A gardener can only dream

My green house is starting to work again.  I should explain.  In December and January, the best I hope for is keeping everything alive.  In addition, I can usually continue to harvest thyme, mint and oregano for part of that time.

Other than that, I go into maintenance mode.  Actually, I ignore it. 

But it has been a mild winter for us.  Well, mild in temperature.  Where I live it starts to rain about November and quits sometime around May.   This picture was from last year.  No snow this year. 

But at some point I get to start to think of seed starting.  I can get to 60 or 70 some days and stay above 40 at night.  I've got a little heat in it.  If it isn't completely overcast and raining, I can get a little solar gain happening.

So it is this time of year, I start to think about what my garden will look like.  I don't have a big one mind you.  Perennials, shade and sun, and roses.  Blue berries and strawberries.  Fresh herbs and tomatoes.  I planted a raspberry plant and a blackberry plant last year.  They are just sticks now.  I suppost it is obvious this picture is early May, not now.

I use fresh herbs when I have them.  I use basil, tarragon, oregano, parsley, chives, mint, thyme.  I don't plant a zucchini usually or a cucumber.  I have access to farm fresh local produce at a modest price in season.  Although, last year I longed to play around with zucchini blosoms, battered and fried, or stuffed.  That would have been fun.  I wanted to make my grandmother's zucchini relish, but I didn't get it done.

I've planted bush beans the last couple years and that was fun.  I started some soy beans last spring, but went on vacation in June and killed some of them and gave the rest to my daughter in law. 

I've always wanted some dwarf fruit trees, but I don't have the room.  And let's be serious.  I wouldn't take care of them well enough.  Darn it.  That unfortunate need for gainful employment.  It gets in my way.

Oh well.  A girl can dream.

Did I mention that change is good?

As I've mentioned before, my husband and I own a construction company.  We were flying high in 2007.  The world was ours to reach for.  Then 2008 came along and life was a little harder.  We didn't enjoy 2009 very much.  I think 2010 will be better, but we are all a bit traumatized. 

As my Father used to say about challenges, "It Builds Character!"  Our life together over the last 2 years has shown us what we are made of.  If you have been in a successful longterm partnership, you have the experience of knowing the absolute worst, deep dark nasties of your partner and also the sublime, god-like perfection of your partner.  My parents were like that. 

My Father was fearless.. and just a little reckless.  I believe he had a severe learning disability which he passed along to me, but also a keen intelligence.  He could build anything, do anything, make anything.  He knew how everything worked.  He had energy and stamina to burn.  He also couldn't read or write above about a 4th grade level.  Being a trained teacher myself, I believe that (1) I have the same learning disability and (2) I was fortunate to have had a few excellent tutors and role models.  I was taught compensations to my learning disability.  I just think differently.  The right teacher (Mrs. Wellander, Miss Pierce, and Mr. Clark, bless you all) makes all the difference. 

But, my father was born December 5, 1929 in Cheyenne Valley, Oklahoma at the beginning of the depression.  By the way, Cheyenne Valley, Oklahoma, no longer exists for notable reasons.  My father taught me that I could do anything.  That I was smarter than the Average Bear.  That I had stamina and strength that I didn't even know I had.  That I could do things if I could only figure it out.

My Mother was Articulate, Thoughtful, and Brilliant.  If you look at my post on December 27th, you may see something else, but that is what she was.  She was also fearful in all the ways my father was fearless.  My mothers' fearfulness dominated many of their decisions, but they balanced each other in ways my husband balances me.  When my father started a business, my mother took accounting classes.  That is the way with us also.  My mother was born on Marh 13, 1936 in Cleo Springs, OK during the depression to watermellon farmers, Lee and Irene Rose.  She was born to two amazing people who did amazing things once they only had a chance. 

Now back to Darrell and I in January 2010.  We've been looking for a property which has the qualities of our home, but also has the qualities of our business.  We are hoping for both functions on one property to reduce overall costs.  We found a property like that today.  Many good qualities.  Well, an electric stove, that's bad.  And I could go on and on.  But it had a nice house and a shop for the business and another residence where our kids, who also work for us, could live.

I could have a chicken coup.  Josh could have a cow he could raise for the butcher.  My dad would have loved the set up.  My mother would have immediately started canning things and making curtains.  Whether we'll actually make a change is unknown.  I'm proud of us for working through the problems and looking for solutions. 

Me, I came back and felt grateful to have a warm bright comfortable home.  I immediately started cooking.

This is brown rice cooked in beef stock and a little salt.  Some butter, then some cooked brocolli and some shredded parmesan cheese.

  Husband has a beef sausage that he likes.  I have another recipe using it that also has potatoe and tomato.  It will be in the cookbook.  See my October 29 post.

Here I've heated a little olive oil and browned it.  I poured the sausage and all the liquid in the pan over the other ingredients.  Then, I stuck it in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Pretty good.  And even pretty healthy.

Remember to be a good roll model to someone.

Cooking for Pleasure

I have this unfortunate need for gainful employment.  The last two years have not been kind to the business my husband and I own and run together.  We've been working very hard and I think we will pull through.  In addition to a long week, we worked on Saturday too.  I was planning on cooking for pleasure last night but didn't get home soon enough, so the Queen of Casseroles whipped something up quickly and we watched a movie.  But today, Sunday, I planned, insisted actually, on a few hours to do as I please, which included painting some furniture and cooking.   My December 27 post talked about my visit with my mother and the pleasurable day we had making Julie Child's Beef Bourguignon.  I had been thinking that it had been awhile since I made a good old American beef stew, so that is what I set out to do.  I've modified a recipe I have.  This is not original.

Beef Stew Chez Osborne
In my largest kettle, I browned about 2 1/2 lbs of stew meat in 3 T. Olive oil seasoned in 1 T. Salt and quite a bit of fresh ground pepper.  When each piece was browned on the outside but still uncooked on the inside, I removed them to a plate, got rid of the juices they gave off and wiped out my kettle. 

Now 1/2 a medium onion finely chopped.  Onion is a sensitive issue in my house.  Husband doesn't like it.  Sorry dear, Stew has onion in it, please forgive me.  And 3 cloves of garlic minced. 

There is a pleasure of all the sense in cooking for me.  I want to take the time to touch things, smell things, as I go.  I grow my garlic.  My October 31 post showed my crop from the summer.  In my climate it is harvested in late June and hung to dry.  I still have a bit.  It isn't beautiful, but it is very lovely to cook with. This it about half of my remaining stash, so I'll be buying it from the grocery store before the next crop comes in.  What a bummer. 

Return the meat to the pot once the onions and garlic is cooked.  A little can of tomato paste (that's probably too much, but I can't stand to waste it.)  A 1/3 c. flour sprinkled over that and mixed.  Then an entire 32 oz carton of beef broth. 

Checked the furniture for dryness then out to my greenhouse for herbs.  The winter has not been kind to several things in  my greenhouse.  I'm a bit embarrassed.  The starts of kinnikinnick I was going to winter over and plant in the spring are not looking good.  The oregano and mint looks good.  The chives plant didn't winter over well, but it should be alive.  We'll see what it does.  Here is my thyme plant. 

The leaves are still fragrant and soft, although the plant is quite lopsided.  Took a moment to sniff and feel good.  I tasted it and decided to use it.  Don't worry little friend; spring is coming!  Snipped some and back to the kitchen.   I don't have a bay leaf plant, although I would very much like to.  I think they are Mediterranian.  I wonder if they would winter over in the Pacific Northwest?   I'm out of cheese cloth, but no worries.  I had fun cramming the Thyme and 3 dried old crinkly bay leaves into my tea ball.  I really need to look into the bay leaf plant!

Into the pool little tea ball.  I suspect that Emeril would not approve of this procedure, but it is really cracking me up.  Slowly simmered this one for an hour.

5 carrots and 2 celery stalks.  American stew has potatoes in it.  Five small red skinned potatoes, peeled.

And into the soup.  Where's the tea ball?  Oh there it is.  Okay this isn't exactly the recipe in the Betty Crocker Cookbook, but I'm not really a turnip girl.  Husband comes by, like he does every evening, to tell me it smells good and kiss my neck.

Cook the whole thing at a low simmer for another hour.  About this time, I poured myself a glass of wine and turned on the television.  This should be a nice night.  My favorite sou chef, the golden retriever, is Hoovering (As in vacuuming the floor for crumbs) at my feet.

Osborne Cheese Bread

There are two full time residents of this house, but many visitors. 

Husband likes cheese bread, but if it's just us, the french bread loaf gets dry.  I'm going to make cheese bread out of the remaining loaf and freeze part of it.  Will that work?  It should.

Slice the pieces, spread with butter.  Then a pinch of garlic powder between my fingers and sprinkle it over all pieces and the same with Italian seasoning.  Then spinkle with mozzarella cheese.  We'll only eat a couple pieces, so I'll freeze the others and pull them out another day. 

Remember to feel good.  And have courage.  A better day is coming. 

Ice Box Noodle Stroganoff

This one of my camping meals.  You'll see the reason soon.  But it is equally helpful for those special nights when life has been beating you down all day and the kids need to eat.  This is the kind of meal that shuts kids up (and I mean that in the nicest way.)

Ice Box Stroganoff

Brown 1 lb of ground beef or less and drain off the fat.  Season with 1T dried minced onion and 1 t. dried garlic powder.  Add 2 T. Worcestershire Sauce and 3T. Red Wine. 

And a boat load of Crimini Mushrooms.  I love Crimini Mushrooms, the color, the texture.  They are so darn cute. I quarter them.  If I have less than a full lb of hamburger, I add more mushrooms and no one complains.

Now I cut a few more because my audience eats some of them.

Finally,  Mushrooms into the skillet with the meat and add a can of beef broth. 

Here's where it makes a good meal for camping.  Stop now and put the contents of the skillet in a zip lock bag.  Squeeze the air out and pat it into a nice square shape, then put it in the freezer to make a block of stroganoff ice. 

When you get ready to pack the ice box, take out the bag and use it as part of the ice in your ice box.  Pack the remaining ingredients:  1/2 a box of curly pasta and 1/2 c. sour cream.  

When you are ready to finish the dish, everything into the skillet to heat to a simmer and add the 1/2 box of pasta.  Yes, add them uncooked. 

Stir them to get them wet in the canned broth and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring fairly regularly.  If you stop stirring, cover the skillet with the lid to help steam the pasta.  Add a little water or broth if it starts to get dry, but I've been making this for years.  The noodles soften quickly. 

Finish the dish with 1/2 c. sour cream, 1/2 t. Salt., 1/4 t. fresh ground pepper.  Turn it with a big spoon to combine and continue cooking until heated through.  I like a little chopped parsley on top, but if you are camping or having a really bad day, that's optional. It's still creamy and bubbly, and makes the house smell good and brings them down to eat. 

Don't even talk to me about that boxed stuff.  Not real food, not less expensive, not more convenient.

Our lesson for today, kids:   This dish has several things in common with the last post:  Hamburger, which is a staple in your freezer.  Seasoning:  Having a well-stocked seasoning cabinet is important for this type of cooking.  Sour Cream, which I consider a necessity to always have in my frig. 
A basic canned good always on hand.  Basic staples from the pantry.  Real food in a hurry.   On to the side dish:  Brocolli cooked in beef broth with melted mozzarella cheese.  Husband and son will eat a pile of that. 

More on side dishes soon.  Now:  Knitting and the news.  Happy and warm family cuddled up together with full bellies.

Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole

I realize that everyone who reads this post cooks.  Otherwise, you would be reading something else.  I don't mean to insult anyone's skills or intelligence, but I am surprised and alarmed by the number of people of my acquintance who have troubles putting dinner on the table everynight without frozen entres and box mixes.  Most of us do not have the time for the pot roast or meat loaves popular in our mother's and grandmother's times on weeknights.  This is my thing.  Making sure that everyone around me, boys and girls, can make basic real food.  So here goes, another dinner for weeknights that comes out of the pantry and freezer with minimum time and effort but is flavorful and interesting enough to make them hurry to the table.

Each of the ingredients of this dish should already be in your pantry, frig, or freezer, hamburger in your freezer, tortillas, cheese and sour cream in your fridge, spices, salsa, corn in your pantry.  The next entry of this blog uses hamburger, sour cream, spices and cheese in a whole new direction.  A fully stocked pantry can make a million dishes, or at least quite a few.  Not expensive, quick, not hard. 

When I can cook for fun, I make what I want.  Tonight, the sooner I'm done the sooner I can knit and watch the news.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

1 lb ground beef,

2 t. mince dried onion.
1 t. salt
1 T. Chili powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 c. water
 4 8" corn tortillsa
1 1/4 cup salsa
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 can corn, drained
1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese grated.

In a large skillet, cook beef and drain any fat or liquid.  Add onion , salt, chili powder and garlic powder.  Mix and heat through. 

Add water and simmer for 3 - 5 minutes until liquid reduces and flavors combine. 

Meanwhile, slice tortilla into strips similar to lasagna noodles.  Set out salsa and sour cream.  Drain corn and grated cheese.

To assemble, spray 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread 3/4 c. meat on bottom of pan.  Add a layer of tortillas, 

then 1/2 can of drained corn.  Add 1/4 c. salsa, 1/2 c. meat and 1/2 c cheese, 1/2 sour cream.

Another layer of tortillas.  The other 1/2 can of corn.  1/2 c. salsa, 1/2 salsa, and a layer of the rest of the tortillas.  The rest of the meat, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/2 c. sour cream, cheese and 1/2 salsa. 

Bake at 350 degress for 25 minutes.  Husband says it would be good if served in a restaurant.  Son says it smells good.  Add a cooked vegetable.  What more do you want?

If you have left overs, package them up in lunch boxes where microwaves are available. 

Curly Noodle Ham Skillet

Recipes evolve for me over time.  They start out someone else's idea and morph into something that is mine.  This one is in the process of change.  Experiment with the type of noodles and sauce until you find what you like.  Substitute vegetables depending upon what your family likes or what you have. 

Curly Noodle Ham Skillet Dinner

1T. vegetable oil

1 carrot peeled and sliced

1 bell pepper

1 c. snap peas

1 1/2 c. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 clove garlic minced
7.25 oz package of oriental style noodles
1/4 c water
1 1/2 T. Stir Fry sauce, your favorite kind
2 T. Soy sauce
2 C. fully cooked ham cut into bite size pieces

In a large skillet, heat the oil.  Add the carrot and pepper and move them around in the oil to coat.  Add the peas, mushrooms and garlic.  Add the water and bring to a simmerl.  Put a lid on the pan and cook for 3 - 5 minutes to soften and sweat the vegetables.  Remove the lid.

I'm using soft noodles purchased from the refrigerator eisle of the grocery.  I discard the seasoning packet.  It isn't real food. I'm not sure what it is. 

Add the noodles to the skiillet, the stir fry sauce and soy sauce, the ham and stir to combine and heat throughout.

Taste it and add more seasoning if you like.  Or serve with soy sauce or sweet chili sauce.  We enjoy this and I can produce it in less than 30 minutes on the nights I need a little help. .

Dinner's ready.  Time to knit and be happy.

Change is Good

Happy New Year to anyone who reads this.

At the start of 2010,  I find myself refreshed and optimistic. 

Last year was difficult for us in several ways, but I find myself looking forward to a better year coming up.

I find myself recommitted to working toward some long term goals, grateful for the life I have, happy to live in a world with the opportunity to make things happen for myself. Ready to move forward.