tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65063058977429626372024-03-18T19:01:44.972-06:00Going CountryI was going. Now I'm gone.Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.comBlogger3681125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-12903457814570791782024-03-17T04:30:00.001-06:002024-03-17T04:30:00.129-06:00Snapshots: Flowers and Tea<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So many dainty photos this week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1UI9VWHbRbhUIksd6Px2XOcaenc-PofzT59rRF8MZBjXhlklg6WAJZaIO5rv85s0x4c7hzXwkZikhCYqoK9C6CWMVwCP-84o_84J1-psRtd0VqPtcOsWVVpCMft0jr_WW4fcfjuXYmm6Sp7uDVeXVLSVNa5u95JFyugjgUpbvt6_Tbr7XsU20Zmddn3N/s4000/IMG_20240310_092535303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1UI9VWHbRbhUIksd6Px2XOcaenc-PofzT59rRF8MZBjXhlklg6WAJZaIO5rv85s0x4c7hzXwkZikhCYqoK9C6CWMVwCP-84o_84J1-psRtd0VqPtcOsWVVpCMft0jr_WW4fcfjuXYmm6Sp7uDVeXVLSVNa5u95JFyugjgUpbvt6_Tbr7XsU20Zmddn3N/s320/IMG_20240310_092535303.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Buds on the apricot tree, which turned into . . .</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8aG4urmXcZMxky2WDk2SqVqW4i81x0-qVKirr9oHD1fCo9TXkwRea_E9eZneAN5AdS94zEedRNOvv-ttHxi_TI9DAKjAeC4islC0zFOIs0XiMDOvjew4Ts7jM5fqYiF7YyYvXS9m9irUE1fWWMN_RtCXQAdHaCKM-WZ0baWyjJrrw8qQ7M6-dy-0leLT/s4000/IMG_20240313_115453169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8aG4urmXcZMxky2WDk2SqVqW4i81x0-qVKirr9oHD1fCo9TXkwRea_E9eZneAN5AdS94zEedRNOvv-ttHxi_TI9DAKjAeC4islC0zFOIs0XiMDOvjew4Ts7jM5fqYiF7YyYvXS9m9irUE1fWWMN_RtCXQAdHaCKM-WZ0baWyjJrrw8qQ7M6-dy-0leLT/s320/IMG_20240313_115453169.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Flowers on the apricot tree.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately, it's unlikely there will ever be many apricots on the apricot tree. We usually get a bad freeze or wind storm that kills off the blooms or tiny apricots. But you never know! This may be our year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, in the mechanic's-pit bulb garden . . .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4Sf-QSUN_e8JqVYwcfQ9XAWRN2u2l-X4xy2fLr1S7XvnFBa1s67zIBDLIt1zQuaw3rQcBBOVFYO98TVT8kvpfInLTLvjSv1bjmmoYdO-UOZg39Y4g9zqmmLvqJPyMcWH35V7wnXljMXKrbw8OvBv_m_AC62bHIyR6HLO1zJZLUUpv2_IcMQ68VTybUQA/s4000/IMG_20240313_115405621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4Sf-QSUN_e8JqVYwcfQ9XAWRN2u2l-X4xy2fLr1S7XvnFBa1s67zIBDLIt1zQuaw3rQcBBOVFYO98TVT8kvpfInLTLvjSv1bjmmoYdO-UOZg39Y4g9zqmmLvqJPyMcWH35V7wnXljMXKrbw8OvBv_m_AC62bHIyR6HLO1zJZLUUpv2_IcMQ68VTybUQA/s320/IMG_20240313_115405621.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Crocuses!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The children associate the MiL with tea parties. With <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2014/10/worth-waiting-for.html" target="_blank">good reason</a>, as some of you might recall if you've been reading here a long time. (Wookit da widdle baby boys!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So of course, we had to have a tea party while the MiL was here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4D1hDc35FOV3yoXyMaAvCA84aZPDkKJCIPSwjCP5BmlLGG5SBbmG1JltTMRX78dZGytfK3Lt4DTpwjGrk-zBrjlwkWv8EgnlkXryO729hivSQV9aITstcShP7GbHJ665VwYNGrCQVQXqKQw1poNQ8Jca_B_v1QExRjZNhSipxglB7GfxGuG7J1Lxr7FI/s4000/IMG_20240314_122248933_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4D1hDc35FOV3yoXyMaAvCA84aZPDkKJCIPSwjCP5BmlLGG5SBbmG1JltTMRX78dZGytfK3Lt4DTpwjGrk-zBrjlwkWv8EgnlkXryO729hivSQV9aITstcShP7GbHJ665VwYNGrCQVQXqKQw1poNQ8Jca_B_v1QExRjZNhSipxglB7GfxGuG7J1Lxr7FI/s320/IMG_20240314_122248933_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Tea table.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made scones, whipped cream, and strawberry jam*, and also put out cheese and summer sausage for the less-delicate among us who needed a heartier tea.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The mugs you see there are some of my dad-the-former-fighter-pilot's squadron mugs. Definitely not delicate, but fun for the children to use.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There you have it! My life, snapshotted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>* Yes, I actually made the jam. I'll tell you all about that on Tuesday.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-67629636551905757252024-03-15T04:30:00.002-06:002024-03-15T06:24:01.372-06:00Friday Food: Roly Poly Fish Heads<p><b><u>Friday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Fish head chowder, garlic bread</p><p>Long version: There has been a bag of carp heads in our freezer for almost a year now. A. and the children caught the carp when they were fishing, and A. saved the heads to make fish stock.</p><p>What better time for fish soup than Lent, right? Also, I really wanted to get that bag of fish heads out of the freezer. So I thawed them and A. made stock with them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDKiVf9b2cyFOSVnS9e8ZU1lJV4XP3H9JM4rOPl4f4nKdNx00wuxTLgFkNhfp22YnhLUvNPviDd4Sgh0jxLS62WVJlBbpSV3AwKBverRihwQqlsCnyAX2bBKCOH080xHRoDnWhLOu7tYkNc3sUN_58e52Dvba2u0d40BWJH2vHHpMOde1jyfwr3LfUBv5/s4000/IMG_20240308_140716019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDKiVf9b2cyFOSVnS9e8ZU1lJV4XP3H9JM4rOPl4f4nKdNx00wuxTLgFkNhfp22YnhLUvNPviDd4Sgh0jxLS62WVJlBbpSV3AwKBverRihwQqlsCnyAX2bBKCOH080xHRoDnWhLOu7tYkNc3sUN_58e52Dvba2u0d40BWJH2vHHpMOde1jyfwr3LfUBv5/s320/IMG_20240308_140716019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Finny stock in process.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Despite the gruesome-looking pot, the stock came out well. Not very fishy at all. The rest of the chowder consisted of a few random tilapia fillets that had also been in the freezer awhile, caramelized onions from the freezer, diced potatoes, milk, and cream. It was really pretty good, even for those of us who don't much care for fish.</div><p>The one child who didn't want to eat it did eat at least few bites, and then mostly garlic bread. Which is fine.</p><p>If you are unfamiliar with the title of the song that I used as the title of this post, you can see the lyric video for it <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9NCFJVakK8" target="_blank">here</a>, along with some really unappetizing photos of, well, fish heads. Really weird song, and I have no idea why I know it.</p><p><b><u>Saturday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Elk stir-fry, rice</p><p>Long version: One bag of elk stir-fry meat, the rest of the broccoli we got from commodities, some bell peppers I had, carrots, green peas, onion and garlic.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMvZ1MbhIEHV0iyOUhUdmPnBI7TjFIe4SRH78yg8SLQU7tpeUZLhcuX-wgr0XOm5v0ucgE89udp7uUDeZumckDn5hljJMeMuAtGq_Evue6Gbq_7otxdUMT5wLUEmeJJItvvjatN1ZFkrlUMFTTZNsvEVloR-y1PeJYmwyXmw1ZcUG1Yiny0pyWwKB9anq/s4000/IMG_20240309_175000511.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMvZ1MbhIEHV0iyOUhUdmPnBI7TjFIe4SRH78yg8SLQU7tpeUZLhcuX-wgr0XOm5v0ucgE89udp7uUDeZumckDn5hljJMeMuAtGq_Evue6Gbq_7otxdUMT5wLUEmeJJItvvjatN1ZFkrlUMFTTZNsvEVloR-y1PeJYmwyXmw1ZcUG1Yiny0pyWwKB9anq/s320/IMG_20240309_175000511.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Obligatory stir-fry beauty shot. It didn't look quite so photogenic after it had the brown sauce on it. Tasted better, though.</i></div><p><b><u>Sunday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Pork, cornbread, green salad with vinaigrette, rice pudding</p><p>Long version: Big ole pork butt, cooked until tender, shredded, then broiled with mustard and maple syrup. </p><p>Do I make this every time we have company? Yes. And everyone likes it. Or if they don't, they're too polite to tell me.</p><p>I also pretty much always make rice pudding when I have the oven on that long for the pork. It's getting warmer, and the days of slow-cooking in the oven are going to end soon, so we should all enjoy rice pudding while we can.</p><p><b><u>Monday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Sausage, leftover chowder, leftover rice, leftover cornbread, green peas, chocolate ice cream</p><p>Long version: We had quite a lot of the fish chowder left, which about half the family ate. They also had sausage if they wanted it--I cooked andouille and plain smoked--and then a choice of rice or cornbread. Or both.</p><p><b><u>Tuesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Traveling food, tortillas with pork and cheese</p><p>Long version: This was the day we went to <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2024/03/chimayo.html" target="_blank">Chimayo</a>, so we were traveling all day. I brought all the leftover sausage, cheese, bread, mustard, a small jar of peanut butter, a quart bag full of carrot sticks, raisins, apples, oranges, and two sleeves of crackers. </p><p>The kids wanted to eat at the Mexican restaurant right across the plaza from the church, so we did that. That was at around 3 p.m. I thought maybe this very late lunch/early dinner would prevent the usual voracious consumption of any and all food in the car on the way home. It did not. By the time we got home, the only thing left was half the jar of peanut butter. And they were still all complaining of being hungry.</p><p>So when we got home at 7:30 p.m., I microwaved corn tortillas with corn, leftover pork, and salsa to feed the hordes.</p><p><b><u>Wednesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Pork tacos with homemade tortillas, chili beans, pureed squash</p><p>Long version: There was quite a lot of pork left, so I made corn tortillas and fried the rest of pork with spices for a filling. I had one bag of chili beans in the freezer, which I pulled out to thaw. While I was doing that, I saw the bag of pureed squash that was also in the freezer and also took that out, because the MiL, who was still here, likes squash a lot.</p><p><b><u>Thursday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Bull Big Macs, oven fries, squash</p><p>Long version: A. ground twelve pounds of yet more bull meat on Monday. I used some of it to make cheeseburgers this night. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegUSXFQy36x3rRGyCEquLQMDhohtNywGRYyEJlZEmhJhkJCEQM0KfCywbo64z7hPP9J0QwQ-EgYKZQSN2gAKKej9Y_SJ_eH_lH86R42RjOocaznjP9LQYWhruqn0xl5oZ5sQbQPUItHMb3oarNM7acmpVaB9Z_kzJdZ94PfUx3zEuoNH8mTv2x2WGVCGi/s4000/IMG_20240314_172742900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegUSXFQy36x3rRGyCEquLQMDhohtNywGRYyEJlZEmhJhkJCEQM0KfCywbo64z7hPP9J0QwQ-EgYKZQSN2gAKKej9Y_SJ_eH_lH86R42RjOocaznjP9LQYWhruqn0xl5oZ5sQbQPUItHMb3oarNM7acmpVaB9Z_kzJdZ94PfUx3zEuoNH8mTv2x2WGVCGi/s320/IMG_20240314_172742900.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The only challenge with using the big griddle pan is that there's no lid to melt the cheese. Which is why I use an inverted skillet.</i></div><p>A. had asked if it would be possible to make the same kind of sauce that Mcdonald's uses on Big Macs.</p><p>Why, yes. And <a href="https://www.daringgourmet.com/big-mac-sauce/" target="_blank">here's the recipe</a> I followed. I didn't have any pickle relish, so I just diced up some dill pickles. I also used the optional ketchup, because I thought it tasted right that way. Not that I'm a great authority on McDonald's. I haven't had a Big Mac in probably twenty years.</p><p>I was also making bread this day, so I made hamburger buns as well. The only thing missing for an authentic Big Mac experience was tomato slices. Well, and the fact that they weren't gross because I used good meat, cheese, buns, and toppings.</p><p>Refrigerator check!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtIjut3xl-IDs5yh5iXVyljR8LJ0lJsoFYZBTPU3IdVp8zn6AGLwk7QTksg78du7c_X9wKCMa38SRwYY_tTTnz8yIohn1M_A_eShpRjDy04HkEP38Rr6riq64rsHHS1-i5au-7TQyjty6jrFmzYkvRY70dOewjZ0bHpuHsmDVbXo1dK1qGMO4lVRH17RC/s4000/IMG_20240314_183732015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtIjut3xl-IDs5yh5iXVyljR8LJ0lJsoFYZBTPU3IdVp8zn6AGLwk7QTksg78du7c_X9wKCMa38SRwYY_tTTnz8yIohn1M_A_eShpRjDy04HkEP38Rr6riq64rsHHS1-i5au-7TQyjty6jrFmzYkvRY70dOewjZ0bHpuHsmDVbXo1dK1qGMO4lVRH17RC/s320/IMG_20240314_183732015.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lotta empty space in there.</i></div><div><br /></div>Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?<br /><p><br /></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-53308987316697753932024-03-13T14:06:00.007-06:002024-03-13T14:43:25.266-06:00Chimayo<p>We have returned! Intentions have been prayed for*! Wow, that was a LONG DAY!</p><p>Let's see how it went, shall we?</p><p>I was shooting for an 8 a.m. departure, and finally managed to get everyone in the van at 8:15. Not bad.</p><p>A. is a great proponent of the backroads style of road tripping. That is, he avoids freeways if possible. It is possible to avoid the freeways to get to Chimayo, if you're willing to drive winding mountain roads. That is what we did to get there.</p><p>This route brought us to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/foun/index.htm" target="_blank">Fort Union</a>, which was supposed to be a field trip destination for the elementary children a couple of years ago when the wildfires closed it down. </p><p>There are very extensive ruins to explore, but I stayed with the non-ambulatory child at the (quite thorough) little museum while A. took the others to run amongst the ruins.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNqljnVJK5og5hf6gwliJJNHsf1c0-c1zh4JOpJni3kpoQlxB9EnDrM6ugmZ0Dn5SWMeZ4oSPvr0AQWyi68f3C2e6E9_hLwNwj0e47sLNbKbj5fTWM0WPJlQE_RIa9Y2sAowL9AVcxBgbZTVzXk0kB097_AHQlRx6qwgDNVxgsAfDPsfY1A4WIlDisXds/s4000/IMG_20240312_095108110.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwNqljnVJK5og5hf6gwliJJNHsf1c0-c1zh4JOpJni3kpoQlxB9EnDrM6ugmZ0Dn5SWMeZ4oSPvr0AQWyi68f3C2e6E9_hLwNwj0e47sLNbKbj5fTWM0WPJlQE_RIa9Y2sAowL9AVcxBgbZTVzXk0kB097_AHQlRx6qwgDNVxgsAfDPsfY1A4WIlDisXds/s320/IMG_20240312_095108110.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>These smaller ruins are right when you drive in. The rest of them are farther back and require a lot of walking.</i></div><p>Then it was back in the van for a rather, um, nauseating ride. At least, for those of us in the back. I had been sitting in the middle seat with two of the children, but had to switch with one of the children who was all the way in the back and found the curvy road to be too much for his stomach.</p><p>I had to admit, though, that the nausea was worth it for the spectacular views.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyMjEIa3g6Rkwn77WPBhEudanQv5ZXKocFgY-SLUwGpWUgK27DYk9LeBndqACXz0zlM8xIMW9AR96v4ag99iETZaf3QgdCzT1Oyb8SaMcLhASJ4U-lImnZP6GQRC-to2pNCLVjAWuawqxix_TRKfbnQp6p4mBhZp8i0LDM-1xxtb93dQGA2w6Cs7D3oQb/s4000/IMG_20240312_130552035_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyMjEIa3g6Rkwn77WPBhEudanQv5ZXKocFgY-SLUwGpWUgK27DYk9LeBndqACXz0zlM8xIMW9AR96v4ag99iETZaf3QgdCzT1Oyb8SaMcLhASJ4U-lImnZP6GQRC-to2pNCLVjAWuawqxix_TRKfbnQp6p4mBhZp8i0LDM-1xxtb93dQGA2w6Cs7D3oQb/s320/IMG_20240312_130552035_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This was the best photo I could get of them from my seat in the back.</i></div><p>We stopped one more time, in <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/las_trampas_and_san_jose_de_gracia_church.html" target="_blank">Trampas</a>, to see the church there and to eat lunch. Construction on this church started in 1760, which makes the church older than the country in which it currently sits.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh7I6kvEpCo-68tiDaWiSxIFscQZHGa991xIeikwcbv7kajN_L852i90EkzaDahC63g9gTjejKoGnU7iQ-y-xs3RuEKVKypezZNrKQWYevS_1olyUGEvC83PEBI63-8HENN2gYsy1kNMNWXScXuiWyl-XlPlhbG8FpMlXySQfvOSaUt6ALhW3ZJvA5yMg/s4000/IMG_20240312_122013158_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh7I6kvEpCo-68tiDaWiSxIFscQZHGa991xIeikwcbv7kajN_L852i90EkzaDahC63g9gTjejKoGnU7iQ-y-xs3RuEKVKypezZNrKQWYevS_1olyUGEvC83PEBI63-8HENN2gYsy1kNMNWXScXuiWyl-XlPlhbG8FpMlXySQfvOSaUt6ALhW3ZJvA5yMg/s320/IMG_20240312_122013158_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>We couldn't go in, but I did admire the door.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After lunch eaten standing around the van--sausage and cheese sandwiches--we all piled back in for the last part of the trip to Chimayo. Everyone was VERY over driving at this point, as we had been traveling for five hours already.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After turning off the main road in Chimayo, everyone but me and the non-ambulatory child got out to walk the rest of the way to the church. I drove the van the rest of the way and met them there when they arrived. They were disappointed because what I thought was about a three-mile walk, based on the maps I had seen, ended up being only about a mile. They did not consider this a sufficient distance for a real pilgrimage, but given the amount of traffic on the road before we turned off, I think it's still as far as we would have wanted them to walk.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Coming up from the parking area is kind of confusing, because the church itself is above you. All we saw at first was a garden area with lots of statues and an open area with an altar and benches where they celebrate Mass outside sometimes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRUd-IVeAs3ot3P3__h2ty4igacWRdHV4mmxZTb-mIuld6U4jfBwZoRUjeN-R9PgpluRmnOxVjGf7x3nfqiIJTgZFkVo7rsGTSYnMWmuADhfcyj9xwB10CTYBXNmc_nkIl4XPUq-ex1TazFiDxJyNRmEGTwngZxKkKtuGma2ZZaOn3Y4Wx1dMsmRdp-Am/s4000/IMG_20240312_152243366.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRUd-IVeAs3ot3P3__h2ty4igacWRdHV4mmxZTb-mIuld6U4jfBwZoRUjeN-R9PgpluRmnOxVjGf7x3nfqiIJTgZFkVo7rsGTSYnMWmuADhfcyj9xwB10CTYBXNmc_nkIl4XPUq-ex1TazFiDxJyNRmEGTwngZxKkKtuGma2ZZaOn3Y4Wx1dMsmRdp-Am/s320/IMG_20240312_152243366.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtS3QCdS7V6yC_Ka6MuuVV72Be5HdJjkoPmGEM6DHiGsVpeFkxfRXlBAuK-Udi47raW5f9l7N_0K2OisxaiCo69pnz1eLQaY_Rpw-eljVuhyphenhyphenmeIwnTABLrLfvXNKAZETD72t9W6rVhWOPz5KD1AYdnVfq502MJKMnBIn4jU-Grsi-MYD-oUrA-LwifAmi/s4000/IMG_20240312_152456134.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtS3QCdS7V6yC_Ka6MuuVV72Be5HdJjkoPmGEM6DHiGsVpeFkxfRXlBAuK-Udi47raW5f9l7N_0K2OisxaiCo69pnz1eLQaY_Rpw-eljVuhyphenhyphenmeIwnTABLrLfvXNKAZETD72t9W6rVhWOPz5KD1AYdnVfq502MJKMnBIn4jU-Grsi-MYD-oUrA-LwifAmi/s320/IMG_20240312_152456134.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Zb-aFNN_BiMlk6IAV92L1hSH_9D8jVSA3Aylp1M2KpPrS8fqiPBCc2EStMr6OUtmTLKr1EEI_39J0EBrSZUrj19kkmkbx7kSlIdIxI88O8z0Pe0kZlmHmYjFSc0ZROWVgDp0900Usy1F4YUuPvQRCDYzJxvwREXSsyFu_y7VKwLryZKwwjjEeA-UOzfV/s4000/IMG_20240312_152753176.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Zb-aFNN_BiMlk6IAV92L1hSH_9D8jVSA3Aylp1M2KpPrS8fqiPBCc2EStMr6OUtmTLKr1EEI_39J0EBrSZUrj19kkmkbx7kSlIdIxI88O8z0Pe0kZlmHmYjFSc0ZROWVgDp0900Usy1F4YUuPvQRCDYzJxvwREXSsyFu_y7VKwLryZKwwjjEeA-UOzfV/s320/IMG_20240312_152753176.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This side of the garden area runs along a stream, which is always very exciting to see here in dry New Mexico.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also in this part, there was a giant old tree that died. Instead of cutting it all the way down, though, they cut it so maybe twenty feet of it is still standing. This is being carved into a depiction of Jesus' Ascencion, according to the artist, who was working while we were there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m7gYBNx2zPp-k7gGMs7Es5XfpOglY1lgwvexjrAoRTXD7rr8BW1VAWQQ-w1P6GJmDFjOU0uHskyx32Tk4fZaCjk75Bp0QG0YZFRjF5VZEj4IkuLswNarHIPSqHWq9Bo-ges-03OD-47CiKmzffwoaRiGTg3uytyDTaGTOV4oaVvpVOE3XohNNJcIK36l/s4000/IMG_20240312_152715460.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m7gYBNx2zPp-k7gGMs7Es5XfpOglY1lgwvexjrAoRTXD7rr8BW1VAWQQ-w1P6GJmDFjOU0uHskyx32Tk4fZaCjk75Bp0QG0YZFRjF5VZEj4IkuLswNarHIPSqHWq9Bo-ges-03OD-47CiKmzffwoaRiGTg3uytyDTaGTOV4oaVvpVOE3XohNNJcIK36l/s320/IMG_20240312_152715460.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>That's the tree in the background there, with scaffolding around it. The artist was using a chainsaw when we saw him, but I must assume he will use more-delicate tools as his work progresses.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To get to the church itself, we walked up a sort of ramp.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60-U6TgS43NwNSLClarAYQiSMJiNnrSZa1bnHHq9-jtHTA_f8cKX6SHo3N-0dBXqvxtjjlDesug9095RQQjpqO1ab85TrPkhhl_-AiNt28Zhz_wZjwgwM08-HykARrrXDWBtQCYQIZHs4Zr1K3R4c6AVF0_V89iS3ri0w9MQt1HHYB8thVRtaT51GQqdy/s4000/IMG_20240312_151955067.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60-U6TgS43NwNSLClarAYQiSMJiNnrSZa1bnHHq9-jtHTA_f8cKX6SHo3N-0dBXqvxtjjlDesug9095RQQjpqO1ab85TrPkhhl_-AiNt28Zhz_wZjwgwM08-HykARrrXDWBtQCYQIZHs4Zr1K3R4c6AVF0_V89iS3ri0w9MQt1HHYB8thVRtaT51GQqdy/s320/IMG_20240312_151955067.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><i>The ramp is to the left of this magnificent door. I'm not sure what was behind this door. There was a notable lack of informational materials at this site.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigb1muzM_JGrrHMh90pfzRLG0VpsWtlHDWYXumkFTHeKiVSAtZAh5GxkslXom3h2ugS2EXisKCUDopPM43OagG00fHY0VIiqw2feIN3nBqUlMBz4C2W37Zs52NgbwA3AkQ9xfQx2aIWxuNyLCzGPn0MbiLzEWo9h8JgE6MAYUay1gPBvlW3TyN4dV2nIDa/s4000/IMG_20240312_151947968.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigb1muzM_JGrrHMh90pfzRLG0VpsWtlHDWYXumkFTHeKiVSAtZAh5GxkslXom3h2ugS2EXisKCUDopPM43OagG00fHY0VIiqw2feIN3nBqUlMBz4C2W37Zs52NgbwA3AkQ9xfQx2aIWxuNyLCzGPn0MbiLzEWo9h8JgE6MAYUay1gPBvlW3TyN4dV2nIDa/s320/IMG_20240312_151947968.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Up we go . . .</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The church is quite small and not particularly architecturally appealing from the outside. This is true of most adobe churches. They look like mud-covered mounds, mostly. There was a very nice archway leading into the church courtyard, with a rose climbing over it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqR21FSjiKFf02QGzg8xPvAcV-onjsezbu3rLIRQCXI0gCdYOMQiMx7JIV17xVASMSA1IrLT8cy-XCChZyGv-xxDK2naBVrYuZubpWS-aevDEWuhpQxdSNOe_a6PoHtnlDDoiA0_z_a1QT9Z-ORyag-meDYE_vUoubPK3eTDxj6p-EACC3yTAgWLtQlYb/s4000/IMG_20240312_134252525.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqR21FSjiKFf02QGzg8xPvAcV-onjsezbu3rLIRQCXI0gCdYOMQiMx7JIV17xVASMSA1IrLT8cy-XCChZyGv-xxDK2naBVrYuZubpWS-aevDEWuhpQxdSNOe_a6PoHtnlDDoiA0_z_a1QT9Z-ORyag-meDYE_vUoubPK3eTDxj6p-EACC3yTAgWLtQlYb/s320/IMG_20240312_134252525.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No photos are permitted in the sanctuary, which is as it should be, in my opinion. The style of the church was very much like other old adobe churches I've been in. They're all narrow and long, with wood vaulting at the ceiling. Most are painted in a folk art style, with bright colors, especially on the altar. This one was, as well.</div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This style of decoration is not my favorite. However, I do always appreciate the sacrifice of these people, most of them desperately poor, who spent so much time and probably some of their scarce money to build these churches.</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Chimayo is known for its holy dirt, which sounds like a joke, but I assure you it is not. There is a small room off the main sanctuary that has a dirt floor. There is a hole in the floor, with trowels in it, and people go there to dig up the dirt and rub it on whatever it is they need healed. This room used to be accessed through the sanctuary, but now there's an outside door to it, no doubt to mitigate the traffic in the sanctuary.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The room leading into the dirt room is lined with photos of people who have requested prayers for healing, as well as walls of crutches left by those who have been healed. In fact, there are photos all over the site, with signs asking for prayers for everyone in those photos. Although I did say a general prayer for everyone in the photos, I must admit that I couldn't study them in any detail. Too heavy to dwell on for too long.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">All of the children said they wished we could have been there for Mass--daily Masses are at 11 a.m.--and I had originally thought we would do that. It didn't work out on this trip, but we'll probably go back for that. Maybe in the summer. You may have noticed the trees all over. I would like to see the site when there are leaves on all the trees.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ate a very late lunch at the Mexican restaurant right across from the church, and then got back in the van. This time we went back mostly on freeways, through Santa Fe. This brought us through the town of Santa Cruz. There was a sign pointing to the old plaza and church, which of course we had to go see. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unsurprisingly, it was an adobe church. A very large adobe church by the name of <a href="https://fourcornersgeotourism.com/entries/santa-cruz-de-la-canada-church/9dcaa532-482a-48a9-8ab8-a070c159b0fb" target="_blank">Santa Cruz de la Canada</a>. We couldn't go in, which was a shame, because I looked up photos of the interior later, and it is spectacular. Construction of this church began in 1733, although it was extensively restored in the late 1800s.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibph3DgtrRNj8rSIl5zirPsCAAeyTFjyR5HW-Wstr_69Ws_3mr1dVCmk1V7TJ0Qdk4onjepOlkwy9keVbbWxekyfgEuoSotQ3rwxHiGYUPNsNTexWnqaoBP25zLV-W4nZ-Gq6k-gzLz0egPGScHrOfXQR0mcJQGQvP55lXHyJnmUbcBC0g3vEbyENUhj0_/s4000/IMG_20240312_160408517_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibph3DgtrRNj8rSIl5zirPsCAAeyTFjyR5HW-Wstr_69Ws_3mr1dVCmk1V7TJ0Qdk4onjepOlkwy9keVbbWxekyfgEuoSotQ3rwxHiGYUPNsNTexWnqaoBP25zLV-W4nZ-Gq6k-gzLz0egPGScHrOfXQR0mcJQGQvP55lXHyJnmUbcBC0g3vEbyENUhj0_/s320/IMG_20240312_160408517_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>There were men working in the front of it, so this is the only photo I took of it.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were pretty maxed out on stops at this point, and it was getting kind of late, so we just went home after this. Everyone was very glad to get out of the car when we did get home around 7:30 p.m., but they all agree we should go back, so I guess it was worth the drive for them.</div></div><p><i>* Several of you are dealing with some very heavy things, and I am very sorry to hear that.</i> </p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-24663413924494469342024-03-12T05:34:00.001-06:002024-03-12T05:34:13.788-06:00Road Trip!<p>We're on Spring Break! Hooray! </p><p>Also, the MiL is visiting for the week. The confluence of these events inspired me to suggest a road trip.</p><p>This is very out of character for me. I do not like driving long distances--unfortunate, given our location--and I really don't like driving long distances with all of my children. At least one of those children hates the car and has since he was an infant, which is challenging.</p><p>But I do really want to see Chimayo.</p><p><a href="https://www.holychimayo.us/" target="_blank">Chimayo</a> (accent and spoken emphasis on the "o") is a somewhat famous Catholic pilgrimage site in the mountains north of Santa Fe. During Holy Week--the week leading up to Easter--many thousands of people travel there, some walking for days, some on their knees.</p><p>I want nothing to do with those sorts of crowds, but I did think it would be an appropriate place to visit in Lent.</p><p>It's going to take us probably a bit over three hours to get there. The plan is to stop where we turn off the main road and unload everyone who can walk so they can do a mini-pilgrimage to the church. It's about three miles, which I think is about as far as our youngest family member will want to be a pilgrim. I'll drive the one child who can't walk the rest of the way.</p><p>Despite the distance and the no doubt unhappy children we will have at some point during the day, I am looking forward to it. And I promise to take some pictures and tell you all about it tomorrow. Or possibly the next day, depending on how long it takes me to recover.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TpTxQedGfq-d2ReH3J2lLODwQ8giGpmx93EhbzCgk6TM8zTtdgZd1ZHHau19ABt7-7vHHHAk8wjku2iP0_8r8vx2QQxo6ShvZVpQJfPDb8CkU75y1XRX94BFiwiw4qXIA0N4qsMt55PAXMIjTlx-_PtXzRju6BeOZhI7vhWc6R7jXeIjTPN6NX9RMVIX/s4000/IMG_20240310_091200060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TpTxQedGfq-d2ReH3J2lLODwQ8giGpmx93EhbzCgk6TM8zTtdgZd1ZHHau19ABt7-7vHHHAk8wjku2iP0_8r8vx2QQxo6ShvZVpQJfPDb8CkU75y1XRX94BFiwiw4qXIA0N4qsMt55PAXMIjTlx-_PtXzRju6BeOZhI7vhWc6R7jXeIjTPN6NX9RMVIX/s320/IMG_20240310_091200060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The photo is totally appropriate to the topic at hand, because that's our church behind the rusty racks, boards, and barbed wire on the F-250 that I had to drive on Sunday.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>P.S. We will, of course, be taking some time in the sanctuary to pray. So if you have any intentions you would like me to pray for, go ahead and put them in the comments, anonymously if you want, and I'll do that.</i></div><p><br /></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-37214047054606287182024-03-10T04:30:00.001-06:002024-03-10T04:30:00.183-06:00Snapshots: Sneaky Winter<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I woke up Friday morning to this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrMlySthyphenhypheniq-aH3nVn2_w8IWHkQiNzR7-cEpWGyga-3wts0Yn2A1L7mShzoed_N6YJeB-Wp9Nu4QB7PPinOQEO9yDPCTWad_25-ZmWRew4AvksD_kEQ7lh9jTllAnaKU049q45k69U3GOl8rixYRiC3cMzaiqceuRQWRLPwc3w2oXPAuw22fLOiMdDo8X/s4000/IMG_20240308_063031776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrMlySthyphenhypheniq-aH3nVn2_w8IWHkQiNzR7-cEpWGyga-3wts0Yn2A1L7mShzoed_N6YJeB-Wp9Nu4QB7PPinOQEO9yDPCTWad_25-ZmWRew4AvksD_kEQ7lh9jTllAnaKU049q45k69U3GOl8rixYRiC3cMzaiqceuRQWRLPwc3w2oXPAuw22fLOiMdDo8X/s320/IMG_20240308_063031776.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Not spring-y.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was very glad we didn't have to go anywhere. It melted pretty quickly after it stopped snowing, because this is March, not January.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been using a random succession of coffee mugs for years, none of which I really loved. They were all just things we had around. After my last coffee mug got broken, I decided to buy one that I really wanted. It had to be big enough--I got a 16-ounce size, although I don't fill it all the way--and the right shape.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAlMn8_3-fup7QzhFSrg7pNYAqUNx9r_StbM470gF3VQHn-s013r0LwjHmIN8hku1Rh_-Ev0aSUcEUr9yLqk0Fylo2Oq0Caz5Jbfkaomc8TVLfr9eNVnn5Msnonr0LKh42VFnrowp5q4Dp9mbNGAkZaCCZwLGyly0Amnr18Zb3WJidGPIGCOQkZebsYGW/s4000/IMG_20240308_050020082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAlMn8_3-fup7QzhFSrg7pNYAqUNx9r_StbM470gF3VQHn-s013r0LwjHmIN8hku1Rh_-Ev0aSUcEUr9yLqk0Fylo2Oq0Caz5Jbfkaomc8TVLfr9eNVnn5Msnonr0LKh42VFnrowp5q4Dp9mbNGAkZaCCZwLGyly0Amnr18Zb3WJidGPIGCOQkZebsYGW/s320/IMG_20240308_050020082.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Perfect.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I like that shape because the slighly narrower neck keeps the coffee hot a bit longer. It's also narrow enough that my small hands can grip around that part.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love it. It makes me happy every morning. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Poppy requested a somewhat involved hairstyle this week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeP_6T-N6BBsNDowKblGRPsaHDnePr43-8QvByMfNm55ixJcYznPJY59DhJkokhGAehuGzhuhZtXammEdsSK8fzsS_l6th09C0QB9aN7C4HMLmFkwqNjZ9U3mjqzLzFq6OiHAscW8qKL6VJVTJ5-67fAoXGaL5tqT3zpTVaHhwnY7tw0ghRL2Aq-mHBso/s4000/IMG_20240307_064935991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeP_6T-N6BBsNDowKblGRPsaHDnePr43-8QvByMfNm55ixJcYznPJY59DhJkokhGAehuGzhuhZtXammEdsSK8fzsS_l6th09C0QB9aN7C4HMLmFkwqNjZ9U3mjqzLzFq6OiHAscW8qKL6VJVTJ5-67fAoXGaL5tqT3zpTVaHhwnY7tw0ghRL2Aq-mHBso/s320/IMG_20240307_064935991.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Pigtails turned braids turned buns.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unsurprisingly, her hair was not still in this style when she got home. She had taken all this out and had put it in a ponytail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And last, I substituted in the phrase-cube classroom on Tuesday. This was my phrase for the day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_lsNcrSnxLNTI3M9OulIB9u2tZ7Os1aQEks-GjKf1oOOR-PRTqaBGjKGwXdggr1W7-bH-MJ3Cw53uqDaiVUpvDGgBsuT5rOzGsCwXV_I4dqYRsHaCr45N1evNKWzNMyWxDYmSiwbUA5_vXFExdjZBsSWI6mPTpPO7ZkujVe1tPVU84Nj023P0ZydG-UN/s4000/IMG_20240305_144046800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_lsNcrSnxLNTI3M9OulIB9u2tZ7Os1aQEks-GjKf1oOOR-PRTqaBGjKGwXdggr1W7-bH-MJ3Cw53uqDaiVUpvDGgBsuT5rOzGsCwXV_I4dqYRsHaCr45N1evNKWzNMyWxDYmSiwbUA5_vXFExdjZBsSWI6mPTpPO7ZkujVe1tPVU84Nj023P0ZydG-UN/s320/IMG_20240305_144046800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Representative of my attitude this day, I'm afraid. (And STILL, no comma. Boooo.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There you have it! My life, snapshotted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-63964824561235217342024-03-08T04:30:00.002-07:002024-03-08T05:24:12.494-07:00Friday Food: Many Cheesy Things<p><b><u>Friday</u></b> </p><p>Short version: Scrambled eggs with chili beans and cheese, cornbread, raw broccoli</p><p>Long version: We have a lot of eggs on hand now. Our chickens have started picking up their laying, so we get four or five a day from them. My friend at school with way more chickens has a lot right now, too, so I've been buying them from her.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrQM-H6gySyDi-WJasMBjP3PeYm5_1kY5kFII92kqrH-zwL4X9Q38rudK2UUO3XKyNdmMdUhvkXgP03hT2f0vvIub51xjvVyYQedbOYBTK-NENF1uI7Hw1yt_fIQ7QPBqcKWcklUOUaQLLSSzM1O3KPihy9eomKzFzQHG5wPi-9OtQnaE_RMiTAUrpeOc/s4000/IMG_20240307_163048239.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrQM-H6gySyDi-WJasMBjP3PeYm5_1kY5kFII92kqrH-zwL4X9Q38rudK2UUO3XKyNdmMdUhvkXgP03hT2f0vvIub51xjvVyYQedbOYBTK-NENF1uI7Hw1yt_fIQ7QPBqcKWcklUOUaQLLSSzM1O3KPihy9eomKzFzQHG5wPi-9OtQnaE_RMiTAUrpeOc/s320/IMG_20240307_163048239.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>One day's production from our chickens.</i></div><p>I like having excess eggs. I can preserve the really clean ones <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2023/07/tips-lime-preserving-eggs.html" target="_blank">in lime</a> for future use, and I always have a quick meal at hand when I need one.</p><p>Like this night, when I opted for very easy scrambled eggs. Adding the chili beans and cheese gave them more flavor, though. And I did take the time to make cornbread, so it was slightly more like a dinner and less like breakfast.</p><p><b><u>Saturday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Fried chicken in sandwiches (or not), baked beans, bread and butter, raw radishes</p><p>Long version: We had quite a bit of the grocery-store fried chicken left. Two boys wanted the pickle and mayonnaise sandwiches again. The others had the chicken just re-heated (in the oven, because chicken should never be heated in a microwave) and plain, with the bread and butter.</p><p>We had a lot of beans this week. Because I cooked a lot of beans, both chili beans and baked beans.</p><p><b><u>Sunday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Elk burritos in homemade tortillas, chili beans, custard</p><p>Long version: I had thawed a bag of elk stew meat, but didn't want to make stew. Instead I made basically a chili with it, but cooked it down until it was more saucy than liquidy. That was the filling for the burritos, along with more of the chili beans I already had.</p><p>Because it was Sunday, I took the time to make homemade flour tortillas. I wanted to make them like those translucent ones you can buy from the ladies in Tucson who sell them door to door in apartment complexes and things. I figured the translucence comes from lard. So I used <a href="https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/flour-tortillas-de-harina/" target="_blank">a recipe</a> that called for lard.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwP7_E1RkdPjnuwylNB06rNRwm-Wji16ynYhaGtrlLpIrKilZ-X7n804_FWImphZrRt-2yEAIZQO8pOQPxPQ-HkpSD_Z26E2J-sJ3OCJubIOwusR3mWQHkw3bKhpXa_AgAh9y1_HFayE8AiWnATo8juShyfUU_hZv7RYHoeWMDmvcVwvLQtOCuTmd0TAU/s4000/IMG_20240303_164217270.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwP7_E1RkdPjnuwylNB06rNRwm-Wji16ynYhaGtrlLpIrKilZ-X7n804_FWImphZrRt-2yEAIZQO8pOQPxPQ-HkpSD_Z26E2J-sJ3OCJubIOwusR3mWQHkw3bKhpXa_AgAh9y1_HFayE8AiWnATo8juShyfUU_hZv7RYHoeWMDmvcVwvLQtOCuTmd0TAU/s320/IMG_20240303_164217270.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>They puffed satisfactorily, which is always fun.</i></div><p>They were very good, but not translucent. Needed more lard, I bet.</p><p>I made <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2021/07/tt-custard-for-karen.html" target="_blank">this custard</a>, which I haven't made in awhile. But now is the time for it, because we have lots of eggs.</p><p>I didn't overbake it. Yay.</p><p><b><u>Monday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Elk skillet, more radishes</p><p>Long version: I made rice before I left for work for the child staying home with a sick stomach. When I got home, I used that rice, plus the rest of the chili elk and the last of the chili beans, and grated cheese, to make this skillet meal. </p><p><b><u>Tuesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Bacon and cheese omelets, bread and butter</p><p>Long version: I had to sub this day, and didn't have anything made ahead of time for dinner. Fast eggs again. The omelets also used up the three egg whites left from making the custard. I fried a few pieces of bacon to put in the omelets, which was my great effort for dinner this night.</p><p>I didn't manage a vegetable. Oh well.</p><p><b><u>Wednesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Toasted ham and cheese sandwiches, Snow's clam chowder, apple slices</p><p>Long version: Still working! Still no prepared food! But we did have some deli ham with which to make toasted sandwiches.</p><p>It made A. very happy to sit down to a melty sandwich and Snow's. Incidentally, should you ever feel moved to buy Snow's, make sure to get the condensed kind. You add your own milk to it, which means you're not paying for water in the can, and also you can add whole milk and/or cream to it. This of course makes it better. </p><p>Since I served cheesy sandwiches with the Snow's, I made it with just milk this time.</p><p>And look at me, serving produce! Very proud of myself for cutting up some apples, yes.</p><p><b><u>Thursday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Lamb, mashed potatoes, sauteed zucchini, raw radishes, lemon jello</p><p>Long version: Finally not working, so I had time to make something that did not involve melted cheese. </p><p>The lamb was a boned leg roast that I marinated for a few hours, then browned in a skillet, sliced, and returned to the pan to finish cooking. I also added the rest of the diced onion from burrito night, chopped garlic, apple cider vinegar, and cold butter to make a sauce.</p><p>The zucchini was from commodities. All I did with that was slice it and saute it in olive oil with garlic and salt.</p><p>I made the jello for the most recent child with an upset stomach. I buy lemon juice in bulk, so I pretty much just made lemonade, then added gelatin. I added more this time--five tablespoons of gelatin to about 10 cups of liquid--and it gelled properly this time. This made a very large Pyrex of jello. Luckily, although the child I made it for didn't like it much, the rest of the family did. A. was particularly enthusiastic about it.</p><p>Refrigerator check!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27EYBwlazTlLZFWw_PulpOtwZqTlJ7ZPvVfaaqGp0GJRHx-Mv-dGAJw8hmCA6Ye_eeFcMcZ_7MLnMdbi6AFib2_Sg20sHkLuJXfxdbwBkVY7Y-1Q70AzeqJQ6F7J9GISXNMnCyVADmG8Ulbx8NBoeMJskv_H0PSj_FSDcKFjbIxvSozdtSZu_C84Uj1eX/s4000/IMG_20240307_183313580_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27EYBwlazTlLZFWw_PulpOtwZqTlJ7ZPvVfaaqGp0GJRHx-Mv-dGAJw8hmCA6Ye_eeFcMcZ_7MLnMdbi6AFib2_Sg20sHkLuJXfxdbwBkVY7Y-1Q70AzeqJQ6F7J9GISXNMnCyVADmG8Ulbx8NBoeMJskv_H0PSj_FSDcKFjbIxvSozdtSZu_C84Uj1eX/s320/IMG_20240307_183313580_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Not too empty, actually. We are getting a little low on milk, but A. will be near a grocery store tomorrow.</i></div><p>Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?</p><p><br /></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-8242443886085971322024-03-05T05:55:00.004-07:002024-03-05T06:23:20.079-07:00A.P.D.: Books!<p>I have to sub at school today--today I will be imparting wisdom to the second and third grades--so it seemed like an opportune time for an Audience Participation Day. Also, I have a question for you. Which we will get to at the end.</p><p>So! Let me tell you what I'm reading right now. (Can you guess the question yet? Bet you can.)</p><p>I don't actually have a lot of time or mental energy for reading at the moment, since life seems to be moving at a rather breakneck pace right now. But that doesn't mean I don't read. It just means I usually re-read something.</p><p>I'm a big re-reader. And my favorite books to re-read are my Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters books. I have a couple dozen of the many she wrote during her career, and they're good for re-reading because they don't require a lot of brain power, and are entertaining.</p><p>My current re-read is <i>Houses of Stone</i>, which I must have read at least eight times, if not more.</p><p>The second re-read right now is one I've only read once. I'm re-reading it at work on my lunch breaks. It's <i>97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement</i>, by Jane Ziegleman. It is, as you might have guessed from that very long and descriptive title, a food history book.</p><p>The last thing I'm reading is the Bible. Despite being a reader (obviously), I have never read the entire Bible. I thought about doing one of those guided reading things, that give passages to read every day with little lessons about them, but that seemed like too much work. So I just started reading. I'm currently finishing the Book of Numbers. I only have the mental strength and focus to read the Bible first thing in the morning when no one else is awake, but it's going fairly quickly. Luckily, I'm a fast reader.</p><p>And now, the question! What are you reading? I need some new ideas. Hit me.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReOTWomVOIID8kvXKw0hv5dGK3ZAy8aY0VyBmxpkMbEiULiAZvrc5BSIiNhX1fzSXyGmQg0eLq2GqzOnA0B_briVl_nFDaMREcmQ9UR5j3Q1Fej6Q95s2JRiLwmz-kSrQqPoPMkMzfG_uZJTS6b4wp89mzftR2nKSb4JpCUDkzzqW655bSl8JipOOLxqS/s4000/IMG_20240303_111949426_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReOTWomVOIID8kvXKw0hv5dGK3ZAy8aY0VyBmxpkMbEiULiAZvrc5BSIiNhX1fzSXyGmQg0eLq2GqzOnA0B_briVl_nFDaMREcmQ9UR5j3Q1Fej6Q95s2JRiLwmz-kSrQqPoPMkMzfG_uZJTS6b4wp89mzftR2nKSb4JpCUDkzzqW655bSl8JipOOLxqS/s320/IMG_20240303_111949426_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Closing with a rare photo of a unicorn spotted in my hallway.</i></div>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-16636426645228670372024-03-03T05:27:00.004-07:002024-03-03T05:39:02.512-07:00Snapshots: Some Spring Things<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First, and most exciting: WE HAVE FLOWERS OUTSIDE!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UZgTFCGeHFV1evm53sWKUnUVVWjw-zVFApNl2zLKyOPUxm7pT587iCor29qx0OPsabDudSzW1xUIloG2ltgYQDY38TZEGneGk0isOx4W1VNGansThbH0CcfBgjbMzAqcKN_wuIY7wIj_g8Kz0EDWjIGEudBi3MLfSwtjVA8RWFtlsWxDrdqT7FrKB55o/s4000/IMG_20240302_142643495.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UZgTFCGeHFV1evm53sWKUnUVVWjw-zVFApNl2zLKyOPUxm7pT587iCor29qx0OPsabDudSzW1xUIloG2ltgYQDY38TZEGneGk0isOx4W1VNGansThbH0CcfBgjbMzAqcKN_wuIY7wIj_g8Kz0EDWjIGEudBi3MLfSwtjVA8RWFtlsWxDrdqT7FrKB55o/s320/IMG_20240302_142643495.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Hi, crocuses!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know that A. had many other ideas for this <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2023/11/snapshots-halloween-and-beyond.html" target="_blank">old mechanic's pit</a> that would have been much more practical, but seeing all these bulbs come up is making me so happy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also outside: Rapidly growing lambs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19Gio_gR2-Im7K39bVvSknHEJ_OXuuLCXQiPGuy19cE8IvB8dUlR15VZiS_RdyvOSlUoFl4QjmYjDG-o9fSaeNT7wIpaY-JBxjsyzolcGco75cUK9Fh71Rhb84PLRUUqwgj9iQiZDjxPv3QjAYdtRIcI9xSr_ARDWIRKGlwe8FVi01NuAvqnFB5ZHp4U_/s4000/IMG_20240301_145334577_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19Gio_gR2-Im7K39bVvSknHEJ_OXuuLCXQiPGuy19cE8IvB8dUlR15VZiS_RdyvOSlUoFl4QjmYjDG-o9fSaeNT7wIpaY-JBxjsyzolcGco75cUK9Fh71Rhb84PLRUUqwgj9iQiZDjxPv3QjAYdtRIcI9xSr_ARDWIRKGlwe8FVi01NuAvqnFB5ZHp4U_/s320/IMG_20240301_145334577_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Can you spot the lamb?</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-wind-beneath-my-food.html" target="_blank">terrible wind</a> last week blew a board off our back fence, which separates the sheep flock from my garden. Thankfully, it's too small for any of the sheep to actually get through, but it's just the right size for a lamb to stick its head through and try to eat the dead grass right there. I was just about a second too late to get a photo of its head through the fence, though. Boo. It was pretty funny.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is definitely the season of eggs. We're getting four or five a day now, and I'm also getting them from my friend with a much larger chicken flock. That means it's time for . . .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BEm6yvi_ULWxIPD8J5q5VUZYLaDE8fZrmReNDvX9u9LEU1HctascbaTBMNqyGZlFZ2KXMCDbZpx0HtRdFVaTVzds8N8CCkCLRuVW328EJpLFk4PnzFtWUI6V6VH-UXZGY1dnnM6g4KmKjnVrNMmupqxaJwpORpRV5kGO-yxqQoiFXUs81QtEJKTdp98x/s4000/IMG_20240301_155352687.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BEm6yvi_ULWxIPD8J5q5VUZYLaDE8fZrmReNDvX9u9LEU1HctascbaTBMNqyGZlFZ2KXMCDbZpx0HtRdFVaTVzds8N8CCkCLRuVW328EJpLFk4PnzFtWUI6V6VH-UXZGY1dnnM6g4KmKjnVrNMmupqxaJwpORpRV5kGO-yxqQoiFXUs81QtEJKTdp98x/s320/IMG_20240301_155352687.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2023/07/tips-lime-preserving-eggs.html" target="_blank">Lime preservation</a> is starting, yay!</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even though I get sick of it by the end, I do love the season of food preservation. The eggs are just the beginning. I also started tomatoes yesterday, which I hope to be preserving starting around August, Lord willin' and the hail (and grasshoppers) don't destroy them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't take a photo of the tomato containers, but I do have one of a shower chair.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See, after the last foot surgery when the cast had come off and the post-surgical child could shower again, but still couldn't put weight on the foot, I remembered that we had an actual shower chair that the kids had dragged out of the shed of the house next store that we own. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What are the odds?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was duly scrubbed off, brought inside, and used for the week or so before he could stand on both feet again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're at the shower-chair stage of the recovery again, so the giant white plastic chair with drainage holes in the seat is now in residence in the kids' tub again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8xg5kN9hGp1-Mb4v4buc2kueUpAyQqV3OgF5EqsFj3F61ex9PEpxasEU6ZpSMXsgRilfAmfSOKmecV65-0NwL7ieAta2dVPwBRf2lIiBTpnx0CwYWKWcMWxbRH8wSKhuiD60O-Xv0L1L4Zj91R6WKvFIFKZVLJEMtXopXtzElworjA1v1oiH5gQtOgOM/s4000/IMG_20240229_175500397.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8xg5kN9hGp1-Mb4v4buc2kueUpAyQqV3OgF5EqsFj3F61ex9PEpxasEU6ZpSMXsgRilfAmfSOKmecV65-0NwL7ieAta2dVPwBRf2lIiBTpnx0CwYWKWcMWxbRH8wSKhuiD60O-Xv0L1L4Zj91R6WKvFIFKZVLJEMtXopXtzElworjA1v1oiH5gQtOgOM/s320/IMG_20240229_175500397.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I was informed after this was taken that I had put the chair the wrong way. It should face away from the water, so you're not drowning in a waterfall to the face the whole time. Makes sense. Never having used one, however, I had to be told this.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There you have it! My life, snapshotted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-24667566502407039902024-03-01T04:30:00.002-07:002024-03-01T06:46:04.284-07:00Friday Food: With a Grapefruit Heart<p><b><u>Friday</u></b> </p><p>Short version: Fish sticks, baked spaghetti, tartar sauce at home, pizza at the game</p><p>Long version: I was at the last home basketball game of the season with the cheerleader, where they thoughtfully had some Lenten options at the concession stand. She chose the cheese pizza.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCzRSdkSbZ0fVbw1kZYxm1sOfHmSFYlKpBFE8D2VuJYp5MaBWZejuGPaV-tStnEAtvKgFx4WjEmMIt0ZQ0x4Ole23_P73rU2sc9ufqgh_HLAExEuGGYUAA3ffP2oMOD2cT6vh0344JJhyphenhyphenXyeWavwV6Y5vxuSW8NyU5-u0VtWAt6ZjHbf-d2mb3CDMcKCC/s4000/IMG_20240226_070116885.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCzRSdkSbZ0fVbw1kZYxm1sOfHmSFYlKpBFE8D2VuJYp5MaBWZejuGPaV-tStnEAtvKgFx4WjEmMIt0ZQ0x4Ole23_P73rU2sc9ufqgh_HLAExEuGGYUAA3ffP2oMOD2cT6vh0344JJhyphenhyphenXyeWavwV6Y5vxuSW8NyU5-u0VtWAt6ZjHbf-d2mb3CDMcKCC/s320/IMG_20240226_070116885.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />She also made me a grapefruit heart after eating her breakfast in the morning.</i></div><p>I had bought a box of fish sticks awhile ago, and saved them purposely for Lent. Neither the cheerleader nor I care for fish sticks, so this seemed like a good night for them. All A. had to do was stick them in the oven with the rest of the baked spaghetti. It was a box of forty fish sticks, and they ate them all. Impressive consumption.</p><p>A. really likes tartar sauce, which is not something I buy, so he looked up some recipes and made some with what we had on hand. That was mayonnaise, mustard, finely chopped onion and dill pickles, and pickle juice. It tasted exactly like the dressing I use for American potato salad, and was a big hit. I actually ate some when I got home with a few of the potato chips we still had from the bag Ms. Amelia gave us, and it was very good as a dip, too.</p><p>I also finished the cold spaghetti on everyone's plates when I got home, because that's what moms do. Cold spaghetti and potato chips with tartar sauce are not the healthiest of dinners, but that's the way it goes sometimes.</p><p><b><u>Saturday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Baked beans, leftovers, carrot sticks</p><p>Long version: I made the baked beans with pinto beans. I know that's not traditional for baked beans, but pinto beans are traditional to here, and I had a ten-pound bag of dried pintos on hand.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutpJ2KHrrQeQQWPIJhe7ccU5cKsxFpPe4i3kC0GHumoBcKwJxzZP_ubQ7_IviqnMktQ29bO0VnQbHysvGlsPBuqgqgDARNPAncSFi4Z4qhqrVBacjLI1-ujLRmCWH6Vdx34ew29Q_GZuXIEujKczv_zjXrsMGAAAuwBblPwzul4mXTwh4uF20WCQFEMe2/s4000/IMG_20240222_152547434.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutpJ2KHrrQeQQWPIJhe7ccU5cKsxFpPe4i3kC0GHumoBcKwJxzZP_ubQ7_IviqnMktQ29bO0VnQbHysvGlsPBuqgqgDARNPAncSFi4Z4qhqrVBacjLI1-ujLRmCWH6Vdx34ew29Q_GZuXIEujKczv_zjXrsMGAAAuwBblPwzul4mXTwh4uF20WCQFEMe2/s320/IMG_20240222_152547434.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I pressure-canned seven quarts of them. The rest of the big pot I had soaked went into the baked beans.</i></div><p>There were only four of us at home, as A. had taken the youngest boy to his hunter education course over the weekend. The two who like baked beans had them with leftover beefy rice.</p><p>The one who doesn't like baked beans had a spaghetti sandwich. When he was sick to his stomach and couldn't eat for a couple of days, he mentioned that the first thing he wanted to eat when he was better was a spaghetti sandwich. I guess because it's really filling? I don't know. We happened to have just enough leftover baked spaghetti for him to have this, though, which seemed fortuitous.</p><p><b><u>Sunday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Lamb roast, baked potatoes, frozen green peas, chocolate ice cream</p><p>Long version: The lamb roast was a boned-out leg that I marinated and baked. A little too long, so it was overcooked, but oh well.</p><p>I always corral my potatoes for baking in something, otherwise they roll all over the oven rack. This time, I used the skillet from making my eggs in the morning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD37f7xkXUZcVTD5c0V1qSUgQxDrefL9nnqzFdtAZ42GM_iDwt2OP6BhXuXLVuJoK8QtwQXDD37xkOYxyxZZQ5Oek2H2LwBbX3m5z4yR7WmaVW_Ryzj-8d2of-RvVitoZBBNEatAnxWYOadHEbs0g7YsizPir8g_MSxS_8u7HabYhTeMlEoIIlgw5NB7Kg/s4000/IMG_20240225_162701978_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD37f7xkXUZcVTD5c0V1qSUgQxDrefL9nnqzFdtAZ42GM_iDwt2OP6BhXuXLVuJoK8QtwQXDD37xkOYxyxZZQ5Oek2H2LwBbX3m5z4yR7WmaVW_Ryzj-8d2of-RvVitoZBBNEatAnxWYOadHEbs0g7YsizPir8g_MSxS_8u7HabYhTeMlEoIIlgw5NB7Kg/s320/IMG_20240225_162701978_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Potatoes nestled all snug in their pan.</i></div><p>I did not make the mistake of making peanut butter shakes with the chocolate ice cream this week. I didn't make milkshakes at all, in fact. Everyone seems to like it just as well in a bowl, and that means I don't have to do anything. So bowls it is.</p><p><b><u>Monday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Beef tacos, various leftovers</p><p>Long version: Before work, I had taken out a bag of the beef pulled from soup bones when I made beef stock a couple of weeks ago. I changed my mind several times trying to decide what to do with it. In the end, I just heated it up in a pan with salsa and taco spices, and served it in corn tortillas with cheese. </p><p>There were also baked beans still, and A. had the last of the lamb.</p><p><b><u>Tuesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Sausage variety, potato salad, raw broccoli</p><p>Long version: Andouille, boudin, and plain smoked sausage, and I'm getting annoyed with having to customize sausage. One child doesn't like this one, one thinks these are too spicy, one doesn't like sausage at all. I think I will have to give up on sausage for this family of rampant individualists.</p><p>I made the potato salad because I had a little less than a cup of tartar sauce left. So I just mixed it with boiled potatoes and eggs, plus a little more pickle juice and mayonnaise. Only about half the family likes potato salad, but I LOVE it, so it was a nice treat for me, anyway.</p><p>The broccoli came from the excess commodities delivery we got in the afternoon. The lady had a ton of broccoli. My kids mostly like it raw, so that's what they got.</p><p><b><u>Wednesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Unpopular beef soup, cheese, bread with butter and honey</p><p>Long version: I made this soup the day before, knowing I would be getting home right at dinner time from First Communion class. The reason I made soup was I had a few quarts of liquid left from pressure-cooking yet more of the bull. The only meat I had on hand for it was the rest of the shredded beef from the tacos. I did have some canned beef stew from commodities, and I thought maybe I could rinse off the gross liquid from that and just use the vegetables and meat from it. </p><p>Yeah, no. That stuff is absolutely disgusting. Even after rinsing, the vegetables were so nasty tasting, I just gave them to the chickens. The diced beef in it was okay, though, so I picked that out and put it in the soup.</p><p>I also still have cans of Veg-All from commodities. The last one I used had lima beans in it, which I thought tasted gross, so I was going to pick those out. But the can I found and opened was labeled "Homestyle," and only contained carrots, potatoes, celery, peas, and onions. It was much better than the other, which is apparently the "Original" version.</p><p>The secrets of Veg-All are being revealed to me.</p><p>Anyway. </p><p>I also put in some tomato sauce (commodities!), extra potatoes, and, at the last minute, some zucchini delivered that very day from the commodities lady. And when I heated it up before dinner, I put in some sour cream.</p><p>It wasn't bad, but oh my goodness, the WHINING at that table. So much whining. The zucchini put it over the edge for the ones who usually like soup, I guess, but the ones who don't usually like soup were very unhappy.</p><p>But because I do not give options for dinner, they all found ways to eat at least most of their bowls. They did this mostly by adding so much sour cream to them that they couldn't taste anything else. </p><p>Whatever. It was eaten. And then they all got a piece of bread with honey, which makes up for a lot.</p><p><b><u>Thursday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Redemptive chicken sandwiches, green salad with ranch dressing</p><p>Long version: I was in the city this day to bring the post-surgical child to get his stitches out. He wanted to go to The Wing Stop for lunch, which we did. It was very underwhelming. I got chicken tenders, ate two, and brought two home to put in my dinner salad.</p><p>For the rest of the family, I got the 16 pieces of fried chicken at the grocery store deli again so they could have the chicken sandwiches like Popeye's--chicken, mayonnaise, and dill pickles. This restored me to Great Mom status after the soup disappointment.</p><p>I was not in prime condition after a bad night of sleep, a very early waking time, a three-hour drive in two inches of snow on unplowed roads for fifty miles of the drive in to the city, errands, the doctor visit, and then the 140-mile drive home. I was happy to have the chicken to avoid cooking when I got home, even if it did cost twenty dollars. </p><p>Then again, the sub-par lunch at The Wing Stop was twenty-one dollars, and it only fed two of us, not six of us with leftovers. So I guess the grocery store chicken isn't such a bad deal.</p><p>Refrigerator check!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-xBCZ76YTp0NY7s8fGIBl0f1vVEylphggM5gCXxhi24g2-QqstwzIVzC0vbr5r6I1PQ5ZooJn9NhHbUZ6fHYH29mUPcjNh7Pz0DhL2kCV7A8QHqSTCGpu8IfvVINkbCcBEhaPJx6ZSggn9z85VYpOeRaem74gU_I27URa_8_3QKskFHGjZ_tLFEclaKp/s4000/IMG_20240229_181040729_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-xBCZ76YTp0NY7s8fGIBl0f1vVEylphggM5gCXxhi24g2-QqstwzIVzC0vbr5r6I1PQ5ZooJn9NhHbUZ6fHYH29mUPcjNh7Pz0DhL2kCV7A8QHqSTCGpu8IfvVINkbCcBEhaPJx6ZSggn9z85VYpOeRaem74gU_I27URa_8_3QKskFHGjZ_tLFEclaKp/s320/IMG_20240229_181040729_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It's quite clear I went to the grocery store yesterday. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The most unusual items in my refrigerator right now are the Activia yogurt drinks, which came from commodities and which a couple of my children love, and two plastic containers of lettuce. I don't buy lettuce in those big plastic boxes, except when I need the boxes to start seeds. Which I do, because I need to get my tomatoes and peppers going. </div><p>Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?</p><p><br /></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-14575068853044276162024-02-27T05:53:00.006-07:002024-02-27T07:04:50.128-07:00The Wind Beneath My Food<p>We live in a very windy place. There's no time the wind isn't likely to blow, but in the spring, it REALLY howls. Instead of a mud season, we have a windy season. We haven't quite started our windy season yet, but it's ramping up. The sustained wind speeds yesterday and today are between 25 and 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 70 miles per hour.</p><p>It's unpleasant.</p><p>Yesterday while I was plating up dinner, I found that the child whose plate I was holding had gone outside to run around. So I walked out the door to call him in to dinner, still holding the plate in my hand that had two tortillas and cheese already on it.</p><p>I went out of the porch to yell for him, realized he couldn't hear me over the wind, and went back in to ask A. to go search him out. When I got back into the kitchen, I saw that the plate I was holding had nothing on it.</p><p>I stared at it for about twenty seconds before I realized that the wind must have blown the food off the plate in the five seconds I was outside.</p><p>Sure enough, there were the tortillas on the ground by the door. </p><p>Lucky day for the dogs.</p><p>This morning I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and lay there listening to the wind howling outside the window for about half an hour before giving up on going back to sleep.</p><p>A few days ago, I ran across a sourdough cinnamon roll recipe that didn't call for any rising time. I had sourdough in process on my counter at that very moment, which meant lots of starter on hand, and I was up in PLENTY of time to make them before I had to get the kids up for school. And so, there were cinnamon rolls on a random Tuesday. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldkwWuwFcbqhNX5YKv_x-xEXRx5u1X77lBAEUm5IGHV-pm6_NUUsrFOrH4jNB_mV1Z_3myFHY0OGvnuoTvNH1UeNmvdsB_NxDOHS7uGr2yVFLjEBmImeHgEwVtgy1Qt9mBjhJ7nMFpI9BB4WeULqFOhJJzf5h5UkE7FZulk4Y3FQWvOb8m2IOKTIB_5bb/s4000/IMG_20240227_054655077.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldkwWuwFcbqhNX5YKv_x-xEXRx5u1X77lBAEUm5IGHV-pm6_NUUsrFOrH4jNB_mV1Z_3myFHY0OGvnuoTvNH1UeNmvdsB_NxDOHS7uGr2yVFLjEBmImeHgEwVtgy1Qt9mBjhJ7nMFpI9BB4WeULqFOhJJzf5h5UkE7FZulk4Y3FQWvOb8m2IOKTIB_5bb/s320/IMG_20240227_054655077.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Lucky day for the kids.</i></p><p style="text-align: left;">I tried one. They were okay. Not bad--how could they be, right?--but with a texture and taste that is definitely the result of using baking soda and powder. Nice for a quicker option, but I prefer the real long-risen cinnamon rolls. There are no shortcuts in life, I guess, especially for baking.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The children, however, all said they were just as good as the traditional version, and since they're the ones I make them for, that worked out.</p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-51759640118752309562024-02-25T04:30:00.001-07:002024-02-25T04:30:00.356-07:00Snapshots: Repairs <p>My oven was taking forever to heat, and also had an alarming smell of propane. Thanks to the internet, I figured out that the igniter needed to be replaced. Also thanks to the internet, I ordered a new one.</p><p>The internet couldn't help A. with the installation.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NwrGUnUBUQQXvV97KshgQ1dnVwo4dexgRs0j3pPXh3EGkx7Ijx3KeqHfWqwd3pDlv5_BZ8VcszKlN8fQRQgIuapTX0MGlQEMHxlthy1g4FXIL0gB7wX85IBWTSOClCTZ708zoLLXTCc9_ZnFeyOnh9DPaAYgdU1GdrI2X4zGq3RTyMr-vwrNXJv93eyU/s4000/IMG_20240218_112828616_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NwrGUnUBUQQXvV97KshgQ1dnVwo4dexgRs0j3pPXh3EGkx7Ijx3KeqHfWqwd3pDlv5_BZ8VcszKlN8fQRQgIuapTX0MGlQEMHxlthy1g4FXIL0gB7wX85IBWTSOClCTZ708zoLLXTCc9_ZnFeyOnh9DPaAYgdU1GdrI2X4zGq3RTyMr-vwrNXJv93eyU/s320/IMG_20240218_112828616_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The most important part was getting light in there.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The installation was not without its difficulties--as always--but A. triumphed in the end, and I can bake again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We woke up to more rime several days ago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdNiWlVA1SiE5geWjsTkwWq3rfoDD4ElSH_YGHOdi-2ysNrlbjAOk73SmlAt6o0pfLVWsuVEIdxUbrTbQOMuSg2Qr1Dt8m5K7JTl9bXwDFLugxBJWPBJVkVjp9Wl0uW2EwSdlQ-ZefncKQnB1zCXpBMmYTYUg-MfVSD6ouHFqEK31jBKOvIZExsbtWnn0/s4000/IMG_20240218_063252028_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdNiWlVA1SiE5geWjsTkwWq3rfoDD4ElSH_YGHOdi-2ysNrlbjAOk73SmlAt6o0pfLVWsuVEIdxUbrTbQOMuSg2Qr1Dt8m5K7JTl9bXwDFLugxBJWPBJVkVjp9Wl0uW2EwSdlQ-ZefncKQnB1zCXpBMmYTYUg-MfVSD6ouHFqEK31jBKOvIZExsbtWnn0/s320/IMG_20240218_063252028_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Pretty.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6UyW06ZlC9ZeUQQooDY7GhRtnpf1Zl1qtR-xDjDLy47eLVSo9NnhIremU_fR4veQRS9fZMaeoJXoyvA_wJl0HZev67Telph8q0uNzerMJPHThxxYvOOTFpo3e_M5qFrLC_OqKD2K8LTeRwy4ovKDu1EBPVLngESnXCYIGMqqf8kZX9xBEHK0ojdrMN9h/s4000/IMG_20240218_063055190_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6UyW06ZlC9ZeUQQooDY7GhRtnpf1Zl1qtR-xDjDLy47eLVSo9NnhIremU_fR4veQRS9fZMaeoJXoyvA_wJl0HZev67Telph8q0uNzerMJPHThxxYvOOTFpo3e_M5qFrLC_OqKD2K8LTeRwy4ovKDu1EBPVLngESnXCYIGMqqf8kZX9xBEHK0ojdrMN9h/s320/IMG_20240218_063055190_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A close up.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlldeHSuPXJDaoyBalHUjldWvbrPlbBPp2ffkZSWL-s4WQv4om7HKhFr0Xwy6hfBmb5qOVbPWwovUPTiD_V9adCqF9QUUhwis7_wp1CU4Ho3JE7lF_Q-QkTa-nyWqMmrLxWTA59LZp3APHCVVPHQDsakvl9wtKpgirjWv9vFYwJ9KXBCXkESQYukOmG4yQ/s4000/IMG_20240218_063031847_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlldeHSuPXJDaoyBalHUjldWvbrPlbBPp2ffkZSWL-s4WQv4om7HKhFr0Xwy6hfBmb5qOVbPWwovUPTiD_V9adCqF9QUUhwis7_wp1CU4Ho3JE7lF_Q-QkTa-nyWqMmrLxWTA59LZp3APHCVVPHQDsakvl9wtKpgirjWv9vFYwJ9KXBCXkESQYukOmG4yQ/s320/IMG_20240218_063031847_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>And a closer up.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This rime was oddly spiky. It wasn't hard, and would just drift right off when I touched it, but it looked really weird.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have been trying to get the windshield on our van replaced for several months now. As with most things, it's much harder to get done here than in a more-populated area. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first time they were supposed to come, they canceled because of weather. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second time, they came without telling us they were coming and I was in the city at a physical therapy appointment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The third time, they canceled because their truck needed to be fixed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But finally, the fourth time was the charm and they replaced the windshield on Friday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvbShd7Pg2x20DTCDjW5RnDYvoNMvg7kzAQG8Fj9CFOiTwAhl4NA0OD3qqP_kDU2Li5IxPIHf2A8lBnopJGdBqGVj2rP5_h5mFoPszZabvHN0iojwoHcMtil0kcFQ2Z5o_LAhIuV78z-Cw5MvRTTpA6bSHo4Qc7BNIHYGdvyziXo7bT3cdgaCjbuB_x5L/s4000/IMG_20240223_151542039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvbShd7Pg2x20DTCDjW5RnDYvoNMvg7kzAQG8Fj9CFOiTwAhl4NA0OD3qqP_kDU2Li5IxPIHf2A8lBnopJGdBqGVj2rP5_h5mFoPszZabvHN0iojwoHcMtil0kcFQ2Z5o_LAhIuV78z-Cw5MvRTTpA6bSHo4Qc7BNIHYGdvyziXo7bT3cdgaCjbuB_x5L/s320/IMG_20240223_151542039.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The view from the van. So much better. What I don't see anymore: Scratches, nicks in the glass, and a big crack at the top.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I came home from a basketball game the other evening to find that two of the children had retrieved the Christmas tree from where it was awaiting burning and had set it up in the pasture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6-TZCSNx1K9ChiyMLC7TnGVNDUrOlK4FPvkYkqGSvdIoUPfI9HQll8ll32ME0zB8fN9mCV0nTzMRNwk9IUdEPZryHS_EqOnszGuO0b7z_oTvHCwZoeTQZTCGEoblI7oqUmc1ohdB9q7huTLmS13BogUx9TX9mSP3Uwkru24HJCVgYcykvwAp-61E8kUt/s4000/IMG_20240223_175022219_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6-TZCSNx1K9ChiyMLC7TnGVNDUrOlK4FPvkYkqGSvdIoUPfI9HQll8ll32ME0zB8fN9mCV0nTzMRNwk9IUdEPZryHS_EqOnszGuO0b7z_oTvHCwZoeTQZTCGEoblI7oqUmc1ohdB9q7huTLmS13BogUx9TX9mSP3Uwkru24HJCVgYcykvwAp-61E8kUt/s320/IMG_20240223_175022219_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This was part of a lumberjack game, I was told.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There you have it! My life, snapshotted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-52488529816281487052024-02-23T04:30:00.001-07:002024-02-23T04:30:00.126-07:00Friday Food: Not all Gravy<p>It's been a bit of a rough week, what with surgery recovery, digestive illnesses, and a cold for me. So I wouldn't say life was all gravy this week, but I did make gravy twice. Because you can make your own gravy in this life.</p><p>Deep thoughts on a Friday Food.</p><p>Okay. Moving on to the actual food . . .</p><p><b><u>Friday</u></b> </p><p>Short version: Leftovers at home, Sonic on the road</p><p>Long version: This was the day of Foot Surgery #2 for the eldest child. It was delayed due to an accident victim needing surgery, so we left the hospital about two hours later than we thought we would, at around 4 p.m.</p><p>The post-surgical child wanted a double bacon cheeseburger from Sonic, so that's what he got. I was really, really hungry, but most of the Sonic menu revolves around meat, and it was a Friday in Lent. So I just got some tater tots, and then I ate some cottage cheese when we got home.</p><p>The home crew finished off the last of the elk stew and jambalaya, because A. forgot about the Friday in Lent thing. And I couldn't blame him. It was not the best day for any of us.</p><p>Apparently, they also all had potato chips--given to us by our neighbor, Ms. Amelia--with their jambalaya, and all enthusiastically recommended this combination. So now you know.</p><p><b><u>Saturday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Jambalya-ish soup, chocolate ice cream</p><p>Long version: I forgot to tell you how I messed up when I was making the jambalaya and added twice the amount of uncooked rice that I needed. I realized this about halfway through the cooking time, so I scooped out a bunch of partially cooked rice. </p><p>And did I throw it away? Goodness, no!*</p><p>I used it, the rest of the ham stock I had made for the jambalaya, a partial package of plain smoked sausage that had been hanging around, some of the pureed tomatoes in the refrigerator, caramelized onion from the freezer, and frozen peas to make soup. Very good it was, too.</p><p><b><u>Sunday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Elk with onion gravy, mashed potatoes, green salad with ranch dressing, chocolate ice cream or milkshakes</p><p>Long version: I found an elk roast that I had labeled "rouladen," obviously intending to make that with it. But rouladen requires marinating for like five days, and a long time cooking, so I didn't do that. Instead I just put salt, pepper, and crushed garlic in the middle, rolled it up and tied it, and pan-cooked it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg924xdJ9zfZ2GP8B5eLpCCoLCEwROEV-lNaV1sIen92gi7fFMcROuxwOE_ZnN5retNoR34LSXdfq0yHjP-22CWTlqE1gWjyF4HnpRaIF8KvZhc9bps8Sk-i22o8-GbwOXNcZ5VnlOpB7G_NbSf-iKWvazQv2i_uiLAooP2FeyDC2Mw94OHMMRMQJso_gHh/s4000/IMG_20240218_161343624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg924xdJ9zfZ2GP8B5eLpCCoLCEwROEV-lNaV1sIen92gi7fFMcROuxwOE_ZnN5retNoR34LSXdfq0yHjP-22CWTlqE1gWjyF4HnpRaIF8KvZhc9bps8Sk-i22o8-GbwOXNcZ5VnlOpB7G_NbSf-iKWvazQv2i_uiLAooP2FeyDC2Mw94OHMMRMQJso_gHh/s320/IMG_20240218_161343624.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Vaguely heart-shaped.</i></div><p>Then I made a gravy with caramelized onions from the freezer, flour, and the last of a cup of milk someone didn't finish.</p><p>It was really good.</p><p>I made milkshakes for those who wanted them instead of plain ice cream, and I added peanut butter. Because what's better than chocolate and peanut butter together, right?</p><p>Well, according to my children, that is not true for milkshakes. They did not like the peanut butter in their milkshakes. Crazy kids.</p><p><b><u>Monday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Tough ribs, mashed potatoes, green peas, failed jello with cream</p><p>Long version: The post-surgical child requested pork ribs for dinner. I had taken the day off to take care of him, so I could do that.</p><p>I had two racks of ribs. One wouldn't have been quite enough. Two was too many. I made them all, anyway, figuring then I'd have leftovers.</p><p>I did.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RJSZ31tC8BV4IerSyZvUq4kkgNqnzytHCXy2_yeCCe_Yv7KTQB5626eU1X3ESDE_HpvIGrUwsfcHWwSrblfzVAgPzc62_PFT5Xwy9NCgx17xPPERQGWUG_tYAvHKVmMkIAyr1DKIXXCJRz3JPy4SdB4adyU9G9alkEJkikdWwPCjbbPeijgTK4NW7WFv/s4000/IMG_20240219_090736363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RJSZ31tC8BV4IerSyZvUq4kkgNqnzytHCXy2_yeCCe_Yv7KTQB5626eU1X3ESDE_HpvIGrUwsfcHWwSrblfzVAgPzc62_PFT5Xwy9NCgx17xPPERQGWUG_tYAvHKVmMkIAyr1DKIXXCJRz3JPy4SdB4adyU9G9alkEJkikdWwPCjbbPeijgTK4NW7WFv/s320/IMG_20240219_090736363.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Before cooking . . .</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj023Hqq-xNHHlTmVR2DT3thEI7yvBsgs5p0MFgCkIBptQPCO27b-DyN3DeDNczFnnfHpgkxXfTS4-3-buZ5Enf33um0m1wB88wuRXMzXuC-uotsrpQA-uvSEB9diDfVS7UynCQop0kHxpsIWROkUea-HxAuSL7EWQcPoOSIWWV2cDRclEQMCYDJrvw57Gf/s4000/IMG_20240219_152344869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj023Hqq-xNHHlTmVR2DT3thEI7yvBsgs5p0MFgCkIBptQPCO27b-DyN3DeDNczFnnfHpgkxXfTS4-3-buZ5Enf33um0m1wB88wuRXMzXuC-uotsrpQA-uvSEB9diDfVS7UynCQop0kHxpsIWROkUea-HxAuSL7EWQcPoOSIWWV2cDRclEQMCYDJrvw57Gf/s320/IMG_20240219_152344869.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>And after. That's a lot of ribs.</i></div></div><p>Unfortunately, I didn't cook them quite long enough, and they were a bit tough. Still eaten, though.</p><p>Another boy was home with a delicate stomach, so I told him I would make him jello. This, for me, means cooking and straining strawberries, then adding gelatin powder. Last time I made jello using an online recipe, it was way too firm. So I used less gelatin this time. And it never set.</p><p>Boooo. This in combination with the tough ribs was unfortunate.</p><p>However, the liquid jello was really just a sweetened strawberry puree, so I served it anyway, with cream poured in it. I figure it's sort of like a strawberry fool, except I didn't bother to whip the cream to fold in.</p><p>The puree with the cream was actually delicious, so it wasn't a total loss or anything. Still, I was a little annoyed at this meal.</p><p><b><u>Tuesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Leftover and improved ribs, baked spaghetti, green salad with ranch dressing</p><p>Long version: My plan for dinner was lamb chops, which I took out to thaw. However, since I was home this day, I decided to cook the ribs longer to make them more tender. A few more hours in the oven made them much better.</p><p>I had a little more than half a quart of roasted tomato puree still in the refrigerator from when I opened the jar for the jambalaya. I used that with spaghetti, caramelized onions, the ricotta I had made the week before and frozen, Parmesan cheese, and asadero cheese to make the baked spaghetti. </p><p><b><u>Wednesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Lamb chops, leftover spaghetti</p><p>Long version: The lamb chops were convenient for this day, when I was at work and then First Communion class. A. fried the lamb chops, with what looked like a ton of garlic. They were well-received.</p><p><b><u>Thursday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Chicken in gravy with peas, beefy rice, strawberry yogurt</p><p>Long version: When A. bought chicken for the jambalaya, he got a package of three giant chicken breasts. I only used one, so I had two left in the freezer. That's what I used for the chicken in gravy. All I did was dice the chicken, brown it, then add in minced garlic, flour, and milk to make the gravy. I threw the peas in there, too, just so I wouldn't have to use a separate dish for a vegetable.</p><p>The rice I cooked with beef stock, for the child who had a delicate stomach. And for everyone else, who ate their chicken and gravy over the rice.</p><p>When I strained the cooked strawberries for the jello earlier in the week, I was left with a cup or so of puree in the strainer. That's what I mixed into the yogurt. We don't typically have fruit for yogurt, so it was a nice change.</p><p>Refrigerator check!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_nVuMASKb78rK-hpaVJG2Q-ORE2uqMxsX4a06klBQkXSzarSWrytliXpbzAXUbsBG48mPWFPNj_NvyqQT-3oWwAVQeiH63QSdiNOeMKtDxb61iovTxZiWZSy-XKQyjXtHMvFsz5xXaRM6jpoT1A-yeXx7of-bcY-FE65PmXvoilK-VjgcZ1GRMrl153C/s4000/IMG_20240222_152144397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_nVuMASKb78rK-hpaVJG2Q-ORE2uqMxsX4a06klBQkXSzarSWrytliXpbzAXUbsBG48mPWFPNj_NvyqQT-3oWwAVQeiH63QSdiNOeMKtDxb61iovTxZiWZSy-XKQyjXtHMvFsz5xXaRM6jpoT1A-yeXx7of-bcY-FE65PmXvoilK-VjgcZ1GRMrl153C/s320/IMG_20240222_152144397.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A re-stock is in order. It will have to wait a few days, though.</i></div><p>Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?</p><p><i>* Any Pete the Cat fans out there? No? Anyway, the phrase is from </i>Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes<i>.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-84556236161377363142024-02-20T07:53:00.001-07:002024-02-20T07:53:22.606-07:00Some Photos<p>I don't have a lot to say today. I have a cold; eldest son is laid up after his second foot surgery Friday; and the other two boys are taking it in turns to be sick and home from school.</p><p>So I just went outside, took a lap around the house, and took some pictures. And here they are.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl95HJYDa1A1p02DxvHv9_4d8mz2ZofwjXXVxFj-A0oiq-RHWP2kBiVr_alPaHKqKJFReTgky4-92MKThguGuaFqRglmGiO7goI9hh7aa1t1vegjRN4cfP-_L-EQQAhVoiK47q7VKSK2YH6PjuKS9g44OBdDaA5RGRZrMsJgvpm-O7kTakeCLf_yFhXZaA/s4000/IMG_20240220_074022524_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl95HJYDa1A1p02DxvHv9_4d8mz2ZofwjXXVxFj-A0oiq-RHWP2kBiVr_alPaHKqKJFReTgky4-92MKThguGuaFqRglmGiO7goI9hh7aa1t1vegjRN4cfP-_L-EQQAhVoiK47q7VKSK2YH6PjuKS9g44OBdDaA5RGRZrMsJgvpm-O7kTakeCLf_yFhXZaA/s320/IMG_20240220_074022524_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The backyard clothesline is my spring/summer clothesline. Less sun, but also doesn't get whipped around in the terrible wind we get in the spring. I can't use it in the winter because the woodstove smoke gets in here, but it's going to be 70 degrees today, so no fire.</i></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oxNLcPlm8HlIUPHJmGhA6jhe1cDlYAsBmtz6ZKubV4NenhGfk9mUqBw-FhNoeTCCZpNO_afJvn8el2TRoXcpsC94NpzjcxqwtFy6Tz1EbUYmU60IpyABtcKkN1_4YEo3OvDuignJmw3a3qedQ1KwqTvSppxu-c3z9vUDVdkt_SNXUvXDkzZwD5ExW2CN/s4000/IMG_20240220_074029996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-oxNLcPlm8HlIUPHJmGhA6jhe1cDlYAsBmtz6ZKubV4NenhGfk9mUqBw-FhNoeTCCZpNO_afJvn8el2TRoXcpsC94NpzjcxqwtFy6Tz1EbUYmU60IpyABtcKkN1_4YEo3OvDuignJmw3a3qedQ1KwqTvSppxu-c3z9vUDVdkt_SNXUvXDkzZwD5ExW2CN/s320/IMG_20240220_074029996.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Random toys left outside. These cattle don't look too healthy to me.</i></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kKB3nHfV9suDNyD9nlZ5ASEsp9Uzm0g-4KDDpdsn_J2aGYjdoJQuJ1k6fXy3FoKGsQ974Vq29LM4OyUo4ya2nZaEQmNDymzkzZVgUk4F4YZuSpYUWKw4Y5vLhSDal4C0SQKp5z5K45R_z8qtI3f2JHUnflpZ8Jo_w-fRJqP4EgeSDY5TPEuMn9S738-5/s4000/IMG_20240220_074039185_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kKB3nHfV9suDNyD9nlZ5ASEsp9Uzm0g-4KDDpdsn_J2aGYjdoJQuJ1k6fXy3FoKGsQ974Vq29LM4OyUo4ya2nZaEQmNDymzkzZVgUk4F4YZuSpYUWKw4Y5vLhSDal4C0SQKp5z5K45R_z8qtI3f2JHUnflpZ8Jo_w-fRJqP4EgeSDY5TPEuMn9S738-5/s320/IMG_20240220_074039185_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Hardy parsley already showing green.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhl-sBcYN0EvhpuxFn9yjca-ftcheeyrQq1_yP27aI_W-5PSCS3KF4X9OLVNK2uoMW57R8vyHRdw2Oql5COgVJ7C1G0J7D06dV6ImhYL9sHVbo2l4FKYNXiANzN5m-DjLmWYykmecP2Npe_xXAVC6IQ-lIFoOP64UXMClpUsFlSBLuHACCZk36aQHaIII/s4000/IMG_20240220_074054420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhl-sBcYN0EvhpuxFn9yjca-ftcheeyrQq1_yP27aI_W-5PSCS3KF4X9OLVNK2uoMW57R8vyHRdw2Oql5COgVJ7C1G0J7D06dV6ImhYL9sHVbo2l4FKYNXiANzN5m-DjLmWYykmecP2Npe_xXAVC6IQ-lIFoOP64UXMClpUsFlSBLuHACCZk36aQHaIII/s320/IMG_20240220_074054420.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Lamb gang.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bWUscLxQ-8k99P5g15IB3eKm3dQ8dmMZhhAcWYkXHPUcjWnNKzvP7C4etTmmEfx7aKdoQGsXEfM0KpcjsiLxDQaeC8tIFCB_X62ToBOmaIReWi1KJTC9WDHic-5tN4MAOONzGE2pOu5TzUxpgEBLaiEJyg-hAYrs3zodUdAsoMzfG87q6FMFpqhJ7n_Q/s4000/IMG_20240220_074157425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5bWUscLxQ-8k99P5g15IB3eKm3dQ8dmMZhhAcWYkXHPUcjWnNKzvP7C4etTmmEfx7aKdoQGsXEfM0KpcjsiLxDQaeC8tIFCB_X62ToBOmaIReWi1KJTC9WDHic-5tN4MAOONzGE2pOu5TzUxpgEBLaiEJyg-hAYrs3zodUdAsoMzfG87q6FMFpqhJ7n_Q/s320/IMG_20240220_074157425.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The bulb garden/mechanic's pit continues to grow.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGarD19qOjjmao0AaGekUEu4DHLzhJxg9TCHVNOVW1BHt3960NqyluAVa2VWSouKHKGINhH7FQgE28pnDXlBznX2KfNYgsQNB84S8eHfU6WpHRDfRp8obLQMhn95YdUeRsHU1VN3-LJyNMsNWBzuRdSUr51qTt_Lp7qfR0lM_2wktwpbSYH-exz1TMSiC/s4000/IMG_20240220_074217959_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGarD19qOjjmao0AaGekUEu4DHLzhJxg9TCHVNOVW1BHt3960NqyluAVa2VWSouKHKGINhH7FQgE28pnDXlBznX2KfNYgsQNB84S8eHfU6WpHRDfRp8obLQMhn95YdUeRsHU1VN3-LJyNMsNWBzuRdSUr51qTt_Lp7qfR0lM_2wktwpbSYH-exz1TMSiC/s320/IMG_20240220_074217959_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>An astonishing quantity of baling twine from hay bales that I paid the youngest two children to clean up yesterday. Totally worth five bucks to not have to pick it all up myself.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJt7cKE-jdqKrHOHiG5RhxgpHGIX2EH3Jfr8Y-AUf1DUbgINl5PjZMjtbsQM9D7eqvfZgVBVXFUXx4uWGyYqlhMhdB50XbxEJ-79dxz25HKWSay_UfWJmPXBqLsEP5P-aRLW_XNYfA-5-zXZ1Lx_ZqzLZVQp_Jp32CK7-YBj6Z6jbChXPSeXhwAEMdWANx/s4000/IMG_20240220_074310408_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJt7cKE-jdqKrHOHiG5RhxgpHGIX2EH3Jfr8Y-AUf1DUbgINl5PjZMjtbsQM9D7eqvfZgVBVXFUXx4uWGyYqlhMhdB50XbxEJ-79dxz25HKWSay_UfWJmPXBqLsEP5P-aRLW_XNYfA-5-zXZ1Lx_ZqzLZVQp_Jp32CK7-YBj6Z6jbChXPSeXhwAEMdWANx/s320/IMG_20240220_074310408_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>These sticks were obviously part of some game. I thought they looked quite arty arranged as they were in the morning light on the front steps.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's all. Have a nice Tuesday.</div></div></div></div></div>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-84854798270656088492024-02-18T04:30:00.003-07:002024-02-18T04:35:33.332-07:00Snapshots: Treats and Trips<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are for sure a family of readers. Now that the youngest can read, we have six people leaving books all over the house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMOuPXBjN-nBTy6Q_wTbZHtl7hCxoX2s_6p_JWpWi-IGaotkk1EJ7n8CkbAW_fZz8QHK5rIHJg6F6rMPWDsA12uv6hlPpZEpoXRdQ5m6CSgSr72IDhllUfVf5FE8PV-B20Z3SfV0_xHDnhagJEObQUgV2OLajr_KdmES4lHyCzH5-CvIZDwLew1ibseNZ/s4000/IMG_20240213_071241974_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMOuPXBjN-nBTy6Q_wTbZHtl7hCxoX2s_6p_JWpWi-IGaotkk1EJ7n8CkbAW_fZz8QHK5rIHJg6F6rMPWDsA12uv6hlPpZEpoXRdQ5m6CSgSr72IDhllUfVf5FE8PV-B20Z3SfV0_xHDnhagJEObQUgV2OLajr_KdmES4lHyCzH5-CvIZDwLew1ibseNZ/s320/IMG_20240213_071241974_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Literacy can be messy.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I always make <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2021/03/tt-go-with-crispy-rice-treats.html" target="_blank">crispy rice treats</a> for the children to include with their Valentine's cards for classmates. I make enough to give to every staff member at the school, too. This year I even made enough that I gave them to the high schoolers during lunch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi-KhQ9Xwc2rh6p_dzUqhSzi48TpA8KSJTE1ycCvKC-73MBDEo7MIXNSl8VO2Ty-RmcL9b-9By5eYQ6GxEc6qw2baf9qxDWt3kuuS9p7L-ZLH7b1gon9T0z-qd9Lfy2IAxMMUXlbISD8MABmyJs5XGtNeRFgRVIfrljfV_nYvaDniu_liz-erNcsIyBFf/s4000/IMG_20240213_104232739_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi-KhQ9Xwc2rh6p_dzUqhSzi48TpA8KSJTE1ycCvKC-73MBDEo7MIXNSl8VO2Ty-RmcL9b-9By5eYQ6GxEc6qw2baf9qxDWt3kuuS9p7L-ZLH7b1gon9T0z-qd9Lfy2IAxMMUXlbISD8MABmyJs5XGtNeRFgRVIfrljfV_nYvaDniu_liz-erNcsIyBFf/s320/IMG_20240213_104232739_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Crispy treats for a crowd.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Valentine's Day was particularly challenging this year, being both a work day for me and Ash Wednesday. About the only festive thing I could manage for the children were these bread hearts to go along with their eggs at breakfast.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBPVl7BQDl9sgzQwg8TdFRoNwprsDpptN7hGsqHUuTkgu_b9YvRmI6P8gcJHihS0UgCdU6lwL5M14-wyQ8JGnIJZmkJgRu4-IpXBFgtRYMDlEoV0p_gBJoQkr7ncMFEz4Bka7CM34P7qvSIpXCe8_0tRCeo4HKFfYN40OU2nyrDl9C5brZg15uqZ5bOX4/s4000/IMG_20240214_063600306.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBPVl7BQDl9sgzQwg8TdFRoNwprsDpptN7hGsqHUuTkgu_b9YvRmI6P8gcJHihS0UgCdU6lwL5M14-wyQ8JGnIJZmkJgRu4-IpXBFgtRYMDlEoV0p_gBJoQkr7ncMFEz4Bka7CM34P7qvSIpXCe8_0tRCeo4HKFfYN40OU2nyrDl9C5brZg15uqZ5bOX4/s320/IMG_20240214_063600306.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Only one of the children was notably enthused about this. I bet you can guess which one. Hint: It was not a boy.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the teachers had the good idea this year to give each child a big popcorn bucket to decorate to hold their valentines at school. They were all set up in the cafeteria so they were easy to find and fill, and they were very decorative all arranged there.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDAyIKDwACplZqbG8TlmEAGzT8Ij1N6G9LlvZbjBK8wIExi1__tg8LoDXR2N9KfqqaF3VVoMCZzHybg1GOBNT6v_WkNDBbsd-HtGk_7jKujorZWYsiMe_xJiFIRqQWCPFNqeTarAecd0uAYRkcbAJHu-pCECsjiNp9Cmrks92HPzq-0fUgeSZoiPbKffk/s4000/IMG_20240214_135602374_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDAyIKDwACplZqbG8TlmEAGzT8Ij1N6G9LlvZbjBK8wIExi1__tg8LoDXR2N9KfqqaF3VVoMCZzHybg1GOBNT6v_WkNDBbsd-HtGk_7jKujorZWYsiMe_xJiFIRqQWCPFNqeTarAecd0uAYRkcbAJHu-pCECsjiNp9Cmrks92HPzq-0fUgeSZoiPbKffk/s320/IMG_20240214_135602374_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Valentine's Day Central.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not at all related to Valentine's Day, but I discovered this week that my cowboy boots fit again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VXzMljbw3XsrlrwXr9ryZ9lnFbLaZjUaY1d5NI0ZyxcJuF5uGv0Ab3P9su_umWcFIbNKovk7Z_SpKZprAfsHCOpYsWEsGJQZgmsfCJ51BWAefXHW0nhhefV88I4aL8lz0scnLqqEbpfzfYUuVaVQD0jed-pfMDQbTUAAXvA0YbYA8DUNyWtdphyphenhypheniMn5N/s4000/IMG_20240213_145105809.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VXzMljbw3XsrlrwXr9ryZ9lnFbLaZjUaY1d5NI0ZyxcJuF5uGv0Ab3P9su_umWcFIbNKovk7Z_SpKZprAfsHCOpYsWEsGJQZgmsfCJ51BWAefXHW0nhhefV88I4aL8lz0scnLqqEbpfzfYUuVaVQD0jed-pfMDQbTUAAXvA0YbYA8DUNyWtdphyphenhypheniMn5N/s320/IMG_20240213_145105809.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>These boots are not particularly made for walking, although they're surprisingly comfortable.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have had these boots since I worked on a dude ranch in college, so . . . well, decades. They're narrow, with pointy toes, and they haven't fit for a few years. Apparently, however, some of the weight I have lost was in my feet, so they fit now. Nice to have another pair of shoes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wore them to the basketball game this week, which was, of course, a long way away. One hundred and sixty miles roundtrip, to be precise.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE38_WMe6ppGHuVA73Tj_niq9nXKdatu8L8e-ASbYYqko8he6HKoZk_Sk2kMjBNRYdsGwqX6fC5ZJIrz9KUR6DlS4TdjPFchNmMsqYmWZtEaRLts1OQnowajhCQOJg2ieHxNGiHnOekxTl4OwDgS2NSeFDFxCeXalQaO0UfkeN9qcFj-2b_P1Jm3TO3Am3/s4000/IMG_20240215_135041088.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE38_WMe6ppGHuVA73Tj_niq9nXKdatu8L8e-ASbYYqko8he6HKoZk_Sk2kMjBNRYdsGwqX6fC5ZJIrz9KUR6DlS4TdjPFchNmMsqYmWZtEaRLts1OQnowajhCQOJg2ieHxNGiHnOekxTl4OwDgS2NSeFDFxCeXalQaO0UfkeN9qcFj-2b_P1Jm3TO3Am3/s320/IMG_20240215_135041088.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>On the road again. And again. And again.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But at least I didn't have to do the 220-mile trip to the basketball game yesterday. A. got to go to that one. Lucky him.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There you have it! My life, snapshotted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-46452444738795101142024-02-16T04:22:00.003-07:002024-02-16T05:37:15.378-07:00Friday Food: Havin' Big Fun on the Bayou*<p><b><u>Friday</u></b> </p><p>Short version: Tuna patties, roasted potatoes, green salad with vinaigrette, gingersnaps</p><p>Long version: I've been making fish patties with two big cans of tuna and one can of salmon, because we've been getting the salmon from the excess commodities. This time, I used all tuna, and they were better. Darn it.</p><p>I hadn't made gingersnaps in awhile, so I, well, did. I use <a href="https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/11/gingersnaps/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, except I don't add the white pepper. We find them plenty spicy enough with the other spices in them. They are very good.</p><p><b><u>Saturday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Pizza, cucumbers, baked fruit with cream</p><p>Long version: One pepperoni pizza, one with just cheese, both with some fresh basil from the pot on the windowsill. I also used one of my frozen bags of <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2022/08/tt-roasted-tomato-sauce.html" target="_blank">roasted tomato sauce</a>, and that makes it so much better. Not that pizza is ever bad, but it's better with garden-tomato sauce.</p><p>I still have a very large bag of frozen blueberries from Sysco that really should be used up now. So I combined them with some frozen strawberries and the last half pint of overly sweet peach jam from a couple of summers ago. Also some vanilla. Then I just baked it until most of the liquid was gone, and served it with heavy cream poured over the top.</p><p>A very popular dessert. And reasonably healthy, as desserts go.</p><p><b><u>Sunday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Birthday lobster, shrimp, sausage, spaghetti, salad, cheesecake</p><p>Long version: This was the new 14-year-old's birthday request. I got two lobster tails. The reason I got two is because getting one for each person in the family would have been exorbitantly expensive. Even two were kind of ridiculous, but at least everyone got to taste some.</p><p>A. actually cooked the shrimp and lobster tails, using a recipe he found online.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAZIQsJt7KoPJEvDSI0rbRqSIfRJLI0hKoBsQbElZDKdm8fibrhFL8OguKMgIPIMMN_Zz_6E5q8vrQtToJTPNnhihkO1tvg8rNlDbPLEyeb-uNYxqp9JeaxtcmNhrdWlb_zC8haieXB4AsAA0Og6gNUpD4g_NkAkXy55GC3d4yqnlahqxTIp4jE9C4k5X/s4000/IMG_20240211_173451025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAZIQsJt7KoPJEvDSI0rbRqSIfRJLI0hKoBsQbElZDKdm8fibrhFL8OguKMgIPIMMN_Zz_6E5q8vrQtToJTPNnhihkO1tvg8rNlDbPLEyeb-uNYxqp9JeaxtcmNhrdWlb_zC8haieXB4AsAA0Og6gNUpD4g_NkAkXy55GC3d4yqnlahqxTIp4jE9C4k5X/s320/IMG_20240211_173451025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It involved splitting the tails and kind of balancing the meat on top. Better him than me.</i></div><div><br /></div>The sausage was boudin, the spaghetti had <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2022/08/tt-roasted-tomato-sauce.html" target="_blank">roasted tomato sauce</a> and a lot of butter on it, and the cheesecake was <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/ny-cheesecake-recipe" target="_blank">this one</a> (but with some lemon juice added, because I don't think the zest gives enough lemon flavor).<div><br /></div><div>I did not plan well for the cheesecake this year. I forgot to get graham crackers, which is one reason I used that recipe, because the crust is kind of like a shortbread. But I was out of eggs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oops.</div><div><br /></div><div>We tried both the (tiny) stores in our vicinity, each in a different village ten miles from our house, and both stores were closed. We borrowed four eggs from our neighbor, and then we spent Saturday waiting around on our chickens to lay an egg. After several checks of the coop, an egg was triumphantly borne in around noon, and I made the cheesecake.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hooray for the chickens, the heroes of the cheesecake.</div><div><br /></div><div>The recipe actually calls for five eggs for the cheesecake filling, but I just used four. It was fine. Or it would have been fine if I had baked it long enough. I followed the instruction to bake it until an inch of the perimeter was set, but even after cooling and chilling, the center was still pretty liquidy. Boo. It did taste good, however, and no one had any trouble eating it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrroo3HawFS6ySKyZRvmiIV_x7NFx1mQhG8wTbKbJ9bk0scvgkYnXHsjvylmqIs6C2vsC5cxJpmJIAOdI6hAm8rn0itidO_ybF8Achqib-yP0cnvHK2BLJcvlqy21xzJ8jzwEOn9vZiX0IxiircSFQPHryRNmNbflI_guputI6IRacgU4nyDajTN7pB-O/s4000/IMG_20240211_184149851_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrroo3HawFS6ySKyZRvmiIV_x7NFx1mQhG8wTbKbJ9bk0scvgkYnXHsjvylmqIs6C2vsC5cxJpmJIAOdI6hAm8rn0itidO_ybF8Achqib-yP0cnvHK2BLJcvlqy21xzJ8jzwEOn9vZiX0IxiircSFQPHryRNmNbflI_guputI6IRacgU4nyDajTN7pB-O/s320/IMG_20240211_184149851_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It also held the candles satisfactorily.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Still kind of annoyed about that, though. And I do prefer the graham cracker crust. This cookie crust was a bit tough.</div><div><br /></div><div><p><b><u>Monday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Many leftovers</p><p>Long version: There was some shrimp, sausage, and spaghetti left. Some people had the elk stew I had made on Saturday. And then there were leftover cheesecake and baked fruit.</p><p>Leftover desserts are the most fun leftover.</p><p><b><u>Tuesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Jambalaya, chocolate pudding with cream</p><p>Long version: I celebrate all special occasions with food. Fat Tuesday is definitely a special occasion, especially for those of us with a connection to New Orleans.</p><p>Awhile ago, A. was reminiscing about the jambalaya at Popeye's, which was apparently his favorite. So I told him I would make jambalaya for Fat Tuesday.</p><p>My mother made jambalaya when I was young, but if she had a recipe, I never got it. I looked at a few online, and then, as I always do, made my own.</p><p>I don't have any homemade chicken stock this winter--it's been very sad--but I did have a ham bone in the freezer. Some recipes for jambalaya call for ham. So I boiled the bone with some onion ends for a couple of hours to make a ham stock for the jambalaya. </p><p>I used the ham I pulled off the bone in the jambalaya, along with andouille sausage I already had on hand and a chicken breast I bought specially for this.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcM7D1QU2rfwPdJsEVBwKajTtldxCKJCsl0nY3nW0GLbulnjbqYQhDW8ArDIQMVGhjGgdXCPIDlv1yrPmw3Hp07RZYs6vjlb70qRTmFC-iPfFTd6qfYIXvJRxY1JimfXMdOhBIrbw0Rmm1Iy6_3QCcvVjDho4Zume5dkJB-XrvNYyiAujyjlaQAS55gvWT/s4000/IMG_20240213_131959811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcM7D1QU2rfwPdJsEVBwKajTtldxCKJCsl0nY3nW0GLbulnjbqYQhDW8ArDIQMVGhjGgdXCPIDlv1yrPmw3Hp07RZYs6vjlb70qRTmFC-iPfFTd6qfYIXvJRxY1JimfXMdOhBIrbw0Rmm1Iy6_3QCcvVjDho4Zume5dkJB-XrvNYyiAujyjlaQAS55gvWT/s320/IMG_20240213_131959811.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>All the meats, ready for the rice.</i></div><p>I used the spices in <a href="https://recipes.net/main-dish/casserole/popeyes-jambalaya-recipe/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, which seemed weird--particularly the cumin--but which A. assured me resulted in jambalaya that tasted like Popeye's. I didn't use as much chile powder, though, because I was trying to make this acceptable to those of us in the family who do not like too much spice, and the andouille is pretty spicy.</p><p>I used basmati rice, because it was the only long-grain rice I had. When it was done cooking, it tasted good, but was definitely not at all greasy. A.'s main memory of the Popeye's jambalaya, and his favorite thing about it, was the visible orange grease in it. I added about a third cup of lard that had rendered off the pork butt I cooked last week, and that helped with the flavor. It was still not remotely greasy, though. Which makes me wonder how much fat Popeye's is putting in their jambalaya.</p><p>Anyway. It was tasty. And a very appropriate Fat Tuesday meal. It was also a very good make-ahead meal, which worked out since I was at both a basketball game and First Communion class (conveniently across the street from each other) until about 5:30 p.m.</p><p>The chocolate pudding is not particularly appropriate for Fat Tuesday, but I had some milk that needed to be used. And I didn't mess up the amount of cornstarch this time. </p><p><b><u>Wednesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Breakfast burritos</p><p>Long version: We went to our Ash Wednesday Mass at 5 p.m., which meant we all just stayed in the village after school got out at 4 p.m. So when we got home, everyone was of course famished (particularly the adults, of course, because we had been fasting), and it was late.</p><p>Scrambled eggs to the rescue! I scrambled them with cheddar cheese, salsa, and canned pinto beans, then rolled them up in flour tortillas. </p><p>No vegetable. Because . . . I just didn't.</p><p><b><u>Thursday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Leftover stew and jambalaya at home, leftover pizza and pudding on the road</p><p>Long version: I went to a basketball game in the late afternoon. I brought the pizza and pudding (in a half-pint jar, with cream) for the basketball player to eat in the car on the way home, because they were the most portable leftovers we had. A. fed the other three and himself at home with the elk stew and jambalaya. </p><p>Refrigerator check!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LyXJQP_rS8_ISXdJS104rfEOY4TmnqNMrhhPsuMrnRfzChBVXtVTzGtrJ2nZmFAcs5lERKAVhqJA4UW6wESZxZCW3wJT8rZnTWpLNpx7QdHa9kkSspECrWzNx6E9DqYvZa8XEjI803_XfkHfWRi0KjBMrwK6j-Pc2eAPS2jXEowEtWb2Q7-wNNkxCi6e/s4000/IMG_20240215_130446564.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LyXJQP_rS8_ISXdJS104rfEOY4TmnqNMrhhPsuMrnRfzChBVXtVTzGtrJ2nZmFAcs5lERKAVhqJA4UW6wESZxZCW3wJT8rZnTWpLNpx7QdHa9kkSspECrWzNx6E9DqYvZa8XEjI803_XfkHfWRi0KjBMrwK6j-Pc2eAPS2jXEowEtWb2Q7-wNNkxCi6e/s320/IMG_20240215_130446564.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Not bad. Lots of milk.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?</div><p><i>* This is, of course, from a song, appropriately entitled "Jambalaya." It's what I was singing as I was cooking it. Here's the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30B5DYW-brQ" target="_blank">CCR version</a>.</i></p></div>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-31167980644627578742024-02-14T04:30:00.001-07:002024-02-14T04:30:00.135-07:00Love Is in the Air . . .<p>Happy Valentine's Day!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8n165ipq8X5iw3oGRz8lN1YMOAg9mTzQrus83BptnaWnEKRya7bYE9rERsCHmUHWhpjkFKfuRPOsemPiorzGESjml-KWr9GhqpMcW77tTjyU8UIVwDM23Gl-vUmKw5UXkmdV79nqkWXdipfFGMB9CqpCcE8_e3OK82wIZWdv1oy4kDgturSJzyfx_TPTr/s4000/IMG_20240213_180727795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8n165ipq8X5iw3oGRz8lN1YMOAg9mTzQrus83BptnaWnEKRya7bYE9rERsCHmUHWhpjkFKfuRPOsemPiorzGESjml-KWr9GhqpMcW77tTjyU8UIVwDM23Gl-vUmKw5UXkmdV79nqkWXdipfFGMB9CqpCcE8_e3OK82wIZWdv1oy4kDgturSJzyfx_TPTr/s320/IMG_20240213_180727795.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Roses courtesy of Parents' Appreciation Night at the basketball game yesterday, just in time for Valentine's Day.</i></div><br /> I wish all of you a day filled with love.<p></p><p><br /></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-63752465889430237002024-02-13T07:26:00.003-07:002024-02-13T07:26:34.044-07:00In the Kitchen<p>It is no surprise that I spend much of my time at home in the kitchen. My style of cooking is from scratch in the sense that it is laborious and takes time. This is okay. This is my choice. </p><p>But sometimes I get tired of it. This usually happens on days when I make so many things in one day that I'm in the kitchen for literally hours, just moving from one thing to the next.</p><p>I had one of those days on Saturday. I started at 6 a.m. with the bread dough and was mostly in the kitchen for around 12 hours. I mean, not in the kitchen continuously, because I do take breaks here and there, but the majority of my work and time on Saturday was spent cooking. I was very over the kitchen by 6 p.m.</p><p>It was, however, a very productive day, and helpful for the coming week, because of course not everything I made was consumed on Saturday. </p><p>Because I was curious, I actually wrote down everything I made throughout the day. </p><p>Of course I'm going to share here with you. You expected something else?</p><p>--Coffee. Always first, and always chicory coffee. I make it in a french press.</p><p>--Cream of buckwheat cereal for the family's breakfast. It was a cold, snowy morning, and we were out of both eggs and bread.</p><p>--Elk stew. A make-ahead for the coming days' lunches or short-on-time dinners.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Rk6RHTT8FBbBnV1fvwGLYNi-UCQ_ToNyr5SU6SGI_6DEfSshKzh9TrVH-m88ppOHFNHf6DqVzwGlzhgvPn9oThJu25e7imke9Ui4EIWGb-uq_n0CnjnUMM3j_f-6U6kZhlrjKmePM79Pg-CmM64kPiIqyrqGzGvdSixSrJZf8FNF9HlRbB0_8Q1ZI4um/s4000/IMG_20240210_102145184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Rk6RHTT8FBbBnV1fvwGLYNi-UCQ_ToNyr5SU6SGI_6DEfSshKzh9TrVH-m88ppOHFNHf6DqVzwGlzhgvPn9oThJu25e7imke9Ui4EIWGb-uq_n0CnjnUMM3j_f-6U6kZhlrjKmePM79Pg-CmM64kPiIqyrqGzGvdSixSrJZf8FNF9HlRbB0_8Q1ZI4um/s320/IMG_20240210_102145184.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Elk stew in progress. The things on top are frozen cubes of pureed tomatoes, and the jellied juices left from cooking a pork butt.</i></div><p>--A loaf pan of rendered tallow. Rendered in the oven with the stew.</p><p>--Baked strawberries/blueberries. In the oven with the stew and tallow.</p><p>--Hot cocoa when the children came in from playing in the snow. Cocoa powder+sugar+salt+vanilla+milk.</p><p>--A <a href="https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/ny-cheesecake-recipe" target="_blank">New-York-style cheesecake,</a> for the next day's birthday.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQE5FS8mo_YR5pA10d7jJf0KWvZbiGBeaj-NnOXDBu4EG1h3agp6_tMzXIssQSU-7a8lGtNNOy3gE9ik5NvO5OWVLIamtO1WK6-4j2cDj1Qx7dd5YAUnDtM410zsRx3UoOTXgO7KaWQ7z0z0KRFx-kVAdVHfShgoC1U8412p0EMXhsb9u_bGN2_w4ABYf/s4000/IMG_20240210_152322964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQE5FS8mo_YR5pA10d7jJf0KWvZbiGBeaj-NnOXDBu4EG1h3agp6_tMzXIssQSU-7a8lGtNNOy3gE9ik5NvO5OWVLIamtO1WK6-4j2cDj1Qx7dd5YAUnDtM410zsRx3UoOTXgO7KaWQ7z0z0KRFx-kVAdVHfShgoC1U8412p0EMXhsb9u_bGN2_w4ABYf/s320/IMG_20240210_152322964.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Before baking.</i></div><p>--<a href="https://www.melskitchencafe.com/homemade-chocolate-syrup-for-chocolate-milk/" target="_blank">Chocolate syrup</a>, for a couple of gallons of chocolate milk.</p><p>--Four loaves of sourdough bread.</p><p>--Two half-sheet-pan pizzas, the crusts made with some of the bread dough.</p><p>--<a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2021/05/tuesday-tips-extremely-simple-ranch.html" target="_blank">Ranch dressing</a>, for pizza dipping.</p><p>--Ricotta cheese, made at the end of the day with a gallon of milk that somehow got shoved into the back of the refrigerator and was way past its use-by date.</p><p>I also made things like tortillas with peanut butter and a salad for me, but that's more assembling than cooking.</p><p>Anyway. That was my day on Saturday. Most of those things made leftovers and about half of them I still have on hand, so it was a good investment of time. </p><p><br /></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-9700463769248695982024-02-11T09:59:00.002-07:002024-02-11T09:59:29.551-07:00Snapshots: Spring? Not Quite<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPKhZJd692sqtnwiLaENSoADPpgu7_AVGCIbxzNkhBtht2ZAw64-VJDy4L_-WQXdHdFKvOWuEvxwQOUZiiN5wKBeAa7oIhev_G_bXkww83k8Dhb6ErnNBVFuihY0Vd-ES6cHfHyMqPqGtn31MehyphenhypheniFadhuT_A-wgEFKErWq3By8rXbDo6kUWvSWKgs0lR/s4000/IMG_20240204_155611792.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPKhZJd692sqtnwiLaENSoADPpgu7_AVGCIbxzNkhBtht2ZAw64-VJDy4L_-WQXdHdFKvOWuEvxwQOUZiiN5wKBeAa7oIhev_G_bXkww83k8Dhb6ErnNBVFuihY0Vd-ES6cHfHyMqPqGtn31MehyphenhypheniFadhuT_A-wgEFKErWq3By8rXbDo6kUWvSWKgs0lR/s320/IMG_20240204_155611792.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Decorated for Mardi Gras.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmb96SbCqKlXpCeRCnzZyGQdzurnSSD9dy9gygyogw-0goiSeIa8Q7E89EtA6JG0p9qof0xJJckKm_8xikGHKsvHV5NnrVtic1s9EIidjMRhv2s6K8Yy1mU1pylSpVtMiXU0MGfwkjOQafGxkEcSsDOMSlWKDuQBtWnYqPS79STzfW3RiM3T4QOwrdgp0/s4000/IMG_20240204_151159060_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmb96SbCqKlXpCeRCnzZyGQdzurnSSD9dy9gygyogw-0goiSeIa8Q7E89EtA6JG0p9qof0xJJckKm_8xikGHKsvHV5NnrVtic1s9EIidjMRhv2s6K8Yy1mU1pylSpVtMiXU0MGfwkjOQafGxkEcSsDOMSlWKDuQBtWnYqPS79STzfW3RiM3T4QOwrdgp0/s320/IMG_20240204_151159060_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><i>We had to decorate ourselves, too, of course.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Nawz95t9J2pkIXU1BZ6KMs_96DGZNMJHFSchRuG609O-5tOIszcuPoztzSJcKQ-BU8nq89JL7x47yov6y0jaZt9Joa-cpcNxRF6XnGukAGYQmslccQb4HeDCPGWIkoaomn5uDDhYMgzTU81Tn60gK3C3jJi8ETp1_dOc1MVoYcpLmM5EuOl1C274BrU6/s4000/IMG_20240205_134016205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Nawz95t9J2pkIXU1BZ6KMs_96DGZNMJHFSchRuG609O-5tOIszcuPoztzSJcKQ-BU8nq89JL7x47yov6y0jaZt9Joa-cpcNxRF6XnGukAGYQmslccQb4HeDCPGWIkoaomn5uDDhYMgzTU81Tn60gK3C3jJi8ETp1_dOc1MVoYcpLmM5EuOl1C274BrU6/s320/IMG_20240205_134016205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I subbed for the preschool teacher on Monday, and it was SO HARD to stay awake during naptime.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rBEWXlQlwMVcX9N4PZoGyB7XSB0nsu9ldppBda1BxDb4vjwTgk68s80xT327DEEr7NpWmZEwVvhTOjmSqhyAvHjZ7neDSdyq4w1h_DPj7GGaTTZvgHOyrbZGMHsU0RbHaEh7wlLeFsMDE2bvIgLqklsdq2w4UhD-B3jKsgjD9mExNESb6lXL4oMH3KXo/s4000/IMG_20240209_142553523.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rBEWXlQlwMVcX9N4PZoGyB7XSB0nsu9ldppBda1BxDb4vjwTgk68s80xT327DEEr7NpWmZEwVvhTOjmSqhyAvHjZ7neDSdyq4w1h_DPj7GGaTTZvgHOyrbZGMHsU0RbHaEh7wlLeFsMDE2bvIgLqklsdq2w4UhD-B3jKsgjD9mExNESb6lXL4oMH3KXo/s320/IMG_20240209_142553523.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Green things outside! Remember the <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2023/11/snapshots-halloween-and-beyond.html" target="_blank">mechanic's pit</a> turned bulb garden? They're sprouting!</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3FR0DSh6EgwYENIKQnZ_aF32BTqWusGmvRwsnGrrdwfvePBeJqEovOhfwuAvpPf9L3tFVaZ2fyXl7c8s8bBO398pcms7TEhfJ8pXTDs15lNVdj1Gnp96FWNKYOyAYB9PhOWynjvFwZvHUXq8atjdC1TLOLy-nS53aMGEpR4ErSPtaqEf0wGD9OuqePy2/s4000/IMG_20240211_063025707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3FR0DSh6EgwYENIKQnZ_aF32BTqWusGmvRwsnGrrdwfvePBeJqEovOhfwuAvpPf9L3tFVaZ2fyXl7c8s8bBO398pcms7TEhfJ8pXTDs15lNVdj1Gnp96FWNKYOyAYB9PhOWynjvFwZvHUXq8atjdC1TLOLy-nS53aMGEpR4ErSPtaqEf0wGD9OuqePy2/s320/IMG_20240211_063025707.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Of course, this is what that bed looked like this morning, since it is, well, February.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWYz3nrnPrbBWKENg4MvbidqwItLAb5k8yfcf5vlEF8kR4tIuyuw77OLI1aC-WMM1KzO6EYHO13v4HfoWmrlUE-aeipoqmLa42X3kJLN_YK42cONfqmUyPJ4gm4t3gGJFKNWucegQfjB_BtHETvFSZgHV99n9ErVGjjU9cVOKPbZqzQu1w9Pl_gn0_stN/s4000/IMG_20240210_080643456_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWYz3nrnPrbBWKENg4MvbidqwItLAb5k8yfcf5vlEF8kR4tIuyuw77OLI1aC-WMM1KzO6EYHO13v4HfoWmrlUE-aeipoqmLa42X3kJLN_YK42cONfqmUyPJ4gm4t3gGJFKNWucegQfjB_BtHETvFSZgHV99n9ErVGjjU9cVOKPbZqzQu1w9Pl_gn0_stN/s320/IMG_20240210_080643456_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The (many) cabbage and kohlrabi seeds that sprouted don't mind the snow out their window, though.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There you have it! My life, snapshotted.</div><br /><p></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-79596954730249812312024-02-09T04:30:00.003-07:002024-02-09T06:17:38.931-07:00Friday Food: A Pork Progression<p><b><u>Friday</u></b> </p><p>Short version: Beef and rice soup, cheese, fresh bread</p><p>Long version: Two children came down with a very nasty stomach flu overnight Thursday, so I spent some time on Friday making beef stock for them to have something to sip on when they wanted to start eating, but couldn't handle solids yet. </p><p>Teenage boys get FRANTIC when they can't eat. They're so hungry all the time, I guess they even feel hungry when they're sick to their stomachs. Poor guys.</p><p>I had a lot of soup bones and an oxtail still in the freezer from our last cow, which is what I used to make the stock, in my pressure cooker. There was a lot of meat on those, particularly the soup bones, and I used some of the meat and broth to make a soup.</p><p>Soup is not popular with one of my children, but there was also fresh bread, which mitigated the pain of a soup dinner somewhat.</p><p><b><u>Saturday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Bacon and egg sandwiches, grape tomatoes, double chocolate peanut butter almond cookies</p><p>Long version: A. was at the basketball game with one child while I stayed home with the sick two. Tbe basketball crew got home at 5:30 p.m. I hadn't actually cooked anything, but I did still have a lot of fresh bread, so I made bacon, fried some eggs, and ta da! Sandwiches.</p><p>The cookies were <a href="https://www.browneyedbaker.com/salted-double-chocolate-peanut-butter-cookies/" target="_blank">these</a>, but with almonds instead of peanuts. These are my favorite cookies, and are therefore dangerous for me to make, but I did it anyway, at the request of one of the children. Willpower is an excellent trait to practice.</p><p><b><u>Sunday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Fancy lamb chops, curried vegetables, rice, tomato/cucumber salad, King Cake</p><p>Long version: Just a few days ago, we finally butchered the last ram lamb from last year. A. had been waiting to see if he would grow bigger, and he just didn't, so we finally gave up and butchered him. </p><p>Our typical method of butchering is to bone out the meat and mostly just have steaks and things. However, this was a very small animal, so A. thought this would be a good oppurtunity to cut it up the proper way, sawing through bones and everything.</p><p>He did, and he was reminded why it is that we typically bone the meat out. It's SO much work (for A., because there's no way I could do it) to saw through bones by hand.</p><p>It did result in some fancy little lamb chops, though.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF40pH-0aOW4x779Z-FhyphenhyphenoiaHGRy99gCPsTpLT6KlBgZKEpKlNm1adV1OkS5jIPDtdY0c9DGVMUWHsaPzWu4AUWzYIv-ZsWNunBSAmLzr1Y_74-GM0jaEkpecPv_4nytzMxNdJdSzKwW3fj_3MzyEQoo5UrySagREin7-J04CUnOi9aMFtapTrS21AIZa/s4000/IMG_20240204_170142083.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF40pH-0aOW4x779Z-FhyphenhyphenoiaHGRy99gCPsTpLT6KlBgZKEpKlNm1adV1OkS5jIPDtdY0c9DGVMUWHsaPzWu4AUWzYIv-ZsWNunBSAmLzr1Y_74-GM0jaEkpecPv_4nytzMxNdJdSzKwW3fj_3MzyEQoo5UrySagREin7-J04CUnOi9aMFtapTrS21AIZa/s320/IMG_20240204_170142083.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>So cute.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These were very much enjoyed by most of the family.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made the curry because I had a head of cauliflower that had been sitting in the refrigerator for, um, awhile. I finally got around to steaming it like two days prior, and then STILL hadn't eaten it. But I finally did! Yay, me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The curry was yellow curry powder and garlic fried in coconut oil, then to the bottom of the pan I added a bit of water, some diced potatoes (they were at the bottom in the liquid because they were the only thing that wasn't cooked yet), mostly cooked yellow split peas, chopped cauliflower, caramelized onions from the freezer, and some of a can of collard greens we got from excess commodities. I had opened the can to use some in the beef soup, and they weren't bad. I mean, I wouldn't want to eat them on their own, but they're fine added to things.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the end, I added sour cream to the curry. More than half the family ate it, which surprised me. It was delicious, if not photogenic.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XJEmzEqF1UcYAFfFAlGqNjtWR3okAnglO4TxfD1A-9DjUWcy_p0DlpOp_s_6XoGKiUcO-ruAXhy28NVBb_F2HVCr7ri6jIkUAhwNNlJgtkg6xbald1WTPI6knI4PhX_FbSLzjyiF5x9j9OgJBNGQiobkbpSOXG0xPhlwy_IhfZj8oVJTYnR_WkddGDDo/s4000/IMG_20240204_164246459.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XJEmzEqF1UcYAFfFAlGqNjtWR3okAnglO4TxfD1A-9DjUWcy_p0DlpOp_s_6XoGKiUcO-ruAXhy28NVBb_F2HVCr7ri6jIkUAhwNNlJgtkg6xbald1WTPI6knI4PhX_FbSLzjyiF5x9j9OgJBNGQiobkbpSOXG0xPhlwy_IhfZj8oVJTYnR_WkddGDDo/s320/IMG_20240204_164246459.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>No one is eating this with their eyes first.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The King Cake was the one my mother had sent me. There was much excitement among the children about who would get the baby in it, and I must admit that I was relieved that I was the one who got it. So much less fighting that way. But then one of my children patted me on the back and said, "That's good, Mom. You probably need the luck more than anyone."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I never thought of myself as particularly unlucky, but okay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>Monday</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Short version: Scrambled eggs, leftover curry and rice, chocolate ice cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Long version: Not really enough leftovers for everyone, so I made the scrambled eggs to bulk everything up a bit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ice cream did, too. There was much rejoicing at the return of the gallon bucket of Great Value Chocolate Ice Cream.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>Tuesday</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Short version: Pork, cornbread, green salad with vinaigrette, rice pudding</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Long version: A. came home with one of the biggest pork butts I've ever seen. It was 11.5 pounds. Daunting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He had thought I would cut it in half or something, but instead I just put it in the oven whole for several hours to cook slowly. I knew, you see, that I had a couple of days of work coming up, and already-cooked meat would be helpful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This night I broiled pieces of it with mustard and maple syrup.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cornbread because I seemed to have a lot of yogurt on hand that needed to be used somewhat promptly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rice pudding because the oven was on most of the day for the pork, anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>Wednesday</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Short version: Toasted pork burritos, raw tomatoes and radishes, chocolate ice cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Long version: Pork with cheese and salsa, rolled in flour tortillas and lightly fried. A good fast dinner after getting home at 5:30 p.m. from First Communion class.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>Thursday</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Short version: Pork stir-fry, rice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Long version: Chopped pork, fried in some of its rendered fat. Then I added a bag of stir-fry vegetables from the freezer, some carrots I mostly steamed in the microwave before adding them, the last of the caramelized onions in the refrigerator, ditto the can of collard greens, and then the last half cup or so of cooked yellow split peas. Plus soy sauce, vinegar, and peanut butter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was subbing at school, and this was pretty fast. More cooking than I wanted to be doing, but it didn't really take that long. And it finished up the pork.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Refrigerator check!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3iwb4CXAt3eSI2kGEyvboKrT0eG0a4ADUDVF_NQuCH2IV7eMn7Z-sD7ox2XaXyE3tpILvK3EvkoM-v3kF1EPLNbJL6a8MAuyL3xEUkVVuGYhLZlWWSfFiCdEiQZe31tA_juzC1ff25SfojYBCO0vYe4MDbNXNwjxPiUMbwj84BOCkQO7PoTdzQd3lxU8/s4000/IMG_20240208_170219726.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3iwb4CXAt3eSI2kGEyvboKrT0eG0a4ADUDVF_NQuCH2IV7eMn7Z-sD7ox2XaXyE3tpILvK3EvkoM-v3kF1EPLNbJL6a8MAuyL3xEUkVVuGYhLZlWWSfFiCdEiQZe31tA_juzC1ff25SfojYBCO0vYe4MDbNXNwjxPiUMbwj84BOCkQO7PoTdzQd3lxU8/s320/IMG_20240208_170219726.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Not bad. Plenty of milk and cream, which is the most important thing.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You may have noticed in the above photo that I finally got my deli/meat drawer slider fixed so I could hang the drawer properly. The plastic on one slider broke just before Thanksgiving. The part came just before Christmas. And here I am, fixing it just before Valentine's Day. Impressive efficiency, I know. And of course it took all of ten minutes when I finally looked up the video on how to do it. This is the second time I've had to replace this part, but I couldn't remember what I did the first time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway! It's finally fixed, and I feel very pleased with myself whenever I open the refrigerator and don't see the drawer sitting there on the shelf, piled with random stuff.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-158718477418997472024-02-06T05:38:00.003-07:002024-02-06T05:38:28.693-07:00About that King Cake . . .<p>It belatedly occurred to me that there might be many of you who read my last post and were thinking, "King Cake? What is a King Cake?"</p><p>And of course, although there are many search engines right at your fingertips on whatever device you were using to read that, I feel it is my duty to enlighten you here. Especially on one very important point: How to eat a King Cake.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCFgZKZ4_wofDEE91izj-1GRosuXItn2AZ2hzOecj54QMvsiuAkrDolV5O5zyr39jQqE0yRQnX0uIyzWQukSH9fw491R6j0X4M3ZZxaw427DiFnwN8Fl9iSm_fGgczttS1bYxS3SdoQ0DiH4qshvxPQJSSQ2L5s95VrsL7xswxhDo_fK1cQsIt18WQf3k/s4000/IMG_20240204_071640182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCFgZKZ4_wofDEE91izj-1GRosuXItn2AZ2hzOecj54QMvsiuAkrDolV5O5zyr39jQqE0yRQnX0uIyzWQukSH9fw491R6j0X4M3ZZxaw427DiFnwN8Fl9iSm_fGgczttS1bYxS3SdoQ0DiH4qshvxPQJSSQ2L5s95VrsL7xswxhDo_fK1cQsIt18WQf3k/s320/IMG_20240204_071640182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This King Cake has already been eaten, in the proper way.</i></div><p>So! Here's what I know about King Cakes: They are served during Mardi Gras, which is technically a season that runs from Epiphany to Fat Tuesday. Epiphany is the feast of the Three Kings. Hence the "King" part of the name. Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. And that means Fat Tuesday is the big celebration before Lent begins.</p><p>As most of you probably remember, my mother is from New Orleans, the city most famous for Mardi Gras celebrations. This is why my family traditions include King Cakes. </p><p>King Cakes are basically giant pastries covered in an alarming amount of sugar. I guess a lot of them now have fillings like cream cheese or praline, but we always had just plain ones. The sugar on top--which must be a ridiculously heavy layer--is always in Mardi Gras colors, which are green, purple, and gold.</p><p>Those colors have some significance, I'm sure, but I don't really know what. I just know those are the colors of Mardi Gras.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH9eLDlwtIo0gpdZv5GDSngopIHzYkfs0hgFRdp3Izk3OZYgwYa0xf4d4wq2aXJTcCABMqycdTGsN9EgIZCK8HcN2q13moWtH1UBiCXbuyHx_3grPkk2PDSFyCj7WGdRM-HfxqEdlSBzmrHbLF3k5OiMvP-jThKhEWrK3tNQaW89L9GPRqPm2ZMercrwe/s4000/IMG_20240204_155604308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIH9eLDlwtIo0gpdZv5GDSngopIHzYkfs0hgFRdp3Izk3OZYgwYa0xf4d4wq2aXJTcCABMqycdTGsN9EgIZCK8HcN2q13moWtH1UBiCXbuyHx_3grPkk2PDSFyCj7WGdRM-HfxqEdlSBzmrHbLF3k5OiMvP-jThKhEWrK3tNQaW89L9GPRqPm2ZMercrwe/s320/IMG_20240204_155604308.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>And here are the colors! In a Mardi Gras banner that is now in my dining room.</i></div><p>Also of note: King Cakes have a small figurine of a baby in them. This baby represents the baby Jesus. In my family, we always said whoever gets the baby in their slice has to buy the King Cake the next year. Not that we ever really did that, because my grandmother was actually the one who always bought them from the bakery near her house in Metairie (a suburb of New Orleans) but we said it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3EV0L2Bxfnr3u372p5GAtMdwHY2kJ_KgpT_R5SkBMu78_GXVq6JHyXpOAkHWoeKYaxxCyDQT17kAbji9yZi4vagyhO9gjTNH2f5CyJYTcp8kbj7mb7LvtdW5AHVvei6RvBXj7OpGDSCI8iNh-Lw-D1MOR7aCOirSHkK0_vG-puHABXkP4cNefcMREHye/s4000/IMG_20240206_053655898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3EV0L2Bxfnr3u372p5GAtMdwHY2kJ_KgpT_R5SkBMu78_GXVq6JHyXpOAkHWoeKYaxxCyDQT17kAbji9yZi4vagyhO9gjTNH2f5CyJYTcp8kbj7mb7LvtdW5AHVvei6RvBXj7OpGDSCI8iNh-Lw-D1MOR7aCOirSHkK0_vG-puHABXkP4cNefcMREHye/s320/IMG_20240206_053655898.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Baby Jesus. Hand for scale.</i></div><p>And now we come to the very important point of how to eat a King Cake. Yes, you can just slice it and eat it cold, being careful of the baby in case it should be in your piece. But King Cakes are SO much better if you put a pat of butter on top of your piece and warm it enough that the butter and the sugar both melt a little. This forms a sort of sauce for the King Cake. This is what you want.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpP3h5YRrxUHz7y5Aa4gc-vignSHVrOUJyIEPIgRRppH-4I_2xmiNRauQkqZPeJK9gF47-_GiRZI7Ld_AVK9jRVjCiW9v5cmbDkSuzUVetLryWHjs5qczWM4biQiSCxiBqQfbp7LghBgM8wUOHFquqyOi3wtpOfBEFtJQ_9lOBfjiASlfwCn7Y2CO_Vrp/s4000/IMG_20240204_180831340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpP3h5YRrxUHz7y5Aa4gc-vignSHVrOUJyIEPIgRRppH-4I_2xmiNRauQkqZPeJK9gF47-_GiRZI7Ld_AVK9jRVjCiW9v5cmbDkSuzUVetLryWHjs5qczWM4biQiSCxiBqQfbp7LghBgM8wUOHFquqyOi3wtpOfBEFtJQ_9lOBfjiASlfwCn7Y2CO_Vrp/s320/IMG_20240204_180831340.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Leftover pieces awaiting their butter and heat.</i></div><div><br /></div>So now if you ever encounter a King Cake in the wild, you know what to do: Apply butter and heat, and look out for the baby Jesus.<div><br /></div><div>Enjoy!</div>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-15216312434347881122024-02-04T10:23:00.004-07:002024-02-04T10:23:32.930-07:00Snapshots: King Cake and Animals<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pretty random photos this week. But then, aren't they always?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I was a kid, my grandmother in New Orleans always sent us a King Cake from <a href="https://haydelsbakery.com/featured/king-cakes/" target="_blank">the bakery near her house</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I haven't had one in many years, but this year, my mother sent us one. She sent it from a different bakery, and I was sort of surprised when I opened it. I don't remember the fondant icing being under sprinkles. The King Cake of my memory had nothing but a ton of colored granulated sugar on top. This one had fondant icing and sprinkles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BealiTY9D1dKVWFHjLxUlynM3TxupM4Ij6atl35MmmBORkCtB_cnoO4lXl20CX0kRtsNQ3LiV1KPoQKSdTKMLMBMXc9ISNjbi8JYI8qnb-5sQCG3sfRYdgoZLzccVpMjqoJRSAD6LoYZ1nMxGAiJgvRyzwSfHsF_e2c1vdjUcsoTS3gshrh0jvCn5eT9/s4000/IMG_20240204_071640182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BealiTY9D1dKVWFHjLxUlynM3TxupM4Ij6atl35MmmBORkCtB_cnoO4lXl20CX0kRtsNQ3LiV1KPoQKSdTKMLMBMXc9ISNjbi8JYI8qnb-5sQCG3sfRYdgoZLzccVpMjqoJRSAD6LoYZ1nMxGAiJgvRyzwSfHsF_e2c1vdjUcsoTS3gshrh0jvCn5eT9/s320/IMG_20240204_071640182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Huh.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're going to have it for our Sunday dessert tonight, so we'll see if it tastes as I remember it. Then again, it could just be that my memory is faulty. That has been known to happen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another exciting event . . .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNokazlYtvk322qFa9UwMKaDtJughz79n4p_h35VSupS0ReESt9VHD9AdqxN5VIc1FOOHD7j7F6oaGtLHC9oL8t-wmzdK18LSyQqxMSME-W3stw_0l96KLimu6lwEQ9a2EAZiTGZIOzcBpzGnSDRPR1q2_9lNbSINGX0gDpl4JMq8da_JPNWCxlrcamOpr/s4000/IMG_20240203_124457316_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNokazlYtvk322qFa9UwMKaDtJughz79n4p_h35VSupS0ReESt9VHD9AdqxN5VIc1FOOHD7j7F6oaGtLHC9oL8t-wmzdK18LSyQqxMSME-W3stw_0l96KLimu6lwEQ9a2EAZiTGZIOzcBpzGnSDRPR1q2_9lNbSINGX0gDpl4JMq8da_JPNWCxlrcamOpr/s320/IMG_20240203_124457316_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Seeds started!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was a little late starting my cabbage and kohlrabi seeds, but I finally got them in their very classy starter containers yesterday. Sauerkraut ahoy! In, um, three months.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now, a few morning shots, mostly featuring animals.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAD71XZBYWxbKPYyNI2Xu-1JEPRDH9h8SpM5G7QZ_c5QhdfEHm9_YYZXHdVL_1yGOo7h3xxTAvRWhF4Gwg6Mk_U8V8hFpKX6MCyhW1X1DihTp9UMfv78OVStYnwlDCMUGconQ6GYjjpyL_X7SjAmcK9U0s8veiISodMsNLq1lVZj5pNXeM-m5gCbYis_ws/s4000/IMG_20240204_065200620_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAD71XZBYWxbKPYyNI2Xu-1JEPRDH9h8SpM5G7QZ_c5QhdfEHm9_YYZXHdVL_1yGOo7h3xxTAvRWhF4Gwg6Mk_U8V8hFpKX6MCyhW1X1DihTp9UMfv78OVStYnwlDCMUGconQ6GYjjpyL_X7SjAmcK9U0s8veiISodMsNLq1lVZj5pNXeM-m5gCbYis_ws/s320/IMG_20240204_065200620_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Hungry as a horse, indeed.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARVBZXwAzeXLVP1twM12AAGqTOv7-e8Z75kRrdQQZcB2xzIgMD-QUfsnJ3wWjHBrD7zqjThPee3uoPsNwf5_KmRxGe1Brrd9XRJCW-t8nGmMMofqfLxDgfaaLbPUj8MJ_6xrSsvzSKOjHBaJRIHIBfbLp-ktQV-DOrVVrBO-VmOT3tvjKA7yGDmdoFtzc/s4000/IMG_20240204_065342038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARVBZXwAzeXLVP1twM12AAGqTOv7-e8Z75kRrdQQZcB2xzIgMD-QUfsnJ3wWjHBrD7zqjThPee3uoPsNwf5_KmRxGe1Brrd9XRJCW-t8nGmMMofqfLxDgfaaLbPUj8MJ_6xrSsvzSKOjHBaJRIHIBfbLp-ktQV-DOrVVrBO-VmOT3tvjKA7yGDmdoFtzc/s320/IMG_20240204_065342038.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Two tiny lambs. The triplets, unfortunately, did not make it. That ewe was not a good mother, and we will not be keeping her.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpPd_ZOj1MFCzwhxt1O9603WoLx8_7VOk6DIGh4Pfkqd6-GxgcNx_kd3lR7ValaNnlE3f62OvspygTvUmHFWCMPGCOI1pDM8OngLHpdCsIHS8wm8PwQQtprFIp4qgWLyqRhinYEVBbqqwS-v3TyzyU7r64L1JR1ncX1_2Ap1IQJPESfe-X0bZPgpoATue/s4000/IMG_20240204_065043676_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpPd_ZOj1MFCzwhxt1O9603WoLx8_7VOk6DIGh4Pfkqd6-GxgcNx_kd3lR7ValaNnlE3f62OvspygTvUmHFWCMPGCOI1pDM8OngLHpdCsIHS8wm8PwQQtprFIp4qgWLyqRhinYEVBbqqwS-v3TyzyU7r64L1JR1ncX1_2Ap1IQJPESfe-X0bZPgpoATue/s320/IMG_20240204_065043676_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A patriotic school bus.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There you have it! My life, snapshotted.</div>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-22678285068795596492024-02-02T04:22:00.002-07:002024-02-02T07:20:52.493-07:00Friday Food: A Little Bit of Chicken Fried*<p><b><u>Friday</u></b> </p><p>Short version: Leg of lamb, rice, radishes, soup</p><p>Long version: I thawed the last of the boned legs of lamb we had done at the proper butcher awhile ago, then marinated it in olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, and salt. </p><p>To cook it, I just browned it whole in bacon grease on both sides until it had gotten as crusty as it could without burning, then sliced it and briefly heated the pieces in the pan again, adding more salt and garlic powder at that point.</p><p>It was a pretty small roast, and would not have been big enough for all six of us to eat it. However, I had also made soup.</p><p>I mostly made the soup because I had made lamb broth several days earlier with a couple of lamb shanks, for a child who wasn't feeling well. I needed to use the broth or freeze it. I've been making stew a lot with the elk and ram, so I decided to do something different.</p><p>I used one of the two ham bones that had been in the freezer, simmered that in the broth--with onions and garlic added--then pulled off the meat and chopped it. There was about a cup of ham, to which I added the rest of the pinto beans I had cooked last weekend, diced carrots, the last of the pizza sauce, and rice. At the end, I also added a can of green beans we had gotten with commodities.</p><p>A good soup. I ate that, A. ate some with his lamb, and the sick child ate some of the broth with rice.</p><p><b><u>Saturday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Soup and bread at home, infinity concessions food at homecoming</p><p>Long version: I was with three of the children at homecoming, which is always a very long afternoon and evening. There are three basketball games and the homecoming court coronation. I had one boy playing in one of the games, one girl cheerleading, and one boy on the homecoming court. Due to various circumstances, we ended up rushing out the door to get the basketball player there on time, and I did not have time to get together a bunch of food.</p><p>This left me at the mercy of the concession stand. For six hours. With three children.</p><p>I must have spent at least $50 for, at various times, two Frito pies, two hamburgers, one hot dog, and assorted chips, candy, and drinks. It was a good reminder that it is totally worth all the somewhat obsessive planning and packing of food that I typically do for outings. </p><p>A. was home with one sick child--luckily, the only child who did not have any part to play in homecoming this year--and they had leftover ham and bean soup and the fresh bread I had made this day.</p><p><b><u>Sunday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Tuna/salmon patties, leftover rice, artichokes, salvaged chocolate pudding</p><p>Long version: Two 12-ounce cans of tuna, one 14-ounce can of salmon, because we're starting to get salmon from the excess commodities again.</p><p>I bought the artichokes last time I was at the store. Because they had them, and one child really loves artichokes. My mother always made a dipping sauce for them with oil, vinegar, and Worcester sauce, and so I do, too.</p><p>Everyone knows the best part of the artichoke is the heart. Somehow, my children assume that they eat the leaves, and then give me the heart for my salad. I think we did this once, and now apparently it's tradition. Kids are funny like that. And I'm not complaining.</p><p>The pudding was a classic Kristin Following a Recipe mess-up. I somehow read a <a href="https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/02/best-chocolate-pudding/" target="_blank">quarter cup of cornstarch</a> as <i>three</i> quarters of a cup. You can imagine how thick the resulting pudding was. I realized my mistake when I had to gouge it out of the pot. So I put it back in the pot, added more of everything, heated it again, whisked it vigorously, and called it good.</p><p>It was good, actually. And we ended up with like a gallon of pudding, which no one complained about. Given the frequency with which I do something so boneheaded in the kitchen, it's a good thing I have the experience to fix it instead of just giving up on it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1AtMXfOlOgTCS-FkNvMOzVS9aIPyzw6kf6-6x-_PTEAZiSl72XzZxwsYKIJkZlMrS6r0scggtEJKTQRKR6IX9daUvDqf-XuZlxHfCp7nEXq3nGVodJiFpDjZuRxWcM4XnKG1faYPgROmioil3F-ykZAuqc0DL0J5ZDQ3w4uglAXCbDKCVCNX2OQFxtLC/s4000/IMG_20240128_110556098.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1AtMXfOlOgTCS-FkNvMOzVS9aIPyzw6kf6-6x-_PTEAZiSl72XzZxwsYKIJkZlMrS6r0scggtEJKTQRKR6IX9daUvDqf-XuZlxHfCp7nEXq3nGVodJiFpDjZuRxWcM4XnKG1faYPgROmioil3F-ykZAuqc0DL0J5ZDQ3w4uglAXCbDKCVCNX2OQFxtLC/s320/IMG_20240128_110556098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I didn't spill any of it, either. Yay me.</i></div><p><b><u>Monday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Tuna-rice skillet, more pudding</p><p>Long version: I had some of the uncooked tuna patty mixture left, as well as a lot of rice. So I combined the two, plus already-cooked onion from the refrigerator, mayonnaise, frozen peas, and shredded cheese to make a skillet meal.</p><p>I had split the pudding into two containers, saving one for this night.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheizZE6_iXEjMpyVUAbKFV-2aUUQBR7HdiSik4LrarImlxE8VsV2ijDMo0xlKicpMJw99vdU1qHWlMzIXXX5ak1ZZZwyVoZ7vpFI3szr3witnoZyFhrTvh__e80Qk7wY7DC8Sa-1Z7L13itvAKDc_07Si2b2FFskWNP9oz9PL_7dQ98zKmEHEIxbC_8a79/s4000/IMG_20240128_111113960_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheizZE6_iXEjMpyVUAbKFV-2aUUQBR7HdiSik4LrarImlxE8VsV2ijDMo0xlKicpMJw99vdU1qHWlMzIXXX5ak1ZZZwyVoZ7vpFI3szr3witnoZyFhrTvh__e80Qk7wY7DC8Sa-1Z7L13itvAKDc_07Si2b2FFskWNP9oz9PL_7dQ98zKmEHEIxbC_8a79/s320/IMG_20240128_111113960_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />Sunday pudding on the left, Monday pudding on the right.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's very nice having chocolate pudding at the end of a long Monday. I recommend it. So do my children.</div><p><b><u>Tuesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Store fried chicken, leftover rice, grape tomatoes, chocolate-chip oatmeal cookie bars</p><p>Long version: In a complete departure from our typical meals, we had fried chicken from a grocery store this night. I was in a city to go to the doctor with the child who is soon to have his next foot surgery. We went to the grocery store before we came home, of course, and it was there that I bought the fried chicken, from the deli.</p><p>The reason I bought it was because of another child, who went to a Popeye's with A. on one of their adventures and came home raving about the chicken sandwich he had there. It was, I was told, fried chicken, lots of mayonnaise, and dill pickles. I had promised him we would re-create it at home, should we ever have the opportunity.</p><p>I don't fry chicken myself if I can avoid it, so I bought the 16-piece chicken offer from the deli, made sure to get dill pickles, and the Popeye's fan was in business. He was SO HAPPY with his sandwich. Sandwiches, in the plural, actually, since he ate two of them.</p><p>Everyone else had just the chicken with the leftover rice.</p><p>The chicken was not my plan for dinner this night, because I didn't think we'd get home in time for dinner. I had made a spanish tortilla for dinner, but that can sit quite happily in the refrigerator until it's needed.</p><p>I screwed up the cookie bars when I added too much of the dry ingredients and not enough butter, so they were kind of dry and crumbly, but no one seemed to have any trouble eating them.</p><p><b><u>Wednesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: More chicken sandwiches, lots of leftovers, green salad with vinaigrette, more cookie bars</p><p>Long version: Two children had the sandwiches. One had two pieces of plain chicken and some of the leftover tuna-rice skillet. One had a piece of the spanish tortilla. A. had the rest of the tuna-rice skillet and the last piece of leftover lamb. I had a salad with some chicken in it.</p><p>This cleaned out many leftovers, which is always satisfying.</p><p><b><u>Thursday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Spanish tortilla</p><p>Long version: Only half the family was eating, because two children came down the night before with a nasty stomach flu. Another child was at a basketball game. The remaining family members had the spanish tortilla I had made on Tuesday morning. And . . . that was it. I didn't make a vegetable.</p><p>Time for a refrigerator peek!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXch90gL4i0Aoqkr-ohVcLIVVXreJ5ywC8u689OCqHoJ-5ipabri1n88ubfVMH5c9htGgzk9lSa9u3LUxXsr383hZMuKkH9hfK68Ptt818gsvFFi8MCEO1siHgoNYM8ohd5WqLbOS2I_VEHqyfIMUuFyDTbyFD1vDf36omrmIZf0vzI08923CJmzK1BzOW/s4000/IMG_20240201_173545461_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXch90gL4i0Aoqkr-ohVcLIVVXreJ5ywC8u689OCqHoJ-5ipabri1n88ubfVMH5c9htGgzk9lSa9u3LUxXsr383hZMuKkH9hfK68Ptt818gsvFFi8MCEO1siHgoNYM8ohd5WqLbOS2I_VEHqyfIMUuFyDTbyFD1vDf36omrmIZf0vzI08923CJmzK1BzOW/s320/IMG_20240201_173545461_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It's full! Because I went to the store on Tuesday.</i></div><p>Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?</p><p><i>* It's from a song. Of course. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4ujS1er1r0" target="_blank">This one</a>.</i></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-31317975450320145302024-01-30T04:40:00.006-07:002024-01-30T09:20:32.806-07:00Here Come the Lambs!<p>On Sunday afternoon, one child came bursting into the house with the exciting news that there were lambs in the pasture. And not only lambs, but triplets.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZUt6WAU7wYhsIMj8ILQIdYfuGc9aCHdZsFLyVBEbfxonhJnwm2WCXTVZo1J0Vtng92p85D-wvPZBbuYz2t5vEDN4OWv5qG9JxND5MXmoFFY0Puk-U9XzanTYRnhiqFmIoF4ibOwK2WJ8KD8xJxJw-5Cw5L1WkN5KVvtpQUWMnsFr5tzq4VjHba1p_pNZ/s4000/IMG_20240128_150144723.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZUt6WAU7wYhsIMj8ILQIdYfuGc9aCHdZsFLyVBEbfxonhJnwm2WCXTVZo1J0Vtng92p85D-wvPZBbuYz2t5vEDN4OWv5qG9JxND5MXmoFFY0Puk-U9XzanTYRnhiqFmIoF4ibOwK2WJ8KD8xJxJw-5Cw5L1WkN5KVvtpQUWMnsFr5tzq4VjHba1p_pNZ/s320/IMG_20240128_150144723.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>One, two, three, all in a line.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div>This is the first time in fifteen years of lambing that we have ever had a ewe have triplets. While exciting, we didn't really expect all three to make it. Sheep have a hard time keeping track of and nursing that many lambs, and we don't bottle feed lambs. <p></p><p>However, as of yesterday night, all three seemed healthy, so maybe they will all make it.</p><p>A set of twins was born Sunday night, as well.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bTG7dyE90-ZOXdIal0yx6DyWICTj3Phy5Zf_eT13vUZhWiNY7WfU3mA-YFZavWPlwVr9oq6lD_0RauoiqsIUCjwQ3QAf_s1f8P5SYClLw5rGrHrH_HnDg6ejRHiPz1gFWHp01CUxs7gC5-PeCPIIOxSyTPLMCbKwCeFH42-mMOYJoFJmD8Eu-fgZsie7/s4000/IMG_20240128_150314543.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bTG7dyE90-ZOXdIal0yx6DyWICTj3Phy5Zf_eT13vUZhWiNY7WfU3mA-YFZavWPlwVr9oq6lD_0RauoiqsIUCjwQ3QAf_s1f8P5SYClLw5rGrHrH_HnDg6ejRHiPz1gFWHp01CUxs7gC5-PeCPIIOxSyTPLMCbKwCeFH42-mMOYJoFJmD8Eu-fgZsie7/s320/IMG_20240128_150314543.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Babies everywhere.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They seemed healthy, too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thankfully, we're in a stretch of notably warm weather, which is what we want for lambing. Even a healthy lamb has a hard time if it's 15 degrees with wind, but in this weather, they don't have any trouble.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're off to a great start so far with the lambing. There are four more older ewes that should lamb in short order, which means there will be lambs popping all over the pasture in a couple of weeks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Spring is coming, and so are the lambs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Update</i>: Two of the triplets were dead this morning, for no particular reason except that they apparently didn't follow their mother overnight, and she didn't go find them. So now we have three live lambs. And that's the way it goes.</div>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-45209904817482638902024-01-28T06:02:00.003-07:002024-01-28T06:10:18.591-07:00Snapshots: All School, All the Time<p>Since I worked all the days of our four-day school week this week, I spent more time than usual at school. Also, yesterday was homecoming. More school time! I had one cheerleader, one basketball player, and one member of the homecoming court there, all of whom needed special clothing. And all of that required me to be there until the bitter end, after the coronation. Which was after all three basketball games. </p><p>I did not stay for the dance afterwards. It was a community dance, so I could have, but it went from 9 p.m.-midnight, which is way past my bedtime even on days I haven't spent six hours sitting on a hard bleacher with excited children. </p><p>The older two boys wanted to go to the dance. A. had said he would pick them up around 11 p.m., but then he was home sick and already asleep when I got home at 8 p.m. I am still thanking God quite sincerely that my friend with similarly-aged children was going to the dance, drives right past our house on her way home, and offered to bring the boys home after the dance.</p><p>Anyway! All this to say that all my photos this week are in and of the school.</p><p>Our school is currently under construction, and that means all kinds of inconveniences. So far we have lost Internet, water, and power at various times. One power outage occurred on Monday. We have a generator, but our superintendent asked us to conserve power while it was running, so I turned off the lights in the hallway leading to my <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2023/12/snapshots-snow-and-sunrise.html" target="_blank">kitchen-office</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSL_7W6lm6dv9MD3FxDHIJDQzJr9gC_izuvpEr_1NfixS1cEJ_xIe4sNXcRD8UfINiB9h-zWmm6tce5VoODxhTbBEYP9tu81bAS7NsnLubj42iO4x1br6vY7oEBJR2Co_IsznvCF3y2wSlA0lUgq6TuP1LQjO55Ll1XpgqHR8205mEsAwAS-cf2W4mUuUq/s4000/IMG_20240122_100051326.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSL_7W6lm6dv9MD3FxDHIJDQzJr9gC_izuvpEr_1NfixS1cEJ_xIe4sNXcRD8UfINiB9h-zWmm6tce5VoODxhTbBEYP9tu81bAS7NsnLubj42iO4x1br6vY7oEBJR2Co_IsznvCF3y2wSlA0lUgq6TuP1LQjO55Ll1XpgqHR8205mEsAwAS-cf2W4mUuUq/s320/IMG_20240122_100051326.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It actually looked way darker in real life. And somewhat alarming, with the red exit sign glowing at the end.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Tuesday, I was substituting for our special ed. teacher, who is also the cheer coach. She asked me if I could organize the new cheer uniforms, unwrapping them, sorting them, and putting together bags for each girl using the size chart she gave me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are five pieces to each uniform--undershirt, undershorts, overshirt, skirt, and giant hair bow--and thirteen cheerleaders. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHWwNUXYiqvM9uMLHJxmI94Etg4Sv0PrN_u-IbQy0yTkxaYdazlyc5FBPM0Pi0IQ2IkNVJxs9AbgsgDE6Q6UXEv4Vcea4ABtztPF6zB6iV2ENPWitTYlwQmGfmlQK_DouZi4fLbxFzcgNPEIDt2VCgixlmqW97HRfeLg0qwFlgjTRc82s46p3Sdz-5pAc/s4000/IMG_20240123_122123181_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHWwNUXYiqvM9uMLHJxmI94Etg4Sv0PrN_u-IbQy0yTkxaYdazlyc5FBPM0Pi0IQ2IkNVJxs9AbgsgDE6Q6UXEv4Vcea4ABtztPF6zB6iV2ENPWitTYlwQmGfmlQK_DouZi4fLbxFzcgNPEIDt2VCgixlmqW97HRfeLg0qwFlgjTRc82s46p3Sdz-5pAc/s320/IMG_20240123_122123181_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A table full of cheer. (Ha.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was surprisingly difficult, but I managed in the end. And I only forgot one girl's undershirt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Thursday, I substituted in the <a href="https://going-country.blogspot.com/2023/12/snapshots-holidays-past-and-future.html" target="_blank">phrase-cube</a> classroom. This was my mandate for the day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo8hzFdZTY6vPvX2fakT2IOyhC6nsFD7WViPUDn0yPEMwrWRUOW0nsESrwvWdv4dQjC5NRovOtLvONydmZqhNZIY1wgwCgQXuxoj6WeHg__bm4Qo9UvlV79LVMxFkW-heSf9ScCgOLvwVUBYJ2RDL4x0ujv2_BrtsfUcbFNWw5yHdmz4NjacE4aEdtv9r/s4000/IMG_20240125_101412158_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAo8hzFdZTY6vPvX2fakT2IOyhC6nsFD7WViPUDn0yPEMwrWRUOW0nsESrwvWdv4dQjC5NRovOtLvONydmZqhNZIY1wgwCgQXuxoj6WeHg__bm4Qo9UvlV79LVMxFkW-heSf9ScCgOLvwVUBYJ2RDL4x0ujv2_BrtsfUcbFNWw5yHdmz4NjacE4aEdtv9r/s320/IMG_20240125_101412158_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Can't make me.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was definitely not smiling when I saw the instructions for the day's third-grade math lesson on fractions. It involved various sizes of paper, modeling clay, and cups of water, all to be laid out in stations.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXEW3NsYLNdHzgJKn2qW5y7XJZSKEnru5h9Gu7FAL_uoEsyhk8qX9oaZ9vy9DzfZmob11PkLDFKeMik-auMKFhPqfhh1tw3-Dunwsgy58I15pakIoWDlKNoks2-lMfQPmiFMQmRLp1QuYn4dGeXZoAlMlsdRjCNoDrY6sk1Kp0ILvSWHZEO_0Rfj1s37n/s4000/IMG_20240125_101404645.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXEW3NsYLNdHzgJKn2qW5y7XJZSKEnru5h9Gu7FAL_uoEsyhk8qX9oaZ9vy9DzfZmob11PkLDFKeMik-auMKFhPqfhh1tw3-Dunwsgy58I15pakIoWDlKNoks2-lMfQPmiFMQmRLp1QuYn4dGeXZoAlMlsdRjCNoDrY6sk1Kp0ILvSWHZEO_0Rfj1s37n/s320/IMG_20240125_101404645.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Thankfully, the teacher had already cut the paper to size for me, so I just had to organize it all, label it, and lay it out. This took me the entire fifteen minutes of the first recess.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also thankfully, the other teachers' aide comes in at math time and actually did the lesson with them. It seemed to be just as complicated in the execution as it was in the set-up, but the kids thought it was really fun.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, I do have one non-school photo! Sort of. This is what I was staring at for an hour and a half on my way to the basketball game last Friday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoIXsF-QOLG9z_t_U0xOzwEjzvN8Vi1EID5YCAvWR9jdsfih5JrcsrAOJtXvcEGT2UOrbrbLHxf2B2kXMjkUL9_yF75QnUUioVcFnwmNORE-h0GrBXnbm2nE6xboU7if3wNJe6J-pz5QITKXE1fai0BzvslZOuMrOihsOowlrryf4haL3YgftiNrijGa_/s4000/IMG_20240119_134942904.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoIXsF-QOLG9z_t_U0xOzwEjzvN8Vi1EID5YCAvWR9jdsfih5JrcsrAOJtXvcEGT2UOrbrbLHxf2B2kXMjkUL9_yF75QnUUioVcFnwmNORE-h0GrBXnbm2nE6xboU7if3wNJe6J-pz5QITKXE1fai0BzvslZOuMrOihsOowlrryf4haL3YgftiNrijGa_/s320/IMG_20240119_134942904.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I did not see a single other vehicle for 62 miles. I did see one coyote and a whole lot of antelope, though.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There you have it! My life, snapshotted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506305897742962637.post-71032589177101954122024-01-26T04:30:00.009-07:002024-01-26T13:35:50.164-07:00Friday Food: Catch as Catch Can<p>I ended up substituting on both of my usual days off this week, so it was a bit of scramble to get everyone fed every night. I did it, though, obviously.</p><p><b><u>Friday</u></b> </p><p>Short version: Lamb stew, cheese, leftover cornbread at home, and cookies; tuna salad, cheese, cookies, and chocolate milk on the road</p><p>Long version: I left at 1 p.m. to go to a far away basketball game. Before I left, I made lamb stew. It was pretty standard, except I threw in the last tablespoon or so of green tomato salsa that had been hanging out in the refrigerator. This was not popular as a salsa, but as a flavor booster, it works pretty well.</p><p>Due to a lack of easy breakfast options in the morning--out of milk, out of bread, only a couple of eggs left--I made a big pan of cornbread for breakfast. There was some left over, so the home crew had that with the stew.</p><p>The basketball game ended at 5 p.m. I knew if we ate in town, we wouldn't get home until pretty late, so I brought food to eat in the car. For the basketball player, there were tuna salad, crackers, and cookies.</p><p>I had gone to the grocery store before the game, and there I got the chocolate milk for the boy, as well as rice cakes and cheese for my dinner. I didn't have a knife with me, so I bought the pre-sliced squares of cheese. My children were fascinated by this cheese. They didn't know such things existed.</p><p>Sheltered lives they lead.</p><p><b><u>Saturday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Pork, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli</p><p>Long version: The standard slow-cooked pork roast, shredded and broiled in its own fat with mustard and maple syrup.</p><p>The boy who used to get so full after half a baked potato that he couldn't finish his dinner can now eat a whole potato plus his dinner, and still be hungry.</p><p>Growth spurts are real.</p><p><b><u>Sunday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Pizza, cucumbers, pumpkin pie with whipped cream</p><p>Long version: One cheese pizza, one with cheese and pepperoni. I always have to make ranch dressing for the pizza now, so I figured cucumbers would be a good addition to that.</p><p>I made the pumpkin pie with the single pie crust that was left after I made a double recipe and only used one for our New Year's pecan pie. I also already had a bag of pureed squash in the freezer, to which I added the rest of the ingredients for <a href="https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/silky-smooth-pumpkin-pie/" target="_blank">this pie</a>.</p><p>The crust went all wonky during the blind baking and sort of slid down inside the pie plate in a few places, but I pressed it back up and over the pie plate before it got all the way baked. The pie was delicious, despite this.</p><p><b><u>Monday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Leftover pizza, baked beans, raw radishes, pumpkin custard with more whipped cream</p><p>Long version: I had the equivalent of one whole pizza left over, so I just put that all on one pan and put the whole thing in the refrigerator. Then all I had to do after work was heat it up in the oven again.</p><p>I had made the baked beans the day before, because I cooked a pound of pinto beans and one child had been asking for baked beans. I am aware they are not a typical accompaniment to pizza. Oh well.</p><p>The pumpkin custard was the pumpkin pie filling that didn't fit in the pie itself. I always make the whole recipe anyway, and then just bake the extra in a small casserole dish to have as a custard. Some of the family actually prefers the custard without the crust, so it all works out.</p><p>I made more whipped cream, a task that is much less annoying in small quantities when I use my immersion blender. I just have to be careful not to overwhip it, because it goes from liquid to really thick very quickly after a minute.</p><p><b><u>Tuesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Pork and bean quesadillas, cucumbers</p><p>Long version: I found out the day before that I needed to substitute this day, and I didn't have enough leftovers for another meal. I did, however, have a small bag of pork in the freezer from a picnic roast I made awhile ago, and some of the plain pinto beans I had cooked on Sunday. So I combined the two with spices and salsa to make a filling. It was about equal parts pork and beans. That's what I used, along with cheese, to make the quesadillas.</p><p>The flour tortillas were store-brand ones I had bought when I went to the basketball game last weekend. I don't think I had ever bought these before, because I was surprised at their size. They barely fit in my 14-inch skillet.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ0GcDlLQChAuGPuYAb1UaYXlyUv_r_7YhRIr3bX9w0Q_OugepwevwlVjkwvK6Zwp5-oTNKk6OnMllWwOX8Ooav7gaXkla2hHSmGgTezffJbcq9PBfXu9QFME5a6pdBwyLSu12NRBYW2_oCikuiTrp35FqLThgIcudS5g2z_F5aiXx9_2g__IlJCYE6JP/s4000/IMG_20240123_171243070.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ0GcDlLQChAuGPuYAb1UaYXlyUv_r_7YhRIr3bX9w0Q_OugepwevwlVjkwvK6Zwp5-oTNKk6OnMllWwOX8Ooav7gaXkla2hHSmGgTezffJbcq9PBfXu9QFME5a6pdBwyLSu12NRBYW2_oCikuiTrp35FqLThgIcudS5g2z_F5aiXx9_2g__IlJCYE6JP/s320/IMG_20240123_171243070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Tight fit. It made it kind of hard to flip them.</i></div><p><b><u>Wednesday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Chorizo and potato skillet, raw radishes</p><p>Long version: I typically rely quite heavily on ground meat during weeks I have to work a lot and thus don't have as much time to cook. The only ground meat I have left at the moment is elk chorizo, so I took a bag of that out to thaw while I was at work this day.</p><p>When I got home, I microwaved a bunch of potatoes to cook them most of the way, then chopped them and fried them in butter with the chorizo, some already-cooked onion from the refrigerator, and grated cheese.</p><p>The one child who doesn't like chorizo had the very last of the tuna salad from Friday in a tuna quesadilla, which is like a tuna melt, except using corn tortillas instead of bread.</p><p>And I had a very interesting item that came from the excess commodities delivered the day before. It was a little self-contained ceasar salad kit, in its own little bowl with a little fork and everything. Clearly the sort of thing purchased for those eating on the go. I was not really on the go, and this is not something I would ever purchase, but it was fun to try it for free from commodities. It included a little cup of dressing, but too much of it, and diced chicken, but not enough of that. So to up the protein, I used only half the dressing and added pecans. It wasn't bad.</p><p><b><u>Thursday</u></b></p><p>Short version: Leftovers, eggs, carrot sticks with ranch dip</p><p>Long version: I had to go to the basketball game twenty miles away right after work, so I didn't get home until about 5:30 with the basketball player. There were some leftovers from the chorizo and potatoes, and some baked beans, but not enough of either.</p><p>To fill everything in a bit, I scrambled half a dozen eggs, and added bread and butter. Also the last of the ranch dressing from pizza night for their carrot sticks.</p><p>And now, a refrigerator check-in.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlhMEW6OfsGb8Tejl85wlgLDUJGEfxh5GgxzZe91NECPsvGkHY0Dr1izK_CPSk82S-RTPoTr-ng61FOtb_2fdY65ERIcPp4VgKJH3DTurHAiLxoB4JJYXw9zHDrJCx07WCIV5uT-dywZI73xPSye0DaK2LH0_1jzd79qb6Jl0TdH18pmkZXbxKsco_4t0/s4000/IMG_20240126_131833083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlhMEW6OfsGb8Tejl85wlgLDUJGEfxh5GgxzZe91NECPsvGkHY0Dr1izK_CPSk82S-RTPoTr-ng61FOtb_2fdY65ERIcPp4VgKJH3DTurHAiLxoB4JJYXw9zHDrJCx07WCIV5uT-dywZI73xPSye0DaK2LH0_1jzd79qb6Jl0TdH18pmkZXbxKsco_4t0/s320/IMG_20240126_131833083.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Less empty than previous weeks. </i></div><p>Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?</p><p><br /></p>Kristin @ Going Countryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00221544641416039741noreply@blogger.com5