Rocky Road Ice Cream

Rocky Road Ice Cream


1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

In a medium saucepan over low heat, cook and stir the condensed milk and cocoa until smooth and thickened.  Stir in the heavy cream, whole milk and and the vanilla.  stir until well blended.  Refrigerate until cool.

Put this mixture into the ice cream maker.  Add the nuts and marshmallows half way through the freezing process.



I love rocky road ice cream!  There are so many variations in the store.  One advantage of making homemade ice cream is that it can be made to your liking.  This one has a creamy, light chocolate flavor.  I love slivered almonds and lots of marshmallow in my Rocky Road and this recipe fits the T!

Shrimp and Crab Boil

 We try to do this for our New Years Eve dinner each year.

Shrimp and Crab Boil Recipe
2 pounds snow crab legs
1 pound uncooked shrimp
1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
6 corn cob halves
1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning


1.  Start off by bringing 6-8 quarts of water to a rolling boil.  Add the Old Bay seasoning and red potatoes and cook for 15 minutes.
2.  Next add sausage and sweet corn to the boiling water and cook for another 10 minutes until the red potatoes are tender.
3.  With a slotted spoon remove the corn, red potatoes and sausage from the boiling water and place on a large serving platter.
4.  Add shrimp and snow crab legs to the water:  bring to a boil and cook 3-5 minutes.  Remove from the water.
5.  Arrange the all the cooked foods onto the large platter and enjoy!

This recipe serves 3-4.

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is traditionally a day following Christmas when wealthy people and homeowners in the United Kingdom would give a box containing a gift to their servants. Today, Boxing Day is better known as a bank or public holiday that occurs on December 26, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and some other Commonwealth nations.


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Merry Christmas

Hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful Christmas.


http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=3250483091333&source=jlfb&cont=2

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Love these chocolate cookies!  The recipe makes a big batch and I love the pattern the powdered sugar makes!
If you don't have  unsweetened chocolate squares substitute:  1 square (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate is equal to 3 tablespoons cocoa (regular-type dry) plus 1 Tablespoon butter or shortening.






Chocolate Crinkle Cookies


1/2 cup oil
4 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix oil, melted chocolate, and sugar.  Add one egg at a time and mix well.  Add vanilla, salt, flour and baking powder.  Chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350.  Shape dough into balls of about one teaspoon each and roll in powdered sugar.  Place on well greased baking sheets and bake 10-12 minutes.

Nevada Desert

One thing I love about Nevada is that you can drive a short distance and feel total isolation.  I love the feeling of driving on dirt roads that only a few have traveled.  The imagination runs wild.  Who has been here before?  What is the history of the area?  The desert may look barren, but there is so much to see when you slow down and look.  Each bend is a new view.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

One of my favorite kinds of ice cream is chocolate chip cookie dough.  So I researched to web to find ideas.

With a little tweaking, I came up with this recipe.  Believe me, it turned out delicious. The dough is good by itself!  I had to taste test!





Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for Ice Cream
(eggless)


1/2 Cup Flour
2 1/2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1/8 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts

Mix ingredients, then shape into a log shape.  Freeze 1-2 hours.  Cut into small chunks.  Put back into the freezer until ready to add to the ice cream.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream


2 Large Eggs
2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Cup Milk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Mix ingredients and place in ice cream maker.  When the ice cream is thick, add 1 cup mini chocolate chips and the prepared cookie dough.  Process just enough to mix.  Transfer to container for freezer.

Easy Spaghetti Squash

Easy Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise, seeded
1 24-oz jar Classico Tomato and Basil Sauce
1 can olives
1 can mushrooms
3/4 cup crumbled Feta Cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, bake 30 minutes or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance.  Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.  For the sauce:  heat up the Classico sauce, add mushrooms and olives.  Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash.  Top the squash with the sauce and sprinkle with Feta Cheese.

You can also use the following ingredients sauteed in a skillet, rather than the Classico:
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

This is a great Meatless Monday meal!

Tamale Pie

This recipe can be made with items from the cupboard.  It is a good, warming and filling recipe.  I used some of the fresh ground corn (instead of the yellow cornmeal) we had collected from Lattin Farms last month.  It really gave it a great flavor!

Tamale Pie

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green peppers
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 12-oz can whole kernel corn (drained)
1/2 cup sliced and pitted olives
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
dash of pepper

6 oz cheddar cheese, grated

Topper:
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 tablespoon butter

cook meat, onion and green pepper in a large skillet until meat is lightly browned and vegetables are tender.  Stir in tomato sauce, corn, olives, garlic, sugar, salt, chili powder and pepper.  simmer 20-25 minutes or until thick.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.  Pour into 1 1/2 quart  casserole dish (or 9 inch square pan).

Make cornmeal topper:  stir cornmeal and salt into cold water.  cook and stir until thick.  add butter, mix well and spoon over the hot meat mixture.

Bake 375 for about 40 minutes
6 servings

Beer, Bait, and Ammo: Local Shopping

Local shopping is always a plus and when you find a place with character, you just have to love it!  The local shop we went to today is Frontier Liquor & Sporting Goods, 33 Deer Creek Circle, Fallon, NV.

I have to believe that Kevin Fowler's song "Beer, Bait and Ammo" was written for this place!   The song says it all:  Beer, bait and ammo..., fishing hooks, dirty books...

We went in for a few archery supplies and came out with some beer as well!

Words to Beer, Bait, and Ammo.  There is also a link to youtube with the actual song!

Well now early one day
I was a-on my way
to my favorite fishin hole
I's a thinking I could sure use
Another bottle of booze
My baits a-runnin a little low
yeah and a box of twelve gauge would be all the rage
when I'm all liquered up and I'm feeling good
Well just down the road there was a place called Bubba's
Man he's got the goods

*Chorus*
And the sign said beer bait and ammo
yeah they got everything in between
yeah they got a-anything any old
beer drinking hell raising bonafide redneck needs
they got your fishing hooks
got your dirty books
got your rebel flag on the wall
sign said beer bait and ammo
yeah you ask me they got it all

well now when a-I walked in
I can't a-even begin
to describe just what I smelt
Lord was it the catfish bait
or something bubba had ate
was it those pickeled eggs on the shelf

yeah with a toothless grin
he said boy step right on in
make yourself right at home
I said no no no thank you man
just a twelve pack of cans
and I'll be good to go

chorus X3


You Tube link to the actual song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWJo9onU1f8

My Mom's Divinity

My Mom's Divinity

My Mom always made divinity this time of year.  I love the stuff.  It is a bit tricky to make and I haven't always had complete success.  It could be my memory of her's is out of whack, or it just tastes better one someone else makes it, but I never feel that it is as good as what she made.  I have the original recipe that she used and know it can be affected by weather.

The last time I tried to make it, I only had a little hand mixer and ended up burning it out!  No divinity that year!

This year I have a big oster mixer and had pretty good success.

My Mom made the white divinity with chopped walnuts, but she also made a cherry divinity using maraschino cherries.  This one is even trickier!  Again, mine is good, but just doesn't seem totally up to par compared to hers.

The main thing is the good memory that comes with this candy.  I may never be able to make it like she did, but I will always think of her when divinity is mentioned!

For the cherry divinity, I got 10 oz jar of cherries.  Drain and pat the cherries dry and chop up in place of the walnuts.  Also substitute 1/3 cup of the juice for 1/3 of the water (1/3 cup juice, 1/3 cup water).

Mom's Divinity

3 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup corn syrup

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup broken nuts

Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a saucepan, stirring until boiling, then bring to hard ball stage without stirring.

Beat the egg whites until stiff.  Slowly pour the sugar mixture into the eggs and continue beating at high speed.  Beat until it holds it's shape and looses it's gloss:  add vanilla and nuts.

Quickly drop by the tablespoonful onto wax paper and let cool.

New Bows

        NEW BOWS

Santa came early!  Mike and I got new bows!

I got a genesis Pro.  Mike got a Martin Threshold.
Can't wait to go out shooting!

Christmas Gelatin Dessert

I was asked to bring a gelatin dish to a pot luck.  It has been ages since I have done a gelatin dish.  But it sounds like a fun challenge!

Christmas Gelatin Dessert

2 packages (3 oz each) lime gelatin
6 cups boiling water, divided
2 packages (3 oz each) cherry gelatin
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups white grape juice
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

In a large bowl, dissolve lime gelatin in 3 cups boiling water.  Pour into an 8 inch square dish coated with cooking spray.  In a different bowl, combine the cherry gelatin with the remaining boiling water until dissolved.  Pour into another 8 inch square dish coated with cooking spray.  Refrigerate both dishes until gelatin is very firm.  I let it set overnight.

Next day:  sprinkle unflavored gelatin over cold water and let stand 1 minute.  In a small saucepan, bring grape juice to a boil; stir in softened unflavored gelatin and stir over low heat until gelatin is dissolved.  Pour into a large bowl; refrigerate for 45 minutes (slightly thickened).  Gently fold in 2 cups whipped topping.

Cut green gelatin into 1/2 inch cubes and red gelatin into 1 inch cubes.  Place 2 cups whipped topping mixture into a large bowl; fold in green gelatin cubes.  Spread into a 9 X 13 inch dish coated with cooking spray.  I used a glass baking dish.  Fold red gelatin cubes into the remaining whipped topping mixture; spread over the green gelatin layer.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

Top with the rest of the whipped topping.

Cut into squares.  Yield:  12-15 servings.

Inspiration for this recipe:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Watermelon-Gelatin-Dessert

One Pan Fast Hash Dinner

One Pan Fast Hash Dinner

This is a fast quick dinner for busy nights.  My kids grew up on it:  I usually use potatoes, onions, corn and hamburger, but tonight I tried a couple of new ingredients.

One Pan Fast Hash Dinner

4 cups diced potatoes (skins on)
5 shallots skinned and chopped
2 cloves garlic (squeezed through garlic press)
1 pound bulk sausage (can be spicy)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
Salt and Pepper to taste

Coat your skillet with some olive oil and heat up:  fry the potatoes, shallots and garlic together until the potatoes are lightly browned.  Add the sausage and stir to break it up.  Cook until done, then add the frozen vegetables.  Cook until heated:  add salt and pepper.

A complete meal in one skillet!

The Birds, Fallon Style

The Birds

This picture was taken outside our back door!  The whole back yard is covered with birds!  It was amazing!  Reminds me of  an Alfred Hitchcock movie!

Basic Chicken or Turkey Soup

Basic Chicken or Turkey Soup Recipe

Stock: home made or canned

Meat

Shredded chicken or Turkey

Flavoring

some parsley and a couple of cloves of garlic 

Seasoning

poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper

Vegetables

equal amounts of:  carrots, onions and celery

Other options

Tomatoes (fresh or canned), frozen vegetables (corn, peas, mixed, etc.), potatoes, peppers, squash, parsnip, turnips, rice, cooked pasta:  whatever is on hand!  Dash of tabasco to heat it up

Simmer until vegetables are cooked.

Here is the soup I came up with

2 quarts of home made stock

fresh parsley (about 2 tablespoons)

2 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon thyme

1teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 cup each: carrots, onions, celery, SWEET POTATO, frozen mixed vegetables,  and fresh cut tomatoes

2 cups shredded turkey (left overs)

Once the vegetables are tender, I added 3/4 cup instant brown rice and continued to cook until rice was done (5-10 minutes)

The Bread in the picture is whole wheat bread prepared in a bread machine.

Note the sweet potato!  I peeled and sliced the sweet potato!  Another sweet potato used in my sweet potato challenge!  Now there are 7 left!

Turkey rice soup with Whole Wheat Bread

Sweet Potato Bread

Sweet Potato Bread

Mix:
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato

Sift together, then add to mixture:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger

fold in 1/2 cop chopped pecans

Grease a 9 X 5 Loaf pan.  Bake 350 for 1 hour.  Cool 10 minutes, then remove from the pan.


Another sweet potato used in the sweet potato challenge!  8 more to go!

Turkey Stock

turkey carcass

turkey stock

FROM                                  TO

         

                                         

             

                                             

Making Turkey Stock


Turkey carcass, turkey legs & wings, left over bones, and skin are put in a large stock pot along with an onion (quartered), some chopped carrots, parsley, thyme, a bay leaf, celery tops and some peppercorn.  Add about 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Cover with cold water by an inch.

Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a just below a simmer.  Cook for at least 4 hours, uncovered.  Occasionally skim off any foam that comes to the surface.

Remove the bones and veggies and strain the stock.

100 Bags of Food

Our church has a pantry for emergencies, but the staff has been overwhelmed with the needs of the community.  Unfortunately, the staff can no longer keep up with the demand.  The church was getting almost 100 people per week picking up these bags.  Unfortunately, some people started coming in the three days a week it was offered (hence it is not an emergency, but a habit).  The church started keeping track and only allowing 2 times a month pick up, then one time a month.  Some of the people coming in were complaining about the food, rude to the staff, and some were taking the food and selling to other people!  At one point, we ran out of food completely.  It was time to re-evaluate the program.

My church provides the kitchen for Fallon Daily Bread:  other organizations come cook and the needy are feed meals 3 nights a week.  They feed about 120 at each meal.  Our church also cooks once a month, and other organizations and churches come in and cook:  It is a great community effort.

Because there is a regular food bank and several other pantries, our church has decided to get out of the food distribution part.

For the last three weeks, a friend and I have been going on Wednesdays to prepare 100 bags of food for the needy.  The way it will be distributed is unique.  The bags will be placed in the pews on Sunday.  If you sit where there is a bag you can take the food home for yourself if you need it, or take the bag of food to a neighbor or someone you know needs the food.

Any food we have left over will go to Fallon Daily Bread to prepare the meals.  By the way, the community dinners were almost stopped.  There was not enough food to keep it going, but with some news coverage article in the local paper and some local television publicity, the donations came in and the program is running strong.  Nevada is a very generous community!

http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Fallon-Daily-Bread-Feeding/z8OOQ_Hi10q_W4OMfB9_xA.cspx

Brain Farts

Here is a link for the 13 most common brain farts!  I have done almost all of them.  The sad thing is, I did them today!


http://pleated-jeans.com/2011/07/01/the-13-most-common-brain-farts-in-human-history/

Back Yard Changes

Winter 2010

Winter 2011

We are making some progress in the back yard!

We have a river that runs along the back of the property and we received notification that we must clear out over grown weeds and brush in anticipation of flooding next year.

This year the river raised quite a bit and they are expecting it to go higher next year.  We had spend this summer with a weed eater and you couldn't even see a dent!

So this year we hired a landscaping company to take care of it.  They brought the bobcat out today and they are clearing and burning weeds out at a much faster rate than the weed eater could ever do!

So differences between 2010 and 2011?  The silly satellite dish is down, the RV is moved to the South side of the house (now you can see the chicken coop and run area) and you can see the neighbors across the river.  Believe it or not this is a good thing:  If I can see them, they can see me and they will think twice about shooting our direction!  We had some problems with them shooting our direction this summer.  Hopefully this will stop that activity.

Once all the brush is cleaned out, the workers will haul in dirt and build a berm along the back near the river so the river won't flood into the yard.  It will also help when we irrigate in the summer!

It is good to see the before and after pictures!  It does show some progress!

Turkey Tamale Pie

 Left over Turkey?  Here is something tasty!

Turkey Tamale Pie


3 cups cooked turkey
2 cups peeled, sliced tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped green chili
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
                                                      1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz) drained and rinsed black beans
1 packet (6.5 oz) Better Crocker cornbread & Muffin Mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon sliced scallions
1  tablespoon chopped cilantro
extra shredded cheese and sour cream to garnish

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine turkey, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, salt, and beans in a skillet and bring to simmer.  Cook for about 10 minutes.

Pour mixture into oil sprayed 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

Mix cornbread mix, shredded cheese, egg, milk, scallions, and cilantro.  mix until well combined.  Smooth cornbread mixture on top of the turkey mixture and place in the oven until cornbread is browned,  about 35 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and extra cheese.

This really is a keeper recipe!  The only thing I would do differently next time is add 1/2 cup frozen corn and 1/2 cup sliced olives to the turkey mixture.  Flavor wise is awesome!

Basic Wheat Muffins

I got this recipe years ago and still use it.  It is a basic whole wheat muffin recipe that you adjust to your taste.  You can also add nuts, raisins, grated sweet potato or carrots, chocolate chips, or whatever you want!


Wheat Muffins 


1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (use 1 tablespoon vinegar in a one cup measure cup and fill with regular milk to 1 cup)
1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar (to your taste)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix the egg, oil, milk and brown sugar together.  Sift dry ingredients together and add to the first mixture.

Use cupcake papers or grease muffin tins.

Bake 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Makes about 1 dozen.

Anticipating Turkey Dinner

Mataya is watching the turkey cooking in the rotisserie.

I have a 10 pound turkey stuffed with fresh herbs:  Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme!

Sounds like a song from long ago!

I have done this before and the turkey comes out very moist.  In addition to the herbs, I rub the skin with olive oil.

Cooking time is 15 minutes per pound.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a wonder Thanksgiving.  Please check out this link:  It is a beautiful e-card

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=3047284681333&source=jlfb&cont=2

Laundry Day

Ah, Laundry day!  I took a load from the dryer and tossed it on my bed.  I went back to the washer to start a new load.  When I  came back to fold clothes, this is what I came back to!

My cat Mataya is laying in the middle of the warm clothes!  She is looking at me and wondering what my problem is!

Love my cat!

Sweet Potato Challenge

I have a surplus of sweet potatoes.   I love sweet potatoes, but no one else in my family does.   I have challenged myself to find and try some recipes using sweet potatoes.  It has to be in a way that no one will really know they are eating sweet potatoes!  Right now you should be hearing the mission impossible theme!  

The first recipe I came up with is Sweet Potato Muffins.  My first try was delicious.  However it only used 1 sweet potato!  I have about 15 more potatoes!  I want to make a more healthy version of this muffin, so stand by for more additions to this post!

Sweet Potato Muffins

6 tablespoons Vegetable oil

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup milk

1 1/2 cup peeled and shredded sweet potato

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Warm oven to 375.  

Line muffin pan with papers

sift dry ingredients together

add the liquid (oil, egg & milk) 

and mix

blend in sweet potato and walnuts

Bake 25-30 minutes

Makes 1 dozen

Crock Pot Chili

When I woke up this morning it was 24 degrees out!  That is my signal for comfort food!

I had some course cut beef already out, so it was an easy decision to get a batch of chili going.  The course cut beef comes from one of my favorite stores in Fallon:  Heck's Meat Market.  They have the best meat around:  local meat and they cut to order.

The house smells wonderful and it feels warmer!  Later, I will make some cornbread muffins to go with it.

Crock Pot Chili

1 1/2 pounds course ground beef, browned

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 Jalapeno pepper, sliced, seeded and finely chopped

1 sweet red pepper, diced

1 chopped chili pepper (I dried some from summer and used one of these)

1 pound fresh tomatoes, skinned and sliced

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Put into crock pot and cook 6-8 hours on low.

Ugly Chicken

I have 9 chickens and one by one they have started to molt.  Their coop has been full of feathers for quite a while now.  I have cleaned it out a couple of times, but the feathers just keep falling off! 


This poor gal is staying in the coop to keep warm.  She did come out for some fresh greens!  


Under natural circumstances a chicken will molt for 14 to 16 weeks during the late summer or early fall.

Molting is where they lose all or some of their feathers and stop producing eggs. This is a natural shedding of feathers.  Laying will resume when molt is over. 


Mine have started molting so late, I am wondering if I will get eggs this winter.  They may wait until spring as they don't like short days of winter either!  

Crazy Wind

We had tons of wind yesterday:  blowing dust and leaves all over the place.

This picture shows what I came and saw this morning.  The leaves are lined up neatly.  All I really need to do is scoop them up!

I don't know the physics of this, I only know that the wind was blowing directly to the back of the house and I guess the leaves swirled out into this pattern.

Unique to say the least!

Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake Bites

Can you say Chocolate?  Chocolate is like a drug for some people.  Eating the smallest portion calms fears, takes away pain, and eases the slightest discomforts in life.  Chocolate is a form of therapy!

These Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake Bites have chocolate cake mix, chocolate Ganache, mini chocolate chips, and dipped in melted chocolate!  So that would be quad-chocolate!  Or Double Double Chocolate!

Can you say RICH!

Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake Bites

1 box Dark Chocolate Cake Mix

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix Together: cake mix, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.  Batter will be thick.  Pour into a greased 9X13 baking pan.  Bake 350 for 28-32 minutes:  cake will spring back when touched.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Crumble cake into small, even pieces, placing crumbs in a large bowl.

Make Chocolate Ganache:  Heat 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream in a saucepan until it comes to a boil.  Pour over 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips that are in a bowl.  Stir until smooth.  Let cool to room temperature.

Add the Ganache (1 cup) and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to the cake crumbs.  Using the back of a spoon mix together until a thick dough consistency forms.  Shape into evenly sized cake bites and cool 1-2 hours in the refrigerator, or 20 minutes in the freezer.

For the dipping chocolate:  Use 1 1/2 packages of dark chocolate chips plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil.  Melt in the wilton chocolate pro pot (or on a double boiler, or small crock pot).

Cover the chocolate bite with the chocolate and place on waxed paper.  Put in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.  I added a squiggle of chocolate frosting to finish it off.

Nevada Wonderstone

Near Grime's Point

The weather prediction for the weekend is for snow.  So, a friend and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather today and do a little rock hunting.

Our target was to find some Nevada Wonderstone.  This volcanic rock is a Rhyolite that is 12 million years old.  Our destination was about 10 miles east of Fallon near Grime's point.  Our goal was to find the unusual rocks that look like they already went through a rock tumbler. 

On the way out we stopped at Harmon's Junction to pick up some supplies:  we got fresh hard boiled eggs, pistachio nuts, chips and water.  Perfect snack food for the desert.

Nevada Wonderstone

The weather was perfect, the views spectacular.  The blue sky and fluffy white clouds made it feel like a summer day.

We did a lot of walking and bending to find our treasures.  We explored for about 4 hours.  We both came home with some beautiful samples of the rock.

Since I have been home, the wind has kicked in and the change of weather is being felt in the air.  My friend and I were glad we got out today and vowed to sneak out if we get a nice day in December!

Rustic Tweed Knit Cowl

I don't know what it is about winter, but I always get the urge to knit or crochet.  I also like easy to finish projects or they end up stored year after year and never get finished.

I had never heard of a cowl before.  It is basically a scarf that is knitted in the round.  It can be put around your neck once or doubled for extra warmth.

The pattern said it was fast, bun and takes about 3 hours to knit!  Just up my ally!  It uses size 13 needles and needs only two balls of Ironstone rustic tweed yarn.

I hate to admit it, but the first one took more like 9 hours or more to make.  I made every mistake you can make and took it apart and started it at least 4 times!  The second one went a lot smoother, but I am a slow knitter and it took me about 4-5 hours.

One of the hardest parts of knitting in the round is making sure you don't twist the stitches.  If you do, you end up with a Mobius strip, rather than a loop.  Yes, I ended up with one of those (another start over!).

This pattern can be found at this link:

http://blog.nobleknits.com/2011/04/rustic-tweed-knit-cowl-pattern-free.html

Some Local Fallon Businesses

My cousin and I went to lunch at the Main Street Cafe yesterday.  It is a cozy little place with good food!  We each got a Highway 50 sandwich, which is turkey breast, artichoke hearts, feta, sun dried tomato and mayo on fresh baked focaccia bread.  I also got a cup of butternut squash soup.  All was tasty!

Check out their menu and location at their website:  http://maine-street-cafe.com

Now that we were fueled up, we decided to explore a couple of more of the businesses in Fallon:

We went to Workman's Farm.  They have a great craft shop, in addition to a nursery and farmer's market. We were going for the craft shop.  They have a little bit of everything: quilting, embroidery, woodwork and more!  It is a fun store to explore and they seem to have different stuff all the time.  While there I was able to sign up for their email list of notifications of classes and sales.  They do have a mention on this blogspot:

http://apassionatequilter.blogspot.com/2010/05/workman-farms-quilt-shop-in-fallon-nv.html

Our last stop was at Flower Tree Nursery.  I needed a bale of peat moss for a project.  They had it!  The staff was so friendly and helpful.  I am now signed up for their emails!  They were also able to refer me to a local landscaper to help with some major work we need to get done.  They also have the Red Zinnia, a gift, wine and book shop.  But exploring that will be another day.

http://www.flowertreenursery.com/

Exploring the town and finding all the local businesses is a lot of fun, especially when you have someone to explore it with.  The staff and owners of these businesses are super friendly and always willing to help out as much as they can!  I would really like to thank my cousin for a wonderful afternoon together.

Beef Stew and Corn Bread Muffins

 Today I decided to do a crock pot beef stew.  The basic recipe was added to by what I had in the refrigerator.  In addition to the usual beef, potato and carrots, I added some green peppers, Roma tomatoes, turnips and a handful of the dried corn collected off the farm yesterday.

I also made corn bread with the corn that was processed yesterday.

The jar on the right is the ground corn.  The jar on the left is dry corn.
The muffins were amazing.  The corn is ground quite course compared to what you buy in the box.  The first bite of the muffins was amazing!  All I can say is that it shouted CORN in each bite!

The finished stew wasn't bad either!

Basic Beef Stew Recipe

1 1/2 pounds stew meat, browned

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, sliced

2 bay leaves

1 Tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tsp paprika

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 tsp paprica

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

6 carrots, pared and quartered

4 potatoes, pared and quartered

I put all this in a crock pot and let cook on high for about 5 hours.  It could also cook on low for 6-8 hours.

In addition to the above ingredients, I added a green bell pepper slice, 4 turnips peeled and quartered, several small Roma tomatoes cut in half and a couple of handfuls of dry corn from yesterday's outing.

Corn Bread Muffins

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup buttermilk (about 2 tsp vinegar in a cup, fill up to 1 C with milk)

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Heat oven to 375.  Mix the butter, milk, eggs and sugar together.  Mix the cornmeal, flour salt and baking soda together.  Combine.  Makes about a dozen muffins.  Bake 15-20 minutes.

Gathering Corn at Lattin Farms

Spent a fun afternoon at Lattin Farms.  This is a local organic grown farm that we get a most of our food from.  They had a pot luck lunch with homemade soups, apple crisps, BBQ, and more!  If you came away hungry it was your own fault!

We also got a tour on the farm on a hay wagon pulled by a tractor.  They use hoop houses for a lot of the tomatoes they grow.  It was enjoyable ride with good company!

The other project was collecting dry corn from their corn maze.  Once it was collected, we were able to get the kernels off by running the cob through a couple of antique machines.  Both machines take a lot of physical effort, but a whole lot faster than trying to do it by hand!

Once the kernels are gathered, they are run through a grinder.  Again an antique grinder was a lot of manuel labor, but the result was a course ground corn.  It can now be used to make corn bread!

running the corn through to get the kernels off

collecting dry corn

Another machine to get the kernels off

Grinding the kernals

If you ever get to Fallon, Lattin Farms is a fun place to visit:  they have a vegetable stand, a kitchen where they create yummy breads and can their products.  They have a lot of fun events during the spring, summer and fall.  Here is their link:

www.lattinfarms.com/

Veterans Day History

Some basic history to Veterans Day:

November 11, or what has come to be known as Veterans Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor Armistice Day - the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislature that was passed in 1938, November 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day.' As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.

In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

In 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill ensured three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the last Monday of October. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holiday on its original date. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971.

Finally on September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. Since then, the Veterans Day holiday has been observed on November 11.

Thanks to all vets for the service they did for this country.  I found this site that you can  support vets.

http://www.buyveteran.com/  

At this site, you can put in your location and find veteran owned businesses.

Archery Class

Last night Mike and I attended the first of 3 classes of introduction to archery put on by the parks and recreation department.
The last time I shot bow and arrow was in a high school PE class and I won't tell you how long that has been.  Let's just say what I used for bow and arrow in the class is now considered primitive by today's standards!  Oh, there was a time a few years ago I used a cross bow at the carnival booth at Circus Circus in Las Vegas!  But I don't think that really counts!
We used a compound bow in class.  I couldn't believe how easy it was to pull the string back!  So much easier than I remember from the old days!
The emphasis for the first class was on form!  I think I made every mistake possible, but the instructor patiently corrected each error.  The hour and a half of class flew by!
Check out the link:  It shows an arrow being shot in super slow motion.  It is amazing how it twists and turns!

Click this link:
arrow in super slow motion

Greek-Style Mac and Cheese

 Greek-Syle Mac and Cheese

Traditional Greek ingredients transform the classic American dish.

Cheeses used are Gouda and feta.

Add some spinach and tomatoes, and top with croutons, olives and parsley.

So rich and tasty!

Greek-Style Mac and Cheese

2 cups dry spiral noodles, cooked

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic

8 ounces chopped fresh baby spinach

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 1/2 cups milk

6-8 ounces coarsely grated Gouda Cheese

1 1/4 cups crumbled feta cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

large handful cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 1/2  cups Italian-style croutons

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup chopped pitted olives

Preheat the oven to 350.  Butter a 13X9 inch baking dish or 2 1/2 -quart casserole.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the garlic and saute gently for several seconds, thens stir in the spinach and 2 tablespoons of water.  Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Do not pour off excess liquid.  Melt the butter in a large nonstick saucepan.  Stir in the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Whisk in the milk and cook whisking often, until it thickens.  Add the Gouda cheese, whisking until it melts.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the feta cheese and the salt.  Pour the sauce over the noodles.  Stir in the cooked spinach and tomatoes.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.  Partially crush the croutons in a plastic bag and sprinkle over the dish.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbly.  Serve hot, garnished with the remaining 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese, parsley, and chopped olives.                                                                     Makes 6 servings

Seed and Bulbs

I just planted 50 Iris Hollandica bulbs in the back yard.  I also sprinkled a couple of areas with deer resistant wild flower mix.  I planted 1/4 pound of Mixed sun flower seeds along the front berm and along the border of the vegetable garden area.
Since I was on a roll, I decided to throw out a pound or two of grass seed in the front area.  Last year it was bare ground and I had put out about 10 pounds of seed.  The quail discovered it and ate the majority of the seed.  It was like night of the living dead:  every morning a swarm of quail would come and feast.  The number of quail would increase, until the seed was gone.  I ended up with a  little grass and a lot of weed.
I got the flower seeds and bulbs from Eden Brothers.  their web site is  www.edenbrothers.com
Hopefully in the spring there will a new look to the yard!