Greetings All.
50 degrees here today. We took a walk on our property. Hubby was not happy to see additional damage from recent high winds. He gets exhausted just thinking about all of the work we need to do.
Osito Arelano: I posted the Mushroom Soup recipe in the Food Forum. We really enjoy it. I made this one with just vegetable broth so that the soup can be used for vegetarian dishes. We have no vegetarians in our family, including us, I just like to have options.
At the moment, Chicken Marsala is in the canner. I took chicken from the freezer that was dated well over a year ago. That vacuum sealer really does the trick. Since I stocked up on fresh mushrooms on the last trip to the store, we had plenty for both the soup and the marsala. The leftover chicken marsala is in four pint jars, with another four 1/2 pints full of mushrooms both topped off with more wine and chicken broth. I’ll need two jars, one of each, for a meal. I really like having meals on my shelves. I added green beans almandine and mashed potatoes (both beans and potatoes homegrown) for a delicious dinner. While the recipe is simple, pounding the chicken thin takes time. I will happily create some more.
Now I must clean up the kitchen after a few days of cooking and canning by putting canning equipment away. However, we are taking a family trip to a destination wedding and I must make cookies for my “boys”. Daughter and I were talking about what we could make for meals in the house we are renting. We decided on “egg muffins,” add some fruit and toast for a meal. Easy and quick to make if the ingredients are already prepared, 30 minutes to bake. So I fried up several onions, mushrooms, bacon, and will pre-cook some peppers and other ingredients and pack the spices. Protein for three teenage boys to keep them from “starving.” I know, I’m taking the store along with me. I always do. I’m prepared – at least food wise. I am taking 5 quarts of split pea soup with ham. How many do you think we will eat? We will have three teenagers and their parents plus three seniors.. Well 2 teenagers, one just turned 18. One quart is too much for just us how many will the family use? That is what I should plan for if they need to spend time with us.
Have you ever noticed how you sometimes and suddenly see things differently? I usually see empty shelves, devoid of certain stored food & supplies. I looked into my closet yesterday and “saw” several things that I wondered why I still had. I will get around to taking them out and donating. I am no longer a size 8 no matter how I look at it. I’ll save a few items so that if the SHTF I’ll have something to wear, but the rest are going. Or if, if, if, I get outside and do some work without replacing the calories. (yeah, right.)
I am going to take the advice given by several people and stock up on flour and other foods when I go to the store in two weeks. Get the breadbasket while we can.
I am ready to plant the garden, but the ground is still frozen and not ready for me. One of the things we found was that part of a fence is down and our blueberry bushes were eaten to the ground. They were new, but still, gone. So, special small fencing for them. The main garden fence has held with no obvious deer intrusion. I am expanding this year by three new beds – 3 by 17; plus more blueberries.
I need a place for the squash to roam. Does anyone have good advice about growing squash? (We got none last year.) I plant the cucumbers at the base of a chicken wire type dividing fence and use it as a trellis, but I don’t think the fence would hold up the acorn, butternut, and buttercup squashes. Ideas for a means to keep the squash in line?
I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Enjoy the spring.