Holiday Menu "try-its" ~ Winter Prep ~ Motorcycle Rides and More Garlic

It's been one year since Hubby's mild heart attack.  We are so thankful he is doing well health-wise, and doesn't get sick as often either.

We took the Harley out on Saturday, and visited the flea market festival we visited the very day he had the heart attack.  It was fun to get out to ride.  We ditched it early due to the 90 degree sweltering heat and us in long pants and leather boots. We took a long ride to get lunch.  We rode all day, visited a family birthday party and ended it at home to fry up some bacon.

I tried a new recipe for an overnight breakfast casserole.  It used "croutons" vs. cubed bread.  I had some (homemade) in the freezer that needed rotated out for new, so I tried it.

I used homemade sausage and organic bacon both.  We typically make a sausage/egg souffle (also overnight) dish, but I wanted to try a new one with greens in it.

The results?  

Holiday Menu Planning ~ Sweet Potato Pie

The "bug" to try new recipes, for the up coming holidays, has hit me again.  I needed to rotate out some pie crust crumbles anyway.

Thursday:  I had time to do something, and scrubbing the master bath toilet was not looking like the time filler for me. Although it does need done.

 Dinner prep was already done (salmon patties) and homemade sausage was already mixed and in the fridge.

It was too hot to go outside to work.  It was too hot and humid to sit on the porch with my feet up too.

Jack Daniel's Fudge ~ Holiday Prep

Don't throw tomatoes at me, ha ha!  I spent the Labor Day weekend laboring in the tomato patch(s).

Hubby and I had to re-tie the 100-some tomato plants and finally finished them up yesterday.  By the time we picked tomatoes, it was too hot to remain out there, and too late to start a batch of anything with tomatoes.

I tried a new recipe to see if it would be a different spin on a holiday treat for gatherings.  I lined a 13 x 9 pan with parchment paper, then lightly oiled it.  You could use non-stick spray if you prefer.  I didn't use much at all really.  

Pour 1 cup of Jack Daniel's Whiskey over 2 pounds of sifted powdered sugar and stir.

Our Onion Soup Mix Experiment ~ Tidbits

Why onion soup?  Because I have nothing else to write about today (yet).   

Believe it or not, I am still deep cleaning here and there (three boxes went to the thrift store), and finally got Hubby to replace the old (very old) light fixture in the kitchen.  We've had replacement for it for a long time, but have not had the time to get it up.

Back to the soup. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Barbecued green beans are are already in the crock pot.  I decided on that, and a yellow squash and corn casserole today.  The green beans are made with my homemade ketchup, and the casserole with the corn we put up (and homemade baking mix).  Simple. I'm lucky to have found organic yellow squash at the grocery store.

 (sorry for the links to the recipes, I got kind of lazy today)

Today is a good day to post a gratitude list.

As random as it gets. . .

I have no new recipe to share, no family funny, nor exciting updates today.  It's a cold, cloud covered day here today, and you can tell the snow is on the way.

When the girls got home from school, they could hear gun shots out behind the homestead.  I did my usual walk around the property.

Baking with Booze

This year may be a "booze infused" Christmas. Ha ha!    Hubby brought home a 4 oz. back of "Whiskey Stix" made here locally in our state.  They were spicy, they were delicious, but way over priced.  I, like most days, said "I can make this myself!"

I found a recipe for Whiskey "Sticks", and made them for Hubby's game day.  They are easy to make, healthier than most snacks they take, and delish!

Let the Baking Begin!

My Christmas baking has begun.  It's official.  Drum roll please....

"You made buckeyes and you didn't save me any?!"  cried Hubby.

"Yes," I firmly replied.  "Out of sight, out of mind."

"Hmpf."

Past December Months

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner yesterday.  I thought we were going to have coon for the meal too.  My son took the dogs out for their walk, and Alias sniffed out a sleeping raccoon (in one of the barns).  He actually woke it up, went after it, but thankfully backed off with my son's calls.  He did get cut in the mouth area, but it's healing nicely.  So, needless to say we set the trap, but we haven't caught it yet.

Baking and Cooking with Lard ~ Chocolate Cherry Crunches

(The upper two on the right were made with a half cherry and the others a whole cherry)

Another future goal of ours, is to raise pigs for meat, and of course have lard.  

I spend a lot of time researching ways to utilize something before we raise it for food. 

 

(Photo source: Amazon)

I have found this wonderful book at the library (again, a great place to read books for free).  However, I may have to add this book to my personal homesteading library. 

I did not have enough dough to cover 24 whole maraschino
cherries.  I started to cut them in half, however, in the end, preferred the whole cherry in the cookie.  Next time, I need to use less dough per cookie.

These would be great for Valentine's Day or Christmas.

I am sure the debate over shortening and lard will continue for years, and doctors will have their opinion.  But when it comes down to it, it's about what's real and what's not real.  And of course, everything in moderation.

Dollar Store Finds ~ USA Made ~ Stocking Up

Waxed paper - $1.00 (65 Sq. feet).  Made in the USA.  If you bake, especially over the holidays, this is a great price too.  If you have kids, it comes in handy for craft projects.  This sells for $1.29 at Menards.   I found this waxed paper at a store called The Dollar Tree.