Sniffles, Snow and Polkas

I've been noticing a increase in "cabin-fever" around Blog-dom lately.  It seems like it's been an awfully long winter.  I'm not one to wish my life away, but I'm ready for April/May and some warmth and sunshine and green grass....(someone remind me I said that when it comes time to mow again.  lol)

Here on the Prairie Farm, we're at the brink of calving season.  yipee~   >_<   

We're also in the midst of colds/virus/something .  Farmer-dear is feeling better, but still gets puny in the evenings.  I'm self-doctoring with Zicam, garlic, Vit C.  It's moving out slowly.  Unfortunately it went from my chest to my head & sinuses.  

And we are in the midst of a winter weather weekend!  5" of snow yesterday and 1-2" today with more in the forecast through Monday a.m.  I know.. I know... It's still February in Neb.  We've had 13" in April before.  

But to turn this into a happier post.... I went thrifting earlier this week.  I found these 2 cookbooks:

(yes, I took the images from Amazon... too lazy to take the photos or scan them myself.)

I'm a bread-baking girl, and love to make bread with whole-grains. The Laurel's Kitchen book has at least 2 recipes I'm eager to try.

And of course anyone who has read or seen "Julie-Julia" has to have MTAOFC on his/her shelf.  I can't imagine I'll make too many recipes from this one, but it's fun to read the recipes while reading along with Julie Powell's blog.  (warning-- lots of f-bombs in it and Bush-bashing, but an entertaining read.)

I also brought home 2 cassettes... remember those?  (I could have picked up several 8-track tapes but our players have been long gone.  We had a stereo with an 8-track player and one of our vehicles... I think it was our courting car.... Oh the memories... we played Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger" over and over.)

Anyway... used to have a LP (remember Those?) of Sandi Patti's "Morning Like This" and the title song always speaks Easter (Resurrection Sunday) to me. 

I also got this:

 

with the dance mat for the girlies.  You know I can't go into the thrift store and not look for them.  They don't need any clothes but a fun dance-along dvd might be fun for them.

And the last cassette I got was.... Al Holman and The Polkatoons, #12!  LMHO... Farmer-dear was a bit dismayed.... polkas??   Yes!  Back when I was growing up, the radio station we listened to, used to play polkas on Sundays.  I haven't been to a Czech Wedding Dance in ages, to hear all the old polka tunes and I miss them sometimes.  (does it mean I'm getting old if I am starting to look back fondly on my youth.... oh crud!)

All in all I spent around $13 but I'll get hours of enjoyment from these.   

Hopefully I can share more photos of my quilting projects.  I hope to have BFF's quilt done by Sunday and more progress made on DGD3's.  And I might cut out another caring baby quilt in some brights just for the fun of it.

Stay warm and keep thinking thoughts of Spring and if you've been thrifting lately or like Polka music... leave a comment, telling me about it.

Hugs

K~

** "Music is what life sounds like."  ~Eric Olson

Day 3 of Winter Storm #3-- Getting Restless

Blog Jan 8

Day 3 of the January Blizzard/Snow-In.... The natives are getting restless. Going out into the frigid temperatures doesn’t faze the Farmer anymore. The Farmer’s Wife has even succumb to doing farm bookwork as a diversion from looking out at all the snow, all the same snow... that never melts.

Of course I’m just joking, mostly...

We are still snow-bound. Watching for the snowplow has become one of our new pass-times. We are also passing the time by catching up on projects. Farmer-dear continues to do all the chores alone. The ice on the pond is still 15” thick.

Today he tore out the old lazy susan from under the counter in the kitchen. The same cupboard that the mice use as their “condo.” He had given me a glide-out trash can for Christmas (I know. lol) to go in this cupboard. We’ll see how it works if (when) the mice get in again.

While he’s been busy with chores and tools, I’ve been catching up on the farm bookwork. I’m 90% done with 2009! As I’m filing receipts, I’ve been fine-tuning my files so we can find specific items more easily.

I also did a little sewing on the autumn table runner. It is my first Stash Busting project for 2010. My goal this year is to see how many projects I can complete or make entirely from my stash. I have enough fabric, patterns, books, batting, backing, embellishments, thread, rulers, and sewing machines, that I shouldn’t have to buy anything this year. That doesn’t mean, I won’t want to buy some new fabric. *grin*

I also tried a new whole grain bread recipe today from Cook’s Illustrated. It was not a success. I’m not sure if it’s because I got interrupted several times in the process of mixing up the dough or if my home-milled wheat flour absorbs more liquid than purchased whole wheat flour? The recipe made two loaves but the dough was very dense from the start, and the loaves never really raised well and baked into bricks. I guess the birds will be happy for a few days. I’ll try the recipe again when I get more 7-grain hot cereal.

Another diversion to the snow and cold has been the Wii. This evening I tried Bowling for the first time. I don’t want to brag, but let’s just say, in this household, Women Rule at Wii Bowling!

So I can’t say we’re bored, exactly; but we are getting a little stir-crazy. We are both so very thankful for our warm home, our shelter and refuge, heat, food and all the entertainment we have available. And we’ll be happy to see other real live people and do something besides chores, work, being home. The Big City calls loudly.

But in the mean time, we’ll just continue on. If you don’t see us by June, someone send in the Mounties!

Hugs!
K~

** Most people are about as happy
as they make their minds up to be.
- Abraham Lincoln

Ya'll Come on this cold Sunday

It's a happy day here on the Prairie Farm.
The Blue-eyed Farmer is feeling a lot better than yesterday.

We got the obvious Christmas decorations put away.
I left out the more "wintery" ones for some color and sparkle yet.

And I messed around with these kind of ingredients.

(But not this, because I'm lazy today.)

And went from this.....



to this....

because I have this.

And because it's still like this outside. **sigh**

Which means it's a good day to play with this.

Ya'll can come on over to eat and play too.

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. " ~John Muir

Stalking the Wild Yeasties

Traditional Bread

Ok, maybe I should just say "Sour Dough", although "sour" bread just doesn't do it for me.

I love the internet! I love Bloggers! Today Miss Marielle from Maricucu was featured in the blog "A Year in Bread." Her post was all about her weekly homemade bread made with her home-grown starter. Wild Yeastie starter.

Here is her blog posting on the recipe. (part one)

I'm so intrigued.... wild yeastie starter made of white whole wheat flour and unsweetened pineapple juice?! The technique and recipe for this is here, on BreadTopia . There is a video for you visual people.

Reading through the comments, I saw that someone used fresh apple juice instead of the pineapple juice. I have a juicer! I have Apples!! I'm going to try that version first. I have white whole wheat flour too.

Tomorrow I will start the 5 day process of catching Wild Yeasties. Stay tuned....

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Bread deals with living things, with giving life,
with growth, with the seed, the grain that nurtures.
Its not coincidence that we say bread is the staff of life."
Lionel Poilne

No-Knead Bread

(The extras for the Olive-Garlic-Parmesan-Rosemary version. I can't wait to eat this one!)

Happy Sunday Afternoon, Dear Readers!

The sun is shining, the temperature is 32° & the snow is slowly melting, I had a great time at church this morning and did I say the sun is shining?

I'm sorry I missed out on the Chili Cook-off at church today. It smelled wonderful but my poor Farmer is down with Another sinus infection. I really hated to leave but there will be a next time. We both are more than ready for Spring!

The No-Knead Bread has been baked and sampled. The first try was good but I know I can improve. The bottom crust was a tiny bit scorched and it was a bit, too springy of a dough? The second try of the original recipe is fermenting now. And the first try of the Olive-Garlic-Parmesan-Rosemary version is proofing the final time and will be baked this afternoon.

The recipe is from the January 2008 issue of Cook's Illustrated. (http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=11841)
The site will probably ask you to log in, but you can sign up for a 14-day trial. I did subscribe because I go to that site all the time. It is a wealth of information. I have stopped my regular subscription and just get the bound yearly editions.

Farmer-dear really liked it and it makes great toast. Not your normal store-bought bread type of toast but more intense and with more gusto.

I will also be making 2 more loaves of my usual Honey-Wheatberry Bread tomorrow. I cooked up the wheatberries yesterday. I could do it today but I'm heading down to the sewing room in a few minutes. Or I'm going to sit in the sun in my chair and read. One way or another, I'm going to be happy.

Have a great afternoon!
Hugs,
Kay~
**“The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight.” ~M. F. K. Fisher (1908-1992)


Find the recipe and my photos on My Recipe Blog HERE.

Life in late winter, In the Prairie Kitchen and more Frugality

"Life" on the Prairie-Farm

The "girls"

Mama & Baby #292

She really was not happy with me at all.
This was taken from about 100 feet away and she still was glaring at me.

First Baby of 2009

Go ahead and say it, "Awwwwwwwww~~"
Isn't she just the cutest thing?

"Thistle"

There is beauty, even in the "dead of winter."

---

In the Prairie Kitchen:

We're baking again in the Prairie Kitchen. I made a full batch of THIS BREAD on Sunday, 2 loaves. One in the freezer for possible gifting and one almost gone now. (what is it, Tuesday? How can it be almost gone? Oh yeah, I've had about 7 slices. )
Anyway.... I am mixing up The New Bread (No Knead Dutch Oven Bread) this afternoon. The Olive, Rosemary, Parmesan variation has me very intrigued. This bread calls for 12oz of lager. It was a bit embarrassing to remember I had a 6-pack of beer in my cart yesterday when I ran into an old neighbor who has no idea why I'd be buying beer except to drink it. Which I don't. And I didn't even think about it or that I should have explained. oh well.... maybe it added to their dinner conversation.
I thinking the regular version of the bread with Fluffy Orange Butter sounds wonderful.

I have been using the French Vanilla Creamer in my morning oatmeal. I only need a little bit, cut with much more milk, or it's wayyyyyy tooooo sweet for me. The French Onion Dip has been tossed. It just wasn't working it's way into any of our meals.

Farmer-dear has been making his favorite 1000 Island Dressing. We had all the ingredients so, Another savings! I will be digging out my dressing recipes for Dorothy Lynch (it's a Nebraska thing!) and Raspberry Vinegrette. I have some Splenda I need to use up (don't like it as a normal sweetner) and I think it will work in this.

This is tonight's supper:

Carolyn's Bacon Tater Crockpot Breakfast
1 pound pkg. frozen tater tot potatoes
1/2 lb. Canadian bacon
2 onions, chopped
1 and 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk (I used skim... no difference)
2 TBSP flour
salt and pepper to taste.

In crockpot, layer ingredients in order... one third of the tater tots, bacon, onions, and cheeses. Repeat layers two more times, ending with the cheeses.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk and flour until combined... season with salt and pepper if desired. Pour mixture over layers in crockpot. Cover, cook on low for 7 or 8 hours.
Will serve 6 - 8.

I used dried onions as I wasn't in the mood to chop up onions at 8 a.m. And I think using the sandwich sized Canadian Bacon would be better than the pizza size that I used. I'll give you a review later on it.


More Frugality

1. Still trying to be frugal but not doing as well as I'd like. I bought a few inexpensive things for the girlies for Valentine's Day. We went out to eat twice over the weekend. It was breakfast both times so at least that was cheaper than a dinner meal out.

I did take a trip to the grocery store for Olives (Feta-stuffed, Garlic-stuffed and Kalamata, they are my guilty pleasure right now....6 sliced up on my salad / dinner meal.); and a few ingredients for the recipe above. We've been eating just salads for dinner lately. Bagged salad is on sale through Tuesday (99¢!) and I want to get more of those 38¢lb bananas. They were really GREEN yesterday.
We're trying to get our 7-9 servings of fruits and veggies in every day. Farmer-dear takes some kind of fruit in his lunch and I've been putting dried cranberries in my oatmeal, baby carrots with my lunch or for afternoon snack and fruit later too.

2. Remember I told you about Playlist.com for free music. I found another site.
http://www.pandora.com/
You can put in a name of an artist, song, types of music and it finds songs that meet the criteria. You can approve songs or disapprove. You can add more than one "station." So far I'm liking the variety. I have some pretty obscure intrumental music likes and it's found plenty to play. Seamless playing without having to rebuffer all the time. (one of my biggest pet peeves with iTunes radio) NAYY, just sharing what I've found.

3. I'm drying pineapple again. When fresh pineapple drops below $3 each, we buy 2 or 3 and I dry it in 2-3" slices for Farmer-dear. It's a healthy (and less expensive) treat for him in the evenings. I use the "ugly" bits & pieces in my evening fruit & yogurt dessert.
We'll continue to do this until the price goes back up. Out of the 2 fruit we got on Sunday, I had a large Tupperware mixing bowl full of slices. Easily 4 large cans worth. A can of pineapple here is close to $3 so I'm definitely saving money.

4. I did start my Cash for Christmas savings. I emptied Farmer's change container (except for the quarters that he uses everyday) and my change plus my loose dollar bills into gallon ziplock bags and have it tucked away so I can add to it every week. When the bag of coins gets full, I'll take it in and get bills. Not sure if I'll open a savings account with it or just put it away here. We'll see...


That's the latest news from the Prairie Farm. I'm off to find some lunch (leftover pizza) and then OMG! SEWING!!! After all, dinner is taken care of and doing laundry is sooooo boring.

Hugs!
Kay~

**"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter."
~e.e. cummings~

Sunday Dinner on the Farm & White Bread Recipe

If you were to come to a Sunday Dinner or a Holiday Dinner at my home, this might be your place setting.

I inherited the china and crystal from my mother-in-law. The china pattern is "Wedding Ring." I'm not sure of the crystal pattern. I love the etching on the goblets. There are also champagne glasses.

I also have some cheap imitation porcelain in a similar pattern. For the little ones to use.

The bread was freshly baked "today." It's my basic white bread that I got from my dear friend Lisa from Georgia (formerly a Nebraska herb & day lily woman, the voice of the "Hello My Baby" flowers and mom to 3 beautiful children and wife to Cosmic-Ray). Rick loves it and grumbles when I try to help us eat healthier and make whole wheat bread.


Lisa's White Bread (for the Bread Machine)

1 1/8 c warmish water
2 Tb/ butter
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tb. sugar
3 1/4 c. bread flour (I just use regular unbleached flour)
1 1/2 Tb. dry milk
1 1/2 tsp. SAF yeast

Load into pan according to manufacturer's directions. I usually just use the dough cycle on my Zohurushi, let it rise once, form and let rise again in the pan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until it is golden brown and the internal temperature is over 185°. Remove from pan and brush with a little butter. Let cool on a rack.

I also have some dishes from my paternal grandmother. My aunts gave the granddaughters each some pieces. I have 2 of these plates. The pattern is "White Rose" and has the name "carv-kraft", 3 diamonds and "BY MARKER" on the back. I don't know much about china or pottery so not sure what this means. I'd like to find a whole set so we can use them daily.

I hope you enjoyed our time setting the table.

Hugs
Kay

** Beauty, truth, friendship, love, creation – these are the great
values of life. We can’t prove them, or explain them, yet they are
the most stable things in our lives.  -- Jesse Herman Holmes