garden surprise

So, the weather is warming up around here & I was feeling the magnetic pull of my garden. I just wanted to peek & plan out where everything would be planted, so I went for a walk today. I was expecting to see kale, because it's the last thing we harvested in December. There was some kale, but it was yellow & mangy & something had feasted on it all winter. I also found some tiny leaves of red lettuce that I let go to seed last summer. What I wasn't expecting, was an entire row of rutabagas! They survived the winter burried under the snow. They're perfect & beautiful. (well, this one was beautiful before I ripped the leafy green tops off & threw them in the compost pile) Stupid me, I got so excited, I pulled up the biggest one for supper. I should have let it grow for seed. Oh well, there's about 50 more where that came from. p.s. It seems chickens don't care for raw rutabags. But, they will eat them cooked. Spoiled chickens!

Cabin Fever

We have one foot of snow on the ground & more expected tonight. The people in this house & the critters in the barn have a bad case of cabin fever. My chickens want worms. The kids want to play tennis. I want to plant my garden! I've ordered my seeds, started the onions & now I wait. Starting a garden for the first year can seem intimidating. There is so much information, that it's easy to get overwhelmed. My 1st bit of advice for people who want to grow their own food (but are afraid of all the "rules") is to relax. Relax & have fun. It really is easier than it may seem. Yes, there could be 1,000 tomato diseases, but chances are, you will see none of them. Just look at a dandelion & you'll see how easy it is to grow healthy food. (Heck yeah, you can eat a dandelion!) Sit down with a mug of hot chocolate & thumb through the seed catalogs. My favorites are Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Botanical Interests & High Mowing Organic Seeds. Why? I like their pictures. Last year, I planted a huge garden. Did it look like the ones in magazines? No way. I grew more weeds than food. Did I have fun? Yes. Did my kids eat more vegetables than the year before? Yes. They planted & weeded & harvested & feasted like kings. Did every plant grow well? No. I had beautiful carrots, but the broccoli was pitiful. Will I try again? Heck yeah! Hint number 2 - Start with 1-2 varieties of the foods you actually like. If you hate eggplant, don't bother. If you don't have a yard, you can still grow food on the porch or windowsill. My daughter lives in an apartment & is growing her garden in Rubbermaid buckets. Tip number 3 - Find someone you trust & ask questions. Gardeners love to help each other, just like fishermen love to swap stories. We'll do anything to get people to join the team. We bought fruit trees for the first time, last year. We found a local nursery & asked questions. Lots of questions. She was super friendly & she knows her stuff! I've also been taking classes at our county extension office. For more helpful tips, visit Red White & Grew. She's working on an awesome "DIY notebook for new gardeners". I think you'll like it. I sure did!

Quick & Easy - that's how we roll

My son requested chicken tortilla soup for supper. After making (& cleaning up the mess from) 3 loaves of bread today, I was not in the mood to make tortillas. Oh, we also had no chicken. All I had was some leftover rabbit meat & tortilla chips. So as usual, we improvised. In a large pot, heat-up some chicken broth. I figure 1 cup per person. For us, that's 5 cups. In goes the shredded (cooked) rabbit meat & 1 jar of Meijer corn & black bean salsa. Cook just util the meat is nice and hot. Spoon into soup bowls & crush a handful of tortilla chips on top. (My husband used tortilla chips & about 200 saltine crackers. To each his own.) Sprinkle with shredded cheese. How easy was that?! I haven't added any pictures. It's not much to look at, but it was just what we needed for such a cold February evening.

Snow day did ya say?

Yes, like most of the midwest, we're snowed in today. So, I decided to bake some bread. Throw in some cheese & sausage & we've got a meal! Just shred 4 oz of cheddar cheese into a mixing bowl. (My sister told me they put stuff in shredded cheese to keep it from sticking together. So, I use block cheese & shred it myself.) Then you need some sausage. I use Meijer brand, because it has no MSG. Check the labels! Most "national" brands have MSG. Dump 1/2 package of breakfast sausage into the bowl with your cheese. (save the rest of the sausage for biscuits& gravy). Now smoosh the meat & cheese together with your fingers. Spread it on 8 slices of bread. Bake at 350 until the cheese bubbles. (15-20 minutes). It may not look beautiful, but it tastes soooo YUM!!!

Happy National Pie Day!

What better way to interrupt cabin fever than with pie? It makes the house smell great & warms the kitchen. It's also a tasty way to get my kids to eat more fruits & veggies! Oh yeah, pie counts as a fruit. So, we celebrated National Pie day with two pies. I found the recipe for "Humble Pie" on the King Arthur website. I used frozen peaches & blackberries, because it's what I had. Instead of dried buttermilk powder, I used plain powdered milk. It still tastes great to me.

I used my grandma's recipe for the sweet potato pie. Yes, the recipe that calls for lard in the crust. I've tried "vegetable shortening" before. Besides being totally processed & unhealthy, it makes a crappy crust. Trust me, lard in the only way to make a perfect pie crust.

What a Farmbelle Wants

Granny Cantrell tomato seeds. I grew these last year & they were the best tasting tomato I've ever met. I saved all my seeds in a dixie cup in the cupboard. My sweet dughter climbed onto the counter & spilled all my seeds into her bowl of chili & all over the floor. I cried. Then, I scooped up what seeds I could - about 10 total & went searching for more seeds. I plan to fill my garden with Granny Cantrells. Note to self; always save seeds in jars with lids!

One can never have enough books. Today, I want The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds . Whew, I hope the book is as informative as the title. The cover looks great, so I'm sure the rest of the book is as well.

Since homemade bread does not pop out of the pan already sliced, I need a cutting board, like this. It needs no explaination. It's simple, clean & beautiful.

what shall I have for supper?