't getting out to the Markets, it is nice to see spring produce hitting the stores. We picked up some zucchini the other day, and I used it along with some lovely chicken thighs the farm where we get our meat had (that was a nice change of pace - I mostly buy whole chickens from them, but they hard parts packaged up, so we took advantage of the opportunity to get some).

I really love chicken thighs - they are so much more moist and flavorful than breasts. It shocks me that in some parts of  the country, it's hard to even find thighs because people are so disdainful of 'dirty meat'.  Crazy people!

This was delicious and heated up very well for lunch the next day - I look forward to lots more zucchini in my future the next few months!

Italian Chicken Thighs with Zucchini and Tomatoes

4-6 chicken  thighs (bone-in)
2 T. coconut oil, tallow, lard or ghee
herbs, salt and pepper to taste (I used oregano, sage and fennel pollen)
 1/4 cup chicken broth
3-4 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
2-3 tomatoes diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup diced black olives (kalamata if you've got 'em - green olives would be good, too)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Sear chicken in oil to brown, turn and brown other side.  Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper.  Add broth and let simmer, covered, 25 minutes.  Add vegetables and olives and simmer, covered, until zucchini is tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes more.

Sprinkle with Parmesan to serve, if desired.

Shared with:
A Favorite Thing, Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky Party, Get Schooled Saturday, Saturday SHOW-licious Link Party, Say G'Day Saturday Link Party, Serenity Saturday, Show & Tell Saturday, Simply Natural Saturday, Super Saturday Show & Tell, Weekend Potluck, Weekend Re-Treat, Weekend Show Off Party, Your Great Idea.  
Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop, Sunday School Blog Hop, Sunday Show Off, Think Pink Sunday.
Busy Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, Made By You Monday, Make It Yourself Monday, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Manic Monday, Marvelous Monday, Mealtime Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Monday Funday, Mop It Up Monday, Mostly Homemade Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Motivated Monday, Natural Living Monday.
Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Backyard Farming Connection, Family Table Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Living Green Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Time to Sparkle, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Tuesday Greens, You're Gonna Love It Tuesday.
Allergy Free Wednesday, The Creative Spark, Down Home Blog Hop, Fluster's Creative Muster, Gluten-Free Wednesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Make - Bake - Create Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Show & Tell Wednesday, Two Girls & a Party, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up, Well Fed Wednesday, Wellness Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Wheat Free Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Wonderful Foods Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday.
Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Home & Garden Thursday, HomeAcre Hop, Hookin' Up With HoH, Open House Party, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursday's Treasures, Transformation Thursday, Weekly Homemaking Party.
Allergy Free Lunchbox Love, Be Inspired, Feathered Nest Friday, Fight Back Friday, Foodie Friday, Freedom Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Favorites, From the Farm Blog Hop, Frugal Friday, Old-Fashioned Friday, Pin Me Linky Party, Pity Party, Rattlebridge Farm Foodie Friday, Shine On Friday, Show and Tell Friday, Simple Meals Friday, Thrifty Things Friday, What I Am Eating.      

May Theme-alicious Progress Report and a Late TUSAL

 I managed to take my TUSAL photo only one day late - but now here I am, several days late in getting it posted.  I'm taking advantage of the photo op to show off getting my floss organized (finally):

 

This old and very large plastic organizer bin (I think it's for hardware?) is one that Michael has had - unused - for a few years now, and somehow it wound up in a corner of the porch, neglected, forgotten, and rained on.  We washed it - unfortunately, the paper that was attached to it on  top had never been removed and at this point, it's flat out welded on.  So, it ain't pretty - but it holds all my DMC floss with drawers left over for other brands, and that excites me a whole lot!

At some point (soon, I hope), I'm going to re-cover it, maybe by decoupage, so that it looks as happy as it make me feel to get my floss organized and easy to access.

As for my TUSAL jar - these are the things that have been feeding it this month: 

More progress on The Stitcherhood's "Midnight Dip" - because of the blocks of color and small number of color changes, this is a good one to keep tucked into my purse, for times when I'm waiting or listening without doing anything else (I find I pay attention much better if I keep my hands busy).  I've now run out of  the lighter blue, with just a tiny bit left to do in her tail - so this won't be fully complete til I get myself to a craft store (awww.....).

The Theme-alicious challenge for May is:

Pick a color, any color, then stitch only on projects that contain that color for the month!

I chose purple, picked out a few WIPs and then promptly ignored them in favor of some new starts - but I did pull in some purple!

A new start and a finish, all in one month - gasp!

Basket of Spells

Blackbird Designs

stitched on purple overdyed 28ct linen

DMC variegated floss

Folk Doves

Ginger & Spice

(from Just Cross Stitch, Nov/Dec 1987)

also stitched on the same purple fabric

DMC 4215

Not finished yet, but this will be my monochrome ornament for this month.

Lastly, I joined Ink Circles "Roll Your Own 2013" SAL - we're each working our own choice of colors on the mandala Tracy designed for the occasion.  I'm really loving how mine is coming out so far!

I may be doing one more new start, for a fundraiser coming up mid-June.  I'll decide that sometime before the end of this week.

That's it for me - happy stitching!

Shared with:  Daffycat's May TUSAL Ort Report, Theme-alicious Monochrome May Check In. 

What's Cookin' May 13 - 19

I have been feeling really scattered this week, although I couldn't tell you with what.  Dinners seemed to be haphazard and eaten without a lot of thought.  Spring fever? Could be...

This is what we ate:

Monday, May 6

Taco Salad

Tuesday, May 7

Leftovers

Wednesday, May 8

Ate out with friends

Thursday, May 9 (Michael cooked)

Spinach and Swiss Quiche

Canadian Bacon

Strawberries and Kiwi with Whipped Cream

Friday, May 10

 Cauliflower "Mac n Cheese" with Ground Beef and Corn

(recipe below)

Saturday, May 11

Apple Chicken Sausages

Fried Potatoes

Sunday, May 12

Main Dish Salad with Tuna

Here's what's planned for this week:

Monday, May 13

Burrito Bowls 

(Chipotle take out)

Tuesday, May 14

Pork Tenderloin

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips

Wednesday, May 15

Chicken Thighs

Zucchini "Noodles"

Thursday, May 16

Leftovers

Friday, May 17

Chili

Grain-Free "Corn"bread

Saturday, May 18

Leftover Chili

Sunday, May 19

Jalepeno Sausages

Chopped Salad

Avocado Slices

So... one of the things I made last week was an experiment I'd been wanting to try for awhile.  One of my childhood comfort foods (which became one of my kids' comfort foods in turn, which they are also passing on to their own) is Macaroni and Cheese - specifically the Kraft blue box - with cooked ground beef and corn stirred in.

I am not eating Kraft dinner anymore - or, for that matter, pasta noodles - so I wasn't sure if this was something even vaguely possible to still enjoy occasionally without just flat out grabbing the blue box.  I'd say this recipe got about 75% of the way there - it's not the stuff of my comfort food memories, but it did hit comfort food territory, we both enjoyed it, and were happy to note  that it reheated very well the next day for lunch.  I was a little short on cheddar cheese, and I think next time, I'd ramp up my cheddar to try to hit that crazy orange Kraft cheesy taste a bit closer (without turning to chemicals to do it).  But other than that - if you're avoiding pasta, cauliflower makes for a good carrier for a good cheesy sauce.

Cauliflower "Mac" & Cheese with Ground Beef and Corn

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets

1 lb. ground beef

salt, pepper

dash Worchestershire Sauce

2 cups organic frozen corn

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup shredded Swiss Cheese

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. tumeric

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

2 T. almond flour

 Brown ground beef and season to taste with salt, pepper, and Worchestershire Sauce.  Add corn and mix.

In a saucepan, heat coconut milk (don't boil) and add shredded cheeses, nutmeg and turmeric until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.  Add cauliflower, stirring to coat completely.  Add beef and corn mixture, and blend well.

In a small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese and almond flour. Set aside.

Turn cheese mixture into a casserole dish.  Sprinkle almond flour mixture on top.  Bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes.

Note: To keep this grain-free, you'd want to leave off the corn - since I was re-creating a childhood comfort food for myself, I had to add it or it just would not have been right!  But substituting other veggies for the corn would also work just fine for folks without my taste-memories. :)

Shared with: 
Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan, Menu Plan Monday, On  the Menu Monday, SusieQTPie's Menu Plan Monday. 
Busy Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop, Gathering Spot, Homemade Monday, Homestead Monday, In and Out of the Kitchen Monday, Made By You Monday, Make It Yourself Monday, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Mealtime Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Monday Funday, Mop It Up Monday, Mostly Homemade Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Natural Living Monday, Thank Goodness Its Monday.
. Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Eco-Kids Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Hearth & Soul Hop, How-To Tuesday, Living Green Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tasty Traditions Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Time to Sparkle, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Tuesday Greens, Tutorial Tuesday, You're Gonna Love It.
Allergy-Free Wednesday, Creative Spark, Down Home Blog Hop, Fluster's Creative Muster, Frugal Days - Sustainable Ways, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Make - Bake - Create Party, Party Wave Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Real Food Wednesdays, Show & Tell Wednesday, Two Girls & a Party, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,  Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up, Well Fed Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wicked Awesome Wednesday, Wonderful Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday.
DIY Accomplished, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Home & Garden Party, HomeAcre Hop, Hookin' Up With HoH, Open House Party, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Thursdays Treasures, Transformation Thursday, Weekly Homemaking Party.
Allergy-Friendly Lunchbox Love, Be Inspired Friday, Feathered Nest Friday,  Foodie Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Freedom Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Favorites, From the Farm Blog Hop, Frugal Friday, Gluten-Free Friday, Old-Fashioned Friday, Pin Me Linky Party, Pity Party, Rattlebridge Farm Foodie Friday, Shine On Fridays, Show & Tell Friday, Simple Meals Friday, Thrifty Things Friday, What I Am Eating.
A Favorite Thing, Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky Party, Get Schooled Saturday, Saturday SHOW-licious Link Party, Say G'Day Saturday Link Party, Serenity Saturday, Show & Tell Saturday, Simply Natural Saturday, Super Saturday Show & Tell, Weekend Potluck, Weekend Re-Treat, Weekend Show Off Party, Your Great Idea.
Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop, Sunday School Blog Hop, Sunday Show Off, Think Pink Sunday.