Creative Meals ~ Eating Empty Pea Shells ~ Handiwork ~ The Garden Grows

Another creative week of stretching meals - used up the last two organic sweet potatoes I had on hand.

I had green onions and dill in the herb garden, so I made us some creamy sweet potato salad.  Yum.  The dressing is half yogurt and half mayo.  We love this stuff. 

Fish was pulled from the freezer (so thankful for that), and we still have veggies in the freezer from last year.   That bumper crop of green beans has been useful.  I still have a few servings of broccoli too.

Calendula Cookies ~ More Peas

The title is correct -  Calendula Cookies.  I added these flower petals to salads last year, and this year I am expanding.  I found several recipes in a book from the library, regarding edible flowers.  Something new to try this year, and new to blog about. 

The cookie recipe uses about 18 flower heads.  I had flowers, and I had a hankering for cookies (when I shouldn't be eating any). 

Picking Peas In Pajamas

Saturday we picked peas in our pajamas, had a leisurely breakfast on the porch (fresh eggs, homemade bread with home canned jam and coffee), and then by 10am took off on a motorcycle ride. 

We ran some errands, and rode to a campground where extended family and friends were camping for the weekend.  Good food, lots of laughs and they were all talking us into changing our plans.

We had a wedding to attend in Michigan.  Hubby's sister had been taken to the hospital (trouble breathing).  We was admitted over night for tests.

Sort of a funny tale about the weeding.  My biggest challenge?  Finding a nice outfit for an outdoor wedding, that didn't make me look like I left the garden or got off the Harley, ha ha!  I succeeded.  Even though I lost 38 lbs. last year, I found a skirt and top and some dressy sort of flip flops to wear.  And, believe it or not, a matching purse.

Sunday was a repeat.  Picking peas in our pajamas, and a leisurely breakfast on the front porch. 

Only there was no homemade bread to be had.  Zero.  Not even a tortilla.  However, I had a few pieces of homemade flatbread in the freezer, one last package of bacon in the freezer, and a few measely potatoes.  Wa-la!  Omelets were made.  Flatbread was saved for later.

We later drove up to visit Hubby's sister in the hospital.  Tests continue.  She has pancreatitis.  She's had it before I guess, but she is doing well now.


Garden work continued, but today it looks like rain.  I've been up since 3am, and my catnip tincture failed for insomnia.  It's gonna be a long week.

Salmon and Peas and the "poof" of the Mac n' Cheese

My older brother ("aka the fisherman") gifted us with some Michigan Salmon and more bluegill.  We are already enjoying the delicious fish.  I made us some salmon patties using ground organic oats, a bit of mustard, a tiny bit of water, and some green onion from the garden.  Mmmm!  

But that's not all.

 I picked more peas.  I made a pan of buttered snap peas.  I didn't have a shallot on hand, and my shallot powder is gone too.  I used an onion, and it was still delicious.

Our daughter who turned 18 yesterday requested Alton Brown's Macaroni and cheese (baked) for her birthday dinner.  I had cheese in the freezer, so I made it.  However, you won't see a photo of it here.  Zuri-raptor got her paws (and jaws) on it, and well that was to be today's lunch.  Somehow the girls, even though I reminded them, forgot it was on the counter.  The veggies of course were all saved at high altitudes which left no space to hide the dish (other than the top of the fridge, and I should have done that).  The mac n' cheese contains onions.  Sigh.  We attempted two methods to get her to throw it up, but to no avail, she would not. So.  Yeah.  The fun begins.

We finally got rain. I am heading out to pick peas and possibly radishes this morning.  It would be a great day for a motorcycle ride too, but other plans are in the works.  First I will be enjoying breakfast on the front porch.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Random Tidbits ~ A Crockpot Summer

The rabbits are definitely an issue this year.  This is the worst year ever.  One had babies in my chicken run.  Big mistake.  The chickens killed them all.

Bread needed baked.  New recipe too.  The recipe is here. I turned to the internet for this recipe, and was quit pleased. In fact, Youngest Daughter saw the bread, made a sandwich, and raved about how soft and delicious it was.  Used 1 Tbsp. brown sugar vs. white sugar.  The recipe called for 2 cups of milk and room temperature. I had exactly 1 1/2 cups left in the house.  I made a 1/2 cup using dried milk to make up the difference.

Library books need returned and new ones picked up.  Ha.  Yeah, like I'm a gonna' get time to read 'em. I however am enticed by the Home and Health one - 501 recipes. I may have to add a few to my Christmas "wish" list.

I should have the kids monitor me when I multi-task.  I almost burned a frittata.  I set the timer, walked outside...should have never left the kitchen.  The other day I almost forgot the rice in the crockpot cabbage roll casserole.  Speaking of that dish, it was sort of a budget creation.

After my big birthday shin-dig, our daughter's grad party, and another daughter's expensive car repair, the budget has been pretty tight.  

I was pretty nifty thrifty with the cabbage roll dish.  I had two halves of cabbages leftover (red and green), I had a quart of home canned tomato sauce, home canned crushed tomatoes, homemade tomato condensed tomato soup in the freezer...and wa-la..dinner was made on a dime.  I used leftover ham vs. beef/pork.  Turned out Fan-tab-u-lous!  We discovered Parmesan cheese was better than mozzarella cheese.  And it's delicious without cheese.  This was the first time trying this type of recipe.  I may have to make cabbage rolls this fall when cabbage is in full harvest.  I do love my crockpot though.

Complaints were spouting from my vegetarian daughter (it had meat in it).  I told her I don't make special requests when I have to cook with what I have, and I reminded her I boiled eggs.  She's a big girl and needs to learn to cook.

The peas are flourishing and I must pick daily now.  

I made another batch of garlic scape and radish spread.  We absolutely love this stuff, and our vegetarian daughter (the one turning 18 today, and who hates most vegetables), loves it now too.  Hubby wants me to make a double batch so he can share it at work, but I'm running low on garlic scapes.  I may have a few more out in the garden.  As always, when Hubby loves a dish, says "you should serve this in our own restaurant."  Ha.  Yeah.  Like I want more work. 

Broccoli Pizza

A few days back, I made homemade whole wheat flatbread.  We ended up taking a long motorcycle ride on Father's Day evening, so the pizzas were not made.  I put the flatbread in the freezer and we finally made them.

It only took a few minutes to thaw the flatbread.  Now I know it freezes well, so I'll be putting some in the freezer vs. pizza dough.  I topped them with spinach pesto, then the broccoli (and it was supposed to have wilted spinach, but I ran out after pesto was made), topped with mozzarella cheese.

 I baked them at 400°F for about 15 minutes or so.  This flatbread worked beautifully for these.  Just enough to make it a pizza, crispy on the bottom, and delicious.

The flatbread was rolled to about 7 x 5 inches.  I got 8 pieces of bread in the batch.  The recipe stated I'd get 12, but that would be the thickness of a tortilla or thinner.  The recipe I used was from food.com for the whole wheat flatbread (used part all-purpose and part whole wheat), and the pizza recipe is from Eating Well, called "Green Pizza."  We think it needs some hot red pepper flakes, but that's about the only suggestion I got from the taste testers.

Strawberries, Peas, Wild Black Raspberries and Weeds

My mother wants to know why she hasn't heard from me.  You probably laughed at that, right?

And here is why.  Grab a cup of your favorite beverage....it's sort of, kind of, a long post.  Or come back when you need an excuse to just sit for a spell.

Aside from that mess of a barn we have to clean up (felled tree #2 is still on the ground too)...

We picked up 4 quarts of fresh strawberries.  We used to pick up 12, but we are well stocked with strawberry jam right now. Thankful for that too.  Even if I have miss-counted, we have more than enough of the other fruit jams.  And we are needing to stock up less with the shrinking household.

Three quarts went into the freezer, and 1 quart went into a fresh strawberry pie for Father's Day.