Nurse Hilda

Over the weekend, I learned to love drinking water, hot ginger tea, the smell of vapo-rub, and put up with Nurse Hilda.

Nurse Hilda (aka my 11 year-old daughter) spent the weekend checking my temperature, bringing me hot tea, soup, and toast. 


She did a really good job, other than her persistent temperature checking.  She was insistent on taking my temperature in both ears.  Not just one.  And of course her motor mouth jabbering that kept me up to date on what was going on in the house.

School started back on Monday, so Nurse Hilda is back in school.  

I honestly don't know what I have, but will continue to use my immunity oil a wonderful farmgirl shared with me, my hot teas and such.  I see a huge difference with the homemade ginger drinks.

The two girls that were feeling under the weather, continue to fight it off as well.

Oh...and Nurse Hilda hijacked my blog (see post below) while I stepped away from the computer this morning.  Made me laugh anyway.

I am sure they will be sanitizing the keyboard too. 
  

MOMMY

Hi mommy, I love you

From the Homesteading Journal . . .

 . . . made my first homemade ginger ale and loved it!  I plan to make more of this (more so for health reasons) for a refreshing summer treat.  There are many recipes on the Internet.  I also made a hot ginger tea.  The recipe is from my sister's Indian cookbook.  I am enjoying this, in hopes to speed up my recovery from this cold/sinus/cough/chest pain illness.

Healthier Hash

 (before adding turkey and cream)

I made another new recipe - Tasty Turkey Hash.  However, the "tasty" part wasn't what I was thinking when I ate my first bite.

This recipe lacks flavor.  In a last minute effort to make this dish "pop" I mixed in 1/2 tsp. of my ground jalapeno/cayenne pepper mix.  

If you do try this recipe, I'd like to know what you added to it, to add flavor. 

I know ginger and garlic are good with sweet potatoes, but I'm not sure about the turkey.  What would you add?

Some of the kids topped it with shredded cheddar cheese and ate in it in a soft tortilla.   

Leftover Tip:  Add scrambled eggs for a breakfast burrito (any a hot sauce if you like it).

Tempting Turkey Hash
(adapted from Tired and Wired, by Marcelle Pick)

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 red or green bell pepper, chopped, organic
1/2 small onion, chopped, homegrown
1 medium sweet potato, diced, organic or homegrown
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, again home grown (no chemicals)
1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, cubed (home raised or organic)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons cream (we used organic milk)
*1/2 tsp. ground hot pepper (our addition, used a combo of cayenne and jalapeno, also organically grown)

In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat and saute pepper and onion approximately 2 minutes, or until softened.  Add sweet potato and thyme, stirring occasionally, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.  Add turkey, and season with salt and pepper.  Slowly stir in cream and simmer for 2-4 minutes, or until mixture thickens.  Serve.

Servings:  2     

Wacky Weather

We went from this on January 26th, to ....

...this a few days ago - warm and muddy mess.  I had to wear mucking boots out to put my laundry on the line.

  Today it's snowing again. 

All in a days work.

We now have three of us down with the crud.  I may have to make homemade cough syrup yet.  Looks like one of the kids will be cooking dinner again.  

My oldest daughter, although started getting sick later last night, stepped up to make dinner.  She was creative and scrambled eggs with my home canned salsa, and made egg sandwiches on English muffins.  For the side she cut up potatoes and fried them with cumin.  I regret not getting a photo.

Baking in Cast Iron ~ Naughty Horse

Baking continues - Irish Soda Bread (Before)

 Cooling....

Isn't it beautiful? Yum! 

I used a recipe I found on the internet, but used ricotta cheese in place of sour cream, and cut the 3 cups of raisins down to 2 cups.  I also baked it in a 12 inch cast iron pan vs. a 9 inch (didn't have one).  I just reduced the heat by 25 degrees about half way through the baking process.  The ricotta worked as well as the sour cream.  What can I say, part of our motto is "use it up."

Last night I woke coughed and coughed.  This morning I woke to a sore throat.  I am very low on honey so I cannot try the cough syrup Candy mentioned.  I hope to restock this weekend.   Two more girls are feeling ill now. 

Yesterday, while I was checking the soup on the crock pot, I looked out the window to see Blondie (my daughter's horse) with her head completely over the fence, eating the grass on the outside.  Hmpf.  I ran out and threw her some hay on the other side, to keep her mind off the grass out there.  She knows the fence is not electric.

Then when the three younger ones arrived, Blondie was doing it again.  So, out went my second oldest daughter, and got her head back in the fence.

Only a few minutes later, that daughter was back in, and my oldest was driving in the driveway.  In that short time, she (Blondie) go caught up in the fence and had her blanket half way down.  My son and I already straightened her blanket once in the morning.  She's been rolling in it already too.

Thankfully, the weather is warmer, and her blanket is off, but my oldest daughter had to fix the fence.  Naughty horse.   

From the Handiwork Journal . . .

 . . . I am up to about 52 feet on my braid of rags for my rag rug.  This was kind of forgotten about over summer and the holidays.  This project continues.

. . . still plugging away at knitting basket weave blocks for a blanket. 
 

. . . my 11 year-old daughter knitted her first bean bag.  She still needs practice, but she continues to learn.

 You may also like to read this post:  Crocheted Rag Rug