The song Winter Winds by Mumford and Sons is currently lodged in my head and has been replaying since I woke up to the 28 degree temperatures yesterday morning.
That’s right. Twenty Eight. May 22nd. Less than two weeks ago we had a couple of days that hit 90.
I was making mojito’s and enjoying them with my neighbors.
Two. Weeks. Ago.
Yesterday it snowed.
(Picture my stoic expression right about now)
Sure…the snow didn’t stick. BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT.
Back to Mumford and Sons.
Mumford & Sons at Brighton Dome, Brighton, East Sussex. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am taking comfort in the knowledge that I will be seeing them live in exactly four (4) days.
This will actually be the first time I’ve ever gone to see a band that I am truly nutty over. Not sure what to expect from myself. HA
But, at the very least, I expect to see more leaves and LESS SNOW from now through October.
Pepperplate Is a recipe/menu-planning app. that I discovered while scanning available apps for the Nook.
I think I love it!
I’ve only begun to play around with it but what I’ve seen so far leads me to think I may have discovered something to help get my disorderly booty in some kind of gear (where menu-planning is concerned).
Here’s what I know so far;
I can access my recipes (or whatever I’ve put on my Pepperplate account) through my Nook without going online. Which means I can use my Nook in the grocery store to check my shopping list for the menu planned or I can just look directly at the recipe in mind.
I have already used the bookmarklet to add a couple of recipes from Susan’s Blog over at Wild Life In The Woods. and I plan to visit my Pinterest Food Board and put those recipes on my Pepperplate account, too.
Do any of you use Pepperplate? What are your thoughts?
My good friend Susan, over at Wild Life in the Woods, recently shared her recipe for a family favorite – Caramel Cake or, as she calls it, Heaven on a Plate.
I know that Susan has fantastic taste in food. So, when she names something as worthy then it’s WORTHY. And, oh my is this cake WORTHY!
I did a bundt version because that's the pan I had available.
I made this cake twice in the last few days. The first one literally only lasted 14 hours.
For the first one I only made the frosting and just used a *GASP* boxed cake mix. It was goooooood.
I decided to go big for the second one and use Susan’s recipe for the yellow cake. Being…well…me…I charged ahead a little too quickly and just cracked my eggs into the bowl before reading the part about separating the whites. *sigh* But the cake was still very good. It was more of a pound cake texture but the flavor was perfect.
Lastly: I halved the recipe for the frosting and still had more than I needed.
This recipe is more labor-intensive than I generally like but it has a permanent place in the family recipe box.
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
1 c. evaporated milk
1 t. vanilla extract
Combine sugar, butter, and milk (or cream!) in a 4 quart saucepan or small Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes. (Careful here: at this point, the sugar can boil over. If it starts rattling the lid like it might boil over, take the lid off, fast. You’re looking for a nice big boil, but you don’t want it to spill all over your stovetop.) Uncover and cook, stirring constantly, gently at first, until mixture reaches 222º, and then stirring more vigorously to avoid scorching, until mixture reaches 234º, which is the soft ball stage. (This could take up to 40 minutes.) Remove from heat, and add vanilla (do not stir). Cool 10 minutes.
Beat mixture, in saucepan, at medium speed with an electric mixer 8 to 10 minutes, or until almost spreading consistency.
If you make this amazing frosting be sure to go visit Susan and tell her. I know she loves hearing from folks who try her recipes.
I went out at 7:00a.m. (I should also mention that I do this in my jammies with a coat over top). I opened the door of the coop and, as usual, all the girls ran right out to their outside food container. I opened the top of the coop to begin my morning cleaning. Within seconds Lupin and Nugget (both Mediterranean native Leghorn chickens ) were back inside bawking to me their gentle protests about that stuff outside.
Their coop is in a nicely protected part of the yard.
I was playing the role of Crazy Chicken lady and actually talking back to them and explaining that it had snowed and then I showed them both where to find the food inside the coop. I stuck my finger in the food and they both looked at my finger and quickly walked over and began eating. I am not lying! They were griping to me. I explained the situation. They understood and calmed down. They’re the smartest chickens EVER.
Annabell likes keeping her toes warm!
My friend Susan likes to call my chickens “The FunGirls” – but we can’t decide which chicken represents which of us…or if we even WANT them to. HA
I’ve spent a lot of time reading about caring for chickens, talking to people who have chickens, and just using common sense. I’m finally comfortable with our set-up now that it has been tested.
Our coop is insulated with Styrofoam between the plywood walls. We’ve equipped it with a thermometer and the coldest I’ve seen the temperature, inside the coop, in the mornings (after a cold night) is 40degrees. We’ve already had a few nights in the teens and the chickies stayed nice and cozy.
We’ve also set up a light on a timer inside the coop. The light helps warm the coop during the day and it also provides the few extra hours of daylight to keep the chickens laying. It must be working because we’re still getting an average of three eggs each day from our very contented, happy, smart chickens.
I saw a troubling video yesterday about the “chicken factories” that produce the eggs for one of the fast-food giants who have popular breakfast sandwiches. I’ve decided to link it here. (be warned – this video made me cry)
The chickens in the video are under incredible stress and are living horrific lives. I vowed that I will never support that system again. So, while having backyard chickens is kind of a pain, it’s absolutely worth it to know that I’m not contributing to the torturous life those other chickens are enduring.
While it feels incredibly wrong to talk about food after viewing that video I do want to offer an alternative to those fast food breakfast sandwiches. I believe a homemade version is not only more economical but it is also safer (because it is made in your own kitchen) and it doesn’t support that ridiculous industry. You can even raise your own chickens or buy farm fresh eggs from someone local to you.
Here’s my recipe for our homemade DizMuffins. (sorry, I can’t take a picture of this yet. I hope to add it later)
You’ll need:
1 egg
1 bagel or English Muffin, toasted.
1 slice of cheese of choice
Butter, salt, and pepper
1 average size ceramic cereal bowl, sprayed with cooking spray.
Beat the egg in the bowl and then microwave it for 75 seconds (or until it puffs up about 1/2″ above the rim of the bowl. Immediately place the cheese on the egg so it can begin melting.
Butter the toasted bagel or muffin then scoop the cooked egg out of the bowl onto the bagel/muffin. Place the other half on top and TA DA!
I’m not a fan of nuked food, but this is very tasty!
I got an idea a few weeks ago. I realize I’m not the first to dream up this combination, but I did dream it up all by myself!
What did I dream? Well, I have some cardamom pods in my pantry. I thought, “Hey. I’ll bet a few seeds would be lovely in zucchini bread.” I. WAS. RIGHT!! Okay – maybe it’s not going to appeal to you. But I LOVE IT!
All you need is the seeds from 6 or 7 cardamom pods (green) and a mortar and pestle. Grind the seeds into a nice fine powder and add to your favorite recipe for zucchini bread.
Your recipe will need a couple of changes if you want to bring out the best in the cardamom flavor.
First: Omit the cinnamon (if your recipe calls for it)
Second: Add a dash or two of nutmeg. Nutmeg and Cardamom were M.F.E.O. (made for each other)
Isn't that pretty?
If you think chocolate chips would be good – think again. I did it last time. The flavor of the cardamom was obliterated by the chocolate.
Trust me. This cardamom thing is best kept simple and elegant.
