Adzuki Beans; Adorable and Delicious

Day One- Fresh and Delicious on its Own

After Day One- AMAZING with cooked rice or barley!

Easy Wholegrain Flatbread

Oh my goodness...crisp edges...utter deliciousness

On My Birthday, No Less!

I'm crazy excited, super stoked. Today was my birthday, and I gave myself a present; I went to visit the library for the very first installment of ...drumroll... a series on Sustainable Living! It wouldn't have mattered how they advertised, but the picture of a chicken coop with a cat perched on top sold me. Immediately.

Here was the blurb on FB:
Have you ever raised chickens or rabbits in your backyard? Have a bee hive in your yard? If you want to learn more be at the New Haven Branch at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 18. This is the first in a series on Sustainable Living.

I Never Knew That! --Sweetgum Balls

You know, the super magical thing about the internet is that it can make you the bearer of almost instant knowledge on just about anything. This comes in handy when you hang out with kids. The 'aha, I never knew!' moments are exhilarating.

For instance, yesterday I finally googled 'tree with spiky balls.' Yeah, I giggled a little inside at the search terms.

Last Minute Pizza Sauce

We make a LOT of homemade pizza around here, for lunch and for supper. I used to swear by a very particular brand of pizza sauce, but we are so spontaneous with our pizza making that it is hard to keep the specific sauce on hand. 

Time-Travelling Christmas Gift

So, I was digging the cabinet.

Trying to pull the crock pot out of its nest, cursing my lack of space.

And these 4 hot pads became dislodged from the back of the cabinet, and fell onto the floor.

Nostalgia and memories spilled over me...and I instantly began to smile. These beautiful handmade pot holders came from my Grandma Marshall. She's been gone 6 years this past September. But she will live in my soul until the end of my own life.

Help Feed Yourself

I love this USDA poster from 1917. I'm excited that the ideas presented in the poster have started to become really popular lately.

Backyard chickens and gardens? Yes, please! Using empty lots? Sign me up! As this poster proves, these ideas are not new, but I feel like the sentiment has become so lost in the past couple of generations. The revival of self-reliance is a movement that I hope continues and grows!

Do you want to be one of the people who strives for more independence? Do you want to provide a good portion of your own food? Me too! Let's keep it up! :)

Found it HERE

Royal Icing

This has become one of my favorite icing recipes for sugar cookies, especially at Christmastime. While it doesn't have the rich, buttery flavor of buttercream (my mom's standby), I like how the frosting gets crisp and make the cookies totally portable and stackable. Plus I think they look really pretty with the smooth surface, especially when a few subtle sprinkles are added.

It's also perfect for piping onto gingerbread men!


Royal Icing (from cooks.com)

3 egg whites
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/2 t. almond or vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat on medium high for a full 10 minutes. Icing will become thick and glossy but will not increase in volume. Keep covered with a damp cloth while using, removing small portions to bowl as needed. Tint if desired. To thin, add a few drops of water. Royal icing hardens with a nice sheen.

Uncle Loren's GIANT Garden

Part of my 'The Gardeners in My Life' series!

It was ONE degree outside this morning. The skeletons in the garden are covered under a layer of powdery freeze, and the memories of summer seem impossibly long ago. Here we enter another cycle. Each winter, even though we know the warm days will eventually return, it's just as hard as the year before to imagine that the ground and the world will warm up. Not for months, though. Oh, my bones are aching already from the cold.

Wild Rice Turkey Soup

This recipe was shared on the Simple Saturdays Blog Hop!

 

This is the kind of soup that I would describe as "soul food." Thick, hearty, smooth...and it warms you up from the inside out with each bite. It is one of my absolute favorite ways to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It's sort of a tradition around here; a couple days after each Thanksgiving this soup winds up on the table for  light yet completely satisfying meal.

If you have turkey broth left from cooking the turkey, great, I've always used either chicken or veggie broth because I've never actually been in charge of cooking the Thanksgiving turkey. I always end up taking leftover turkey home from my mom's house.

While cream or half-and-half would add another level of richness to the soup, I never have those in my fridge, so I've always used whole milk. Try not to omit the almonds, please! They are the secret ingredient that sends the recipe through the roof!


Wild Rice Turkey Soup                              Print Recipe
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
2/3 c. uncooked wild rice
2 c. water

6 T. butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/3 c. flour (I recommend organic flour)
4 c. broth (turkey, chicken, or veggie)
2 carrots, grated
2 c. cooked turkey, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 c. chopped slivered almonds

3/4 c. milk, cream, or half-and-half
1 t. lemon juice (optional)

Cook the rice in the water by bringing to a boil, then reducing to a simmer for 40-45 minutes, covered. When the rice is cooked (tender but not mushy), drain any remaining water and fluff with a fork, then cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a soup pot , melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are starting to become translucent. Stir in the flour and continue to cook and stir until the flour is yellow-brown, about 5 more minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth until there are no lumps of flour left. Add the grated carrot and bring the soup to a boil, whisking constantly, until the broth is thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.

Turn heat down to simmer and add the cooked rice, turkey, salt, pepper, and almonds. Let the soup cook until all ingredients are hot, then stir in milk (or cream or half-and-half) and the optional lemon juice. Serve hot with freshly baked bread. Yum!