It's been awhile

Wow I haven't blogged in so long where has the time gone? We have been so busy harvesting and preserving our bounty, and what a bounty we have this year. The growing season started out very slowly this year. The Summer was very mild in Western Washington this year. Only a few day this summer hit the 90's. I didn't think anything would grow. I waited along with everyone else with baited breath and pleaded with the tomatoes to grow. They finally started to grow. I would get one or two tomatoes a day for awhile, and then they came on like gang busters. I also went to the Barn in Portland Oregon to supplement what we were growing. Then in September my DH and I went to a garlic and tomato festival in Richfield WA. Amazing!!! The tomatoes were so awesome that we bought #60 and I canned all the next day. I put away about #300 of food this year. We have been so blessed by Christ. We have our 1/2 of cow and are getting a lamb in about 2 weeks. I also canned #50 of chickens. I guess I could do another #20, but I am getting tired. I have to put our garlics in the ground today. I grew some a couple of years ago and they did well fingers crossed this time. We will be putting in our wood stove this month and then I will feel snug as a bug in a rug. We got our wood stove on craigslist last spring and now we have to install the darn thing. I will keep you posted on the garlics and how they are growing. Earlier this year God but it on our hearts to get back to the basics...ie the simple life. I have been studying peoples lives during the Depression of the 1930's..Boy they ate better than we do now and had far less. I got some depression era cookbooks and have been making amazing meals. On YouTube is Clara she is in her 90's and with the help of her Grandson has a cooking channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/DepressionCooking if you ever have time check out her channel. I ordered her cookbook and her DVD. What great stories and great recipes.http://www.greatdepressioncooking.com/ yes she even has a website. Getting back to what I was typing before. We (Michael and I) have to save save save. So looking back on how people who had less and lived on less, the common thread was that they were happy, and most of them made it through the hard time, they didn't give up, I guess it wasn't in their DNA. The sense of God, Family and Home, were the most important parts to the family structure and that is falling away with Internet and cell phone wii and all of the other crap that has bombarded our lives. Well I will not be trading up on my cell phone, we have become so attached and plugged in that we feel like we can't function without them WRONG! I am so sick of driving somewhere and people are talking on the phone and driving. Cell phone are growing out of our ears like a cancerous sore. Remember when average income families could not afford a cell phone. Now 8 and 9 year old have them. Why? I have not clue....

Soggy Spring

This is one for the history books.. We have had rain, sleet and snow. I have never seen a Spring like this before. I have been planning to start making yogurt this spring, I eat it almost every morning, so I thought why not make it? I have a smoothie during the week. I call it my Fruit Green Smoothie
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
4-5 organic strawberries
1 banana (organic of course)
1/2c uncooked oatmeal
4 t spirulina
1/2t vanilla
14 oz F.F. milk
what ever sweetener you like IE honey stevia whatever tt (to taste)
Blend either in a blender or use an immersion blender. I use the latter and clean up is a breeze. This smoothie gives me lots o energy and keeps me full longer

Simple Food

Well it is that time of year again. Getting our garden beds ready for spring. This year I purpose to grow 4 new vegetables. I haven't decided if it will be peas,carrots,parsnips,kale,celery and butter beans. I know that broccoli will not grow in our soil, why I don't know...We have tried everything to get those suckers to grow. Should we try again? and waste the space that we could grow something that we know will grow....I am NOT gonna let little ol' broccoli defeat me. It is becoming a obsession with me a broccoli. I love garden grown broccoli. OK enough of this obsession. Our goal this year is to grow 100 pounds of food. We live on a 6000 square foot lot with a driveway, house and garage. The front year is totally landscaped with non-edibles so it is just the back and part of the side yard. This will not include the fruit trees, I know that we will get at least 200 pounds of fruit. I am so ready for this challenge. Not only will we be eating this fabulously organic fare, I will also be preserving our food too. In the past we grew a small garden and belonged to a CSA. I love CSA's and think they are awesome, this year I want us to live off of our land and not pay for food off of someone else. I also be looking for beef and lamb meat. We have a wonderful egg farm we go to. God has been so Faithful and Good to us.

What's for Dinner.

Mimi's Sticky Chicken
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole roasting chicken, about 3 pounds
1 cup chopped onions Combine all spices (first 8 ingredients) in small bowl.
Rinse chicken, inside and out. Drain well.
Rub spice mixture over skin and the inside of chicken.
Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to roast, stuff cavity with onions.
Place chicken breast side down in roasting pan.
Roast uncovered at 250ºF (that's not a typo...it's really 250º! Anything over 225º is safe as long as the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 155º, which this does, and more) for about 5 hours. Baste occasionally with pan juices or until pan juices start to caramelize on bottom of pan and chicken is golden brown.
Serves 4.
I am gonna try this recipe I found it on .http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/recipes/Foolproof_Sticky_Chicken.htm. I am in a food rut. This happens to me about 2 times a year. Especially in the winter. I want Spring to come. I am starting to get "lazy" when it come to dinner. I am uninspired and have no motivation. I am hoping that this recipe will get my Culinary Juices Flowing again

Ceviche de Camarones

Ingredients
1-pound medium-small shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 Tbsp salt
4-6 limes
2-3 lemons
1 cup red onion finely chopped
1 hot Chile ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cucumber, peeled diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 avocado, peeled, seed removed, cut into 1/2-inch chunks


Method
1 In a large pot, bring to a boil 4-5 quarts of water, add 2 Tbsp salt. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute 30 seconds (for medium) and 2 minutes (for large). Remove shrimp and place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

2 Drain the shrimp. Cut each piece of shrimp in half, or into inch-long pieces. Place shrimp in a glass or ceramic bowl. Mix in the lime and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for a half hour.

Chia Seeds

We've recently discovered this fabulous little seed - Chia Seeds. Yes, these are the very same seeds used for those horrendous Chia Pets that make their way through the stores during this time of year for Christmas presents.But don't let that discourage you. Keep on reading - you'll be amazed.Research on these little seeds reveals what a truly wonder seed they are. We've long tried to figure out good ways to have long term storage for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Most things that are high in these oils go rancid quickly or it would be cost prohibitive to store.Enter Chia Seeds. Here is some info for you:From Wiki:
It is still widely used in Mexico and South America, with the seeds ground for nutritious drinks and as a food source.Chia is grown commercially for its seed, a food that is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, since the seeds yield 25-30% extractable oil, mostly α-linolenic acid (ALA). It also is a source of antioxidants and a variety of amino acids.Historically, chia seeds served as a staple food of the Nahuatl (Aztec) cultures of Central Mexico. Jesuit chroniclers referred to chia as the third most important crop to the Aztecs behind only corn and beans, and ahead of amaranth. Tribute and taxes to the Aztec priesthood and nobility were often paid in chia seed.Chia seed may be eaten raw as a dietary fiber and omega-3 supplement. Ground chia seed is sometimes added to pinole, a coarse flour made from toasted maize kernels. Chia seeds soaked in water or fruit juice is also often consumed and is known in Mexico as chia fresca. The soaked seeds are gelatinous in texture and are used in gruels, porridges and puddings. Ground chia seed is used in baked goods including breads, cakes and biscuits. Chia sprouts are used in a similar manner as alfalfa sprouts in salads, sandwiches and other dishes.Another source for excellent info: www.Mountainroseherbs.com
Chia seed is high in calcium, 5 times the calcium of milk. 631 mg per 100 grams of seed.
Chia seed is also high in protein, with 18 grams per 100 grams of seed.
The optimum ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 should be 3:1
Chia seed provides that ratio.
Chia seed is hydrophilic. Absorbing up to 14 times (Mix @ 9-10 times) its weight in water. This helps extend energy and endurance.
Chia seed is rich in antioxidant oils.
Chia seed contains chlorogenic acid, and
caffeic acid as well as myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol flavonols. These compounds are both primary and synergistic antioxidants that contribute to the strong antioxidant activity of chia seed.
Chia seed is also low in sodium, only 19 mg per 100 grams.

Watch Night Service

Watch Night Service - A bit of history for all.
Many of you who live or grew up in Black communities in the United States have probably heard of "Watch Night Services," the gathering of the faithful in church on New Year's Eve.
The service usually begins anywhere from 7 p.m. To 10 p.m. And ends at midnight with the entrance of the New Year. Some folks come to church first, before going out to celebrate. For others, church is the only New Year's Eve event. Like many others, I always assumed that Watch Night was a fairly standard Christian religious service -- made a bit more Afro centric because that's what happens when elements of Christianity become linked with the Black Church. Still, it seemed that predominately White Christian churches did not include Watch Night services on their calendars, but focused instead on Christmas Eve programs. In fact, there were instances where clergy in mainline denominations wondered aloud about the propriety of linking religious services with a secular holiday like New Year's Eve.However, there is a reason for the importance of New Year's Eve services in African American congregations. The Watch Night Services in Black communities that we celebrate today can be traced back to gatherings on December 31, 1862, also known as "Freedom's Eve." On that night, Blacks came together in churches and private homes all across the nation, anxiously awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation actually had become law. Then, at the stroke of midnight, it was January 1, 1863, and all slaves in the Confederate States were declared legally free .When the news was received, there were prayers, shouts and songs of joy as people fell to their knees and thanked God. Black folks have gathered in churches annually on New Year's Eve ever since, praising God for bringing us safely through another year.It's been 145 years since that first Freedom's Eve and many of us were never taught the African American history of Watch Night, but tradition still brings us together at this time every year to celebrate "how we got over" Yah US