Melia's Urban Farm aka Julie World

All In A Week

2017-08-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

It was a wonderful week chock full of little adventures. A day in Okiboji, a day at the zoo, and special moments here at home. Little bits of joy! Enjoy the pics!

I am almost ready to reveal my latest project. I am down to figuring out postal rates for shipping to customers. The suspense is killing me. I can hardly wait! See you soon!

Moments

2017-07-25T09:03:00.002-05:00

Sunday was a wonderful day after two weeks of intense, oppressive heat. My sister and I took advantage of such a pleasant day and went to the farmers market where I found, among other wonderful purchases, these delicious peaches and this beautiful bouquet. We had such a lovely time and stopped for iced coffees before heading home. Later, Charlie and I went to the bookstore, our after church ritual. I love the feeling I get when wandering through the stacks and perusing new releases. Unfortunately, my Crohn's began to bother me, so we cut our visit short and left for home. This was followed by nap time around our house. We had a late dinner of grilled steaks, served with fluffy baked potatoes and finished the day on a dusky walk with the dogs.

I am working on a new item which will soon be available for online purchase. Can't wait to show you!

Beef Stew Day

2015-01-07T21:34:00.000-06:00

I realize temperature can be relative, but today called for a -30 windchill factor. So cold, they called school. I had ratatouille on the menu, but beef stew sounded warmer. I have had a Tasha Tudor craving lately, and decided to use a beef stew recipe from the Tasha Tudor's Cookbook. It was delicious!

Since the weather was predicted to be so cold, I didn't have any grands today. Yes, grands! Believe it or not since my last post, I now have 4 grandchildren! I have been babysitting the first 3 and now with the birth of the latest grand, I'll be keeping all four! Our life has been so blessed and we're expecting a fifth grand this summer! But back to no grands. I decided to de-clutter a few things today. For those of you who visit my home, no, not the knick knacks, as you remember the last time I got rid of knick knacks, Charlie thought I was leaving him!

I spent fall making the cutest little soft stuffed animals for the grand's Christmas gifts. You can find the patterns here. They gave me such happiness while making them. Alicia Paulson is so talented and it is a joy to create from her patterns! I also made the cutest lamb softie from this book.

Between sewing the little softies, I have been knitting for the grands and the softies. Little sweaters, dresses, and scarves. I'm actually working on something for myself right now. A Through the Woods hooded neck warmer in honor of Into the Woods movie release. I bought the pattern and yarn here.

Just so you know, I don't receive any compensation for including the links, I just like to share my finds with you.
See you soon.

Operation Rain Barrel

2012-05-06T11:49:00.000-05:00

Pamphlet from Omaha Storm Water Program

That First Cut

Flipside

Ali and Charlie removing the gutter

Spigot

Aren't we cute!

Ready to install

Minor adjustments

We have always wanted a rain barrel here at Melia's Urban Farm, but didn't have the know how or the proper barrel. We found many videos online with everyone's opinions of how to do it, cheaply or otherwise. Check them out, some are pretty funny! It was one of those thing you put on the back burner. Last year we almost bought a rain barrel at our local lumber store, but found it expensive and missing important components for filtering out sediment, maple tree helicopters, and the like. We didn't want to go the trash can route, as we felt the plastic was too flimsy. So, back on the burner. I was either paying a utility bill, reading the paper, or just surfing the web, when I found out about the Omaha Storm Water Program. You place an order for a free barrel on the site, and they email you with the location to pick it up. I immediately placed my order. Ours was at Under the Sink, an organization that disposes of the things that you should never dispose of yourself, paint, chemicals, cleaning supplies, etc, therefore not harming our very fragile environment. You take a copy of the email, or as Charlie did, drove there and told them "my wife has one on hold". They looked me up and home he drove, proudly presenting me with our barrel! I cannot say that the items we needed to complete the rain barrel were cheap, but we did call around for prices. We spent $60 and that has mostly been covered by donations from my children for Mother's Day. As much watering as we do here at the farm, we will re-coop any costs with the savings on our water bill, not to mention the benefits to our planet. Many states outlaw rain water collection, so I feel proud that Omaha is supporting this program. Here is the final product.

It was nearly filled last night by a rainstorm that produced an inch of rain in one hour! We are ready to rock! For those of you that live nearby, here is the link www.OmahaStormwater.org or call 402-444-3908 and order your barrel. Who knows, you may have some of the items on hand or know where to source them before you have to buy them. Happy watering!

Why We Keep Chickens

2012-04-29T12:26:00.000-05:00

Just one look at this photo of the quiche that my youngest son, Anthony and I prepared, justifies why we keep chickens. No, do not adjust your screen, it really is that yellow. We don't want to eat eggs from industrial chicken farms, whose chickens never see the light of day, breathe fresh air, or get to live out their lives scratching the ground for bugs and the occasional worm. Our chickens free range in our yard, eat all our vegetable scraps, and yes, they all have names. We have been keeping chickens for 12 years now. They provide fresh eggs daily, and are a great source of entertainment. Our first flock was friendlier, as the kids were younger and handled them more. With all the children nearly grown, this flock is less handled, but none the less, come when called, always looking for a handout. Some breeds are more friendlier than others, but we love them all, just the same.

What I love about quiche is that you can use any vegetables you have on hand. In winter and early spring, I toss in frozen veggies, late spring, summer and fall, you can use homegrown. Pretty much, just use whatever is your favorite and what you have on hand. Today's recipe is simple and delicious. We made our own pie crust, but you can use store bought too. This recipe is an altered version of the Cheese and Broccoli Quiche from Linda's Kitchen by Linda McCartney. Again, use whatever pie crust homemade or frozen and any veggies you like. She used goat cheese in hers. We don't have goats yet, but I am working on wearing my husband down, as we have already been approved to own goats at our little urban farm.

Quiche Your Way

Pie Crust

6 tablespoons of shortening

1 cup and 2 tablespoons of flour

4 tablespoons of cold water

Cut shortening into flour till it looks pea sized or course crumbs. Stir in water one tablespoon at a time with a fork. Once incorporated, mix with hands and shape into a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap with wax paper. Put in fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Remove from fridge and roll out to fit a deep dish pie plate. Bake blind.

Quiche Filling

1 small onion diced

16 oz of frozen veggies, or equivalent of fresh, whatever you have and love to eat

4 large eggs

2/3 cup of milk

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Steam veggies with onion until cooked, but still slightly crisp. Drain and place veggies in prepared pie crust. Sprinkle with cheese. Beat together the eggs and milk, and then pour over veggies and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.

Happy Easter!

2012-04-08T08:29:00.007-05:00

Look a the beautiful volunteer flower blooming this morning next to the privacy fence along our driveway! A lovely Easter gift if I ever saw one! As this flower came up through the gravel, it is a reminder that He Is Risen! We will be having our annual "Hoppy Chinese Easter" and then dessert at my eldest son and daughter in law's. Wherever you find yourself this Easter Day, know that you are loved! Have a blessed day!

Sunday Dinner

2012-02-18T12:47:00.007-06:00

Most recently, I was saddened to find that it doesn't take much to lose the connection to one's family irrevocably. A harsh word, an off hand comment, hurt feelings, or just lack of contact, can cause a lapse in communication. Then, you think, well, what do I do now? So then, another moment goes by, then another, and then you feel it's too late to make contact, or that maybe they should make contact. Whatever the reason, it just doesn't happen. Then, with a tragedy, it can no longer happen. We had Sunday dinner at our house for years. Everyone was welcome, come as you are, the more the merrier. Then I let my career get the best of me and it seemed easier to rest on Sunday, than have everyone over. Funny, I don't have that job anymore. In fact, the company no longer exists. So, now I ask myself, "Self, what was the sacrifice for?" After a week filled with tragedy and chaos, it became very apparent to my husband and myself that Sunday dinners must be resurrected. We cannot let another moment go by and not connect with family. And, what better way than around the table? This Sunday, I'm going to go all "Waltons" on my family and ask that they join hands and give thanks to God that we are fortunate to be together again, and that we have the opportunity to say I miss you, I want to spend time with you, and most importantly, I love you!

A Moment of Happiness

2012-02-13T14:47:00.003-06:00

It was with great sadness that we traveled to and from Texas for my nephew's funeral. I cannot fathom the depth of grief his parents and siblings feel, as it is overwhelming for me, his aunt, and my family. It has been an emotionally draining trip and we will be feeling his loss for some time. A brief moment of happiness was found when we were returning home. We stopped long enough to snap a few pictures at one of the places I long to visit. Laura Ingalls Wilder's Kansas home, The Little House on the Prairie! It was closed, so no tour, but truly a brief moment of happiness for me. One day I hope to take the entire Ingalls Travels as a vacation, so I will return.

Winter Wonderland

2012-02-06T08:27:00.009-06:00

This winter has been warmer than usual and nearly bereft of snow. This weekend we received 10 inches of wonderful snow! I decided to go outside and take a few pictures of how beautifully the "farm" was decorated. The "girls" are less amused than I. Anthony thinks it looks like Narnia! I am inclined to agree. I hope you enjoy these photos of our winter wonderland!

Measure Your Words

2012-02-04T09:25:00.005-06:00

Last weekend, I was going to post about the lack of snow, but then, they predicted nearly 12 inches in our area for this weekend. Unexpectedly, I then had to have a dental procedure preformed, delaying the post. Then, tragedy struck our family. My nephew was killed in a motorcycle-car accident this week. He collided with a car that pulled out in front of him. Ironically, he was to be deployed to Afghanistan soon and he had completed 2 trips to Iraq. The accident happened in the state where he was stationed. His father, my brother, lives in another state and we will be traveling there as soon as his final arrangements have been made. I have been scouring the Internet for stories on the the accident, trying to make sense of this tragedy. What I have discovered, is that people do not measure their words carefully enough. The trooper who was at the scene of the accident said this, "Pretty, pretty tough. Very traumatic and, ah (pause) ah, I think it would be hard to overcome for some time for the individual that was driving the vehicle that pulled into the path of the victim" I am quite sure it will be hard for that individual, but, how about it being pretty tough for my brother, his son's mother and siblings to overcome? My latest favorite is the comment made by one of the residents who lives on the road where he was killed. When speaking of the dangers of the road, said "What's it going to take? That's a soldier, yeah, but what about our children?”. Well, guess what, he was some one's child! I don't understand people's inability to think before they speak. I never will. I grew up in a home with an alcoholic father, who had no filter what so ever. You can only believe the words "I'm sorry but.....I didn't mean it" for so long. I decided to measure my words early on, so that I would not hurt someone or have to take them back. Three take aways...1) Hug your family and tell them you love them. Life is short and you never know when God will call you home. 2) Please, please, please look twice for motorcycles. 3) Measure your words. They can hurt someone. Yes, they can be forgiven, but they are hard to forget.

Happy Birthday Vegetarian Child!

2012-01-21T23:21:00.005-06:00

Today is our youngest daughter's 21st birthday! It's hard to believe! I see her almost everyday and in just a blink, she is grown, We have a tradition in this family to let the birthday person pick their own birthday meal. This has proved to be most interesting over the years! Her choice today is Spicy Bean Soup. While she is a vegetarian, she was conscientious enough to choose a meal that we all love. It is once again, an altered version or a recipe in the slow cooker cookbook I love! I bet you're beginning to wonder if there is a recipe I don't "tweak". Well........okay, guilty. Necessity is the mother of invention, but mostly I alter a recipe when I am lacking an ingredient, substituting an ingredient, trying to save money, or omitting the meat or bone broth to please the veg child. There is plenty of protein from the mix of beans in this recipe to please any skeptic. While this is an economical meal, you can make it even more so, if you make your own vegetable broth and use that. I have used veg bullion, veg broth in aseptic containers, or my own homemade. You decide. Today's will be veg bouillon, as that is what I have on hand. I also omit the 4oz pepper jack cheese to be stirred in until melted before serving, as we find the soup spicy enough and once again, omitting it is more cost effective.

Spicy Bean Soup ala Veg Child

1 - 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 - 15oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 - 15oz can navy beans, (I use great northern, easier to find) rinsed and drained

1 - 10oz package of frozen lima beans

1 - 9oz frozen cut green beans

1 cup chopped onions (2 medium)

4 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

2 Garden Veggie bullion cubes and 4 cups of water, or 4 cups of homemade veg broth, or 1 aseptic container of veg broth and water to make 4 cups total.

In a 3 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker, combined canned and frozen beans, onions, chili powder, basil, and oregano. Stir in broth. Cover cook on low heat for 8 to 9 hours or on high heat for 4 to 41/2 hours. Yields 8 servings.

For those who are wondering the costs, our costs were under $5.00 making it around ..63 cents a serving!

Happy Birthday Veg Child! We love you!

I Can Do This!

2012-01-12T07:59:00.002-06:00

I had published a post on this blog about needing help adding a link to connect with my facebook page about Melia's Urban Farm. I am having difficulty figuring out where in the html of my blog, the body is. I do not speak computer and am more of a visual learner, as most baby boomers are. I shared the post on facebook about needing help. My youngest daughter's boyfriend offered to help me, albeit, long distance, and I was elated. Later that day, in an effort to clear my phone of data, I erased the post. Technology and I butt heads from time to time. That was one of those times. Today, I was inspired by the mother of a young woman whose blog I follow. She was letting her followers know about her mother's blog and fb page. I follow both and they are delightful! In fact, check out all the blogs I follow. They are funny, inspirational and informative! I figured, if she can do this, so can I! I will, with a little help (comment below if you know this html thing) get this figured out. I want to build my readership and gain followers here, and once the facebook page is up and running, fans on it. In the mean time, if you're reading this, please follow my blog. I promise to give you personal, informative, and and sometimes funny glimpses into our lives at Julie World!

Deleted Post

2012-01-11T06:46:00.001-06:00

In an effort to clear things off my phone, I inadvertently deleted the my last post. joy

Our New Year's Tradition

2011-12-31T10:47:00.010-06:00

My mother's people are from the South. They founded Walden's Ridge, Tennessee, which is part of the Cumberland Mountains. (Insert snickers here as well as your visions of John Boy and voices bidding goodnight as our lights go out). It's no surprise that I am a fan of the Waltons and that when I am a little spirited, the southern accent comes out. And yes, you did see pictures of my eldest son's homemade egg nog in mason jars on facebook. But I digress. We have a family tradition of eating black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year's Day. They have been served many ways over the years, even straight from the can if necessary. I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes with black-eyed peas and we will be having it tomorrow for supper.

Hoppin' John

1 1/2 cups dry black-eyed peas

4 cups water

1/2 cups chopped onions

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

1 bay leaf

8 ounces ham hocks

salt and pepper

Bring peas and water to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil two minutes and remove from heat. Let stand 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients, return to heat, cover, and simmer for two hours, stirring frquently. Add more water if necessary. Remove ham hocks and bay leaf, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice. Serves 4.

(Recipe courtesy of 365 Simple Pleasures collected by Susannah Seton)

I will be using diced, cooked ham instead of ham hocks, since I am having difficulty finding unsmoked ham hocks. If using cooked ham, add when 15 minutes are left.

I will be serving a side of spinach and a skillet of homemade cornbread as well. My sister is bringing sweet potato pie.

Here's to a new year filled with health and happiness! Happy New Year's to you and yours from all of us at Melia's Urban Farm!

My Way of Baking Bread at Home

2011-12-29T19:11:00.004-06:00

I love to bake bread. However, I use a bread maker. I know, I know, I can hear you scoffing as I type. I dislike actual baking. I just don't have time for it. I dislike being trapped by the time it takes to bake. Cookies, they are my nemesis. Raising a family with 5 children, required the baking of no less than 6 doz at a time. I felt trapped by having to wait and wait and wait, between each sheet. Bread requires more time than I am willing to give up. I taught my daughters (and willing sons) to bake as soon as safely possible and they love to bake cookies, cakes, pies, scones and yes, bread. I fell in love with bread machines when they came up with one that makes a 2 lb loaf. I can put in the ingredients and go on about my day. Oh, we still make Irish Brown Bread in a conventional oven, and I bake cakes for birthdays and special occasions, but for the bread we eat for daily consumption, it's the bread maker for me! Why bake when I can knit? I perused many bread machine cookbooks for recipes that were simple, yet delicious. They proved harder that necessary. So, I came up with my own.

White Bread

1 1/3 cup of water microwaved for 1 minute

2 tablespoons of butter, cubed up

4 cups of unbleached flour

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons of yeast

Place first 5 ingredients in bread maker in order as listed on recipe. Make well in center and add yeast. Select white bread and your preferred crust. Start bread maker and leave! Yields a 2 lb loaf. It takes my bread maker 3 hours and 10 minutes to complete a loaf.

This girl is moving on to other things! I can hear the needles clicking now!

Happy Christmas - Ten Fold!

2011-12-25T07:47:00.005-06:00

It is often said when you do something good it will come back to you ten fold. We have lived it this Christmas. Behold, the Giving Garland aka Helping Hands! But first, I must submit a back story....Our family has played a blind $5.00 gift game on Christmas Eve at my mother's house, that frankly, some of us did not like. It involved stealing gifts from the recipients and gifts that, how shall we say, were less than stellar. Now, don't say "Well, what do you expect for $5 bucks?" I have always shopped all year for these gifts and purchased something that I would like to get if that's was how the game turned and I ended up with it. That cannot be said of every player and feelings were hurt and children disappointed, but still we played the game for many years. Since I have inherited hosting Christmas Eve from my mom this holiday season, I abolished "the Game". Instead, I asked everyone to bring the money they would have spent on the gift and we would choose a charity to donate the lump sum to. I saw a knitting pattern to make a mitten garland to count down to Christmas, and from that, the Giving Garland was born. I have knitted a mitten for each family member to put their donation in. I used leftover yarn from various projects and was given great joy while knitting each little creation. This year we chose Samaritan's Purse. We collected enough money to purchase a goat and two flocks of chicks! Everyone loves our new family tradition! You may be asking, where does the "tenfold" part come in? I have made no secret of our current financial challenges while posting frugal recipes. However, it was never my intention to garner sympathy, just to let people know they are not alone with their financial struggles and that I could share money saving recipes and ideas. Well, yesterday an "Angel" came to our door to wish us a Merry Christmas and gave us a $100 gift card to a local grocery store. Bless you, Christmas Angel! Your generosity is touching and will be put to good use! All of God's promises are true! Happy Christmas!

This Soup's for You!

2011-12-22T18:21:00.008-06:00

I had a request for another frugal recipe and this is one of my favorites! One of my friends who lost their job in the various rounds of layoffs executed by Borders is feeling the same pinch in the pocket book that we are. In fact, many of us who lost our jobs, or who have spouses that lost their jobs, or have just had a bad run of luck are feeling the same way. I am happy to share my recipes and help stretch the food budget. It's my version of Yankee Bean Soup. The ingredients, if you had nothing on hand, are under $5 dollars at Aldi and are actually a fraction of that if you have some of the items on hand. You can get 2 batches of this recipe if you had to buy the all of the ingredients and still have onions, carrots and celery left for other recipes.

Julie's Yankee Bean Soup

One medium onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 rib of celery, diced

1 lb of dried navy beans, rinsed

Place all ingredient in slow cooker and add enough water to an inch from the top of the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add salt to taste, usually about 1 tsp, an hour before serving. Add pepper to taste.

If you have any left over ham, dice it up and add it instead of the salt, about one hour before serving. I have also added a ham hock to the slow cooker in the beginning, but it seems harder and harder to find a ham hock that is not smoked. Most of the time, I just make it without the meat. This soup also freezes well and rewarms nicely for leftovers.

So, this soup is for you! I hope you like it as much as we do!

Our Mitford Snowman

2011-12-11T19:25:00.005-06:00

The kids decided to build a snowman today. They were clearly inspired by my Mitford Snowmen collection I have acquired over the years when Hallmark made various snowmen based on Jan Karon's At Home in Mitford series. I loved those books! I was drawn to the spiritual and community message contained in those books! I was moved to tears by the fact that the kids constructed their snowman facing our bay window so I could enjoy him from the warmth of our dining room. Over the next few days, the weather will be growing warmer and the weatherman is calling for rain. I am thankful that our snowman will be immortalized here and in our minds and hearts on their playful and joy filled day. To Anthony and Chelsea: Thank you for such a wonderful gift! I love you both dearly!

More Repurposing: Things with a Purpose

2011-12-04T10:53:00.002-06:00

I just love making something out of what most people would toss in the trash. The two Strategy bags were ordered, the chicken bag is also sold, so all that's left is the rabbit food bag. I also love that Purina Mills donates a portion of the proceeds of each pink bag of feed sold to breast cancer research! So, when livestock owners bought the pink bags, they purchased with a purpose! Kudos Purina! Shoot me a message here or on fb if you are interested in the pink bunny bag. The price is $15.00 (includes shipping and handling).

Girl, you got skills!

2011-12-01T21:38:00.022-06:00

I enjoy knitting! I am self taught. I've been told I don't hold my needles correctly or weave the yarn through my fingers to obtain proper tension, but I still manage to produce knitted objects that people love to wear, make things for their pets wear, or I make toys to play with. Sometimes, I use patterns and sometimes, I create my own. I sell some of my work and give many things as gifts. I also teach others to knit, but upfront, warn them of my non-traditional methods. It is very soothing to knit and I can knit while I work at Gallup. Today, I wore the shawl you see pictured. I received many compliments, but my favorite was from a co-worker who, when he realized I had knit it, said "Girl, you got skills!" I thanked him. Little did he know how his words sustained me through the day! Skills, no. Doing something I enjoy, yes. But, I'll take the compliment.

First Infusion

2011-11-16T10:33:00.004-06:00

Today marks my first Remicade infusion. When we first arrived, my blood pressure was through the roof, due to nerves. The flash drive brochure they sent in the mail to prepare me for this day was, not unlike pharmaceutical commercials, chock full of side effect warnings. Pretty scary stuff, indeed. Forewarned is forearmed I suppose. So far, so good. I have run the gamut of emotions: anxiety, depression, full out crying, and of course anger (not directed at anyone, just at the idea of me of all people having Crohn's). The nurses are nice and quite attentive. Charlie is worried. That's his job, the worrier. He is good at it, as my glass is always full and he usually can't find his. We are ever hopeful that the infusions will begin the healing necessary to halt the progression of my Crohn's disease. A day without pain would be joyful! A day without pain killers would be even better! The thing I keep in my heart and mind is that so many people have to endure so many things much worse than I. I put them in my God box.

I included a picture of myself, which I may delete later. My hair is falling out due to 4 bouts of anesthesia and steroids. Vanity will surely play it's part in the deletion. Oh and, the "round face" is a side effect of the steroids (joy)! I am not normally a vain woman, heck, many days I don't wear makeup, but I do love my hair! So, if missing my once luxurious mane is being vain, then I whole heartedly admit it! Maybe I'll cut it off. I've always loved Judy Dench's haircut!

Taco Chili

2011-11-13T11:05:00.006-06:00

I've always been one to love a frugal recipe, but I didn't always shop that way. Needless to say, with the advent of my husband taking a substantial pay cut after his company being bought out, my being laid off, then finding a new job at less pay than before, and then falling ill, missing work, and now incurring mounting medical expenses, our finances have taken a huge hit. Now, more than ever, we need to cut our expenses wherever we can. This is one of my favorite, frugal, crock pot recipes. Currently, I am unable to afford organic ingredients, unless I can find them on sale. For this batch, I purchased all my ingredients from Aldi. The recipe serves six. The total cost was less than $5.00. Making it less than $o.84 a serving. We serve it with blue corn chips, shredded cheddar, and a dollop of greek yogurt, all of which we always have on hand, but you get the general idea of a thrifty meal.

TACO CHILI

Serves 6

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 15 oz can kidney beans

1 15 oz can whole kernel corn

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 package taco seasoning

Brown ground beef with diced onion in a skillet on medium high heat. Drain fat. In a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker, combine browned ground beef and all other ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours.

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes. I added the onion and saved money by purchasing the 28 oz can of tomatoes instead of 2 15oz cans as their recipe call for. I have used ground turkey instead of ground beef and frozen corn instead of canned. All in all, this recipe is delicious!

Free For the Taking

2011-11-07T06:33:00.004-06:00

I enjoy looking on craigslist. Admittedly, I was a voyeur, always looking, never taking part. Sometimes dreaming of partaking, but never doing so. I'm always curious as to what people are giving away for free. Sometimes, to me, it is truly junk, other times, I am amazed at the quality. It brings to mind the old adage: "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Yesterday, I was wondering how I could factor in purchasing bales of straw to winterize the chicken coop and freshen their yard. Money has been extremely unsteady, as I was laid off June 2010, found a part time job, and then once employed full time a year later, have missed significant days from work being hospitalized twice and taking time off for extensive testing. Every penny is counted, weighed and measures, testing our skills to stretch every dollar. I decided to put straw in the for sale search of craigslist, and came up with prices cheaper than our local feed store, but with the drive to the small towns where they were listed, one would have to factor the cost of gas in the overall purchase price. I was saddened, but moved on. Once again, for fun, I decided to look at the free items. The posting at the top of the list was 5 free bales of straw! I called immediately, as the poster did not want to be emailed, and left a message. After nearly an agonizing hour, she called back and they were mine! She had used them as yard decorations for Halloween and wanted them gone. Talk about divine intervention! So, now when I view items on craigslist, I will reserve my judgement on what I think is trash, because like for me, the item maybe a treasure!

Last of The Bounty = Piccalilly!

2011-11-03T07:55:00.018-05:00

After much deliberation, this year we planted a small garden. While the small garden was less work, it also would mean less production. Our middle son was married this summer and we held the reception in our yard. It was a beautiful family event! I fell ill shortly afterwards with two hospitalizations, so the small garden turned out to be a blessing. We had enough tomatoes to eat, share, and dehydrate. Plenty of cayenne to keep us in crushed red pepper for the winter, herbs to dry, and the hungarian hot wax yielded a couple of quart jars of hot pepper rings. Plenty to enjoy, but not too much work. Before the freeze last night, the kids picked the last of the bounty from the garden. Much to my surprise, there are enough green tomatoes to make a family favorite! Piccalilly! The perfect relish! This recipe was given to me by my mother who got it from a farmwives journal canning brochure long ago. We have altered it slightly, adding a whole cayenne pepper straight down the middle of the jar before they are sealed. The idea came from a mennonite woman we met at Carston Farm Days a few years back. It adds the perfect amount of kick! Each year, when we make this, the memories of my mother's kitchen comes flooding back with the heady scent of overnight cabbage melding with tomatoes and the wonderful aroma of vinegar and pickling spice when cooking down the next day. So, if you have green tomatoes left, here is the recipe from my family to yours. It is a recipe that was and is to be handed down for generations! Enjoy!

Piccalilly

1 quart green tomatoes, chopped

1 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1 1/2 cup onion, chopped

5 cups cabbage, chopped

1/3 cup salt

3 cups vinegar

2 cups brown sugar

2 tbls whole mixed pickling spice

Combine vegetables. Mix with salt. Let stand overnight. Next day, drain and press in colander to remove liquid.

Combine vinegar and sugar. Place spice in cloth and tie. Place in vinegar mixture. Bring to boil. Add vegetables and bring to boil. Simmer 30 minutes to reduce liquid. Remove bag. Pack in clean, hot jars. 1/2 inch to top. adjust lids, Process 5 minutes in water bath. If you want to add a little heat, place 1 cayenne pepper straight down the center of each jar before sealing.

Preserving an Icon

2011-11-01T21:19:00.005-05:00

A couple of days ago, I was reading the Omaha World Herald and came across this letter to the editor. It moved me enough to clip it out and carry it around. I even made mention of it to the postal worker when I shipped my latest order for my re-purposed chicken tote. I can't imagine a world without mail carriers. I can't imagine a world without letters, postcards, packages. I can't imagine not viewing the stamps from my birth year at Boystown and realizing that there may not be stamps for my grandchildren's birth years. My grandmother loved to go to the mailbox each day and even though she lived a few blocks from my home, I regularly sent cards to her because it gave her joy. I too, love letters and cards! I love watching for the mailman to come up my walk, anticipating his delivery of a letter, a postcard, a magazine, and to my delight, a package! To my friends from the book industry who are currently out of work, we cannot let what happened to us happen to the postal service. So, write that friend, send that postcard, mail that card that made you laugh out loud in Hallmark. Share this with everyone you know. Save the Postal Service and while we're at it, let's make Ruth Wise's day!