Zucchini Soup

I don't know how this happens.  I check the zucchini, cut all that are ready and move on.  The next day Dave asks why I have a monster zucchini and when am I going to cut it.  It wasn't there yesterday, I checked, it must have grown overnight.

Well, last Friday, I checked the zucchini and gave it all to my neighbor.  At this point I have 16 2-cup bags of shredded zucchini in my freezer and that is more than I'll use this year for bread and in soups, stews and chili.  Monday afternoon, during my break, I went outside and found this:

How did these grow so fast?  They weren't there on Friday.

And a whole basket of small ones, yes, even ones with the
blossoms still attached.  I picked these and then pulled
the plants.  I've over it.

Yes, I'm over zucchini.  I've eaten it grated, fried, pattyed, baked, caked, breaded, chipped, stuffed, spiralized and now souped.

This soup is delicious.  A nice creamy soup to start a meal or a big bowl for lunch.  You can make this up to the point of adding the cream, and freeze it for later.  Add the cream and sour cream when you thaw and reheat it.  I'm making a quadruple batch for the freezer, I have enough zucchini.  I'm going to be happily swimming in zucchini soup for the winter.

Keto Zucchini Soup
1 Tbsp. avocado oil or coconut oil
6 cups chopped zucchini
3 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried thyme]
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

optional toppings:
diced, fried bacon or pancetta
heavy cream, for swirls
parmesan Whisps
extra virgin olive oil

In a medium stock pot, heat avocado oil, add zucchini and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn't burn.  Add chicken broth and dried thyme, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth.  Alternatively, you can process in a blender with a steam vent covered by a towel, in two batches.  Return to stockpot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cream and sour cream and heat through.

Serve in bowls or cups, using a spoon pour heavy cream in a swirl over the top and sprinkle crisped pancetta over the top, or top with cheese Whisps.

1 year ago:    Sugar Free Peanut Butter Truffles and Getting Rained Out.
3 years ago:   Taco Breakfast Bake
7 years ago:   Rhubarb Muffins and the First Fall Frost

August 26, 2020  Sunrise 6:14 am  Sunset 9:28 pm  Temp. H 62/ L 46°F

Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese and Putting up the Garden

I'm not a big gardener, I plant just enough to make me feel like a gardener.  I have 4 raised beds I use to grow some veggies and I like lots of flowers.

This year I planted 12 cauliflower plants, 6 of broccoli, 6 cabbages, 2 eggplant (for the first time), Swiss chard, lettuce, radishes, 4 green zucchini and 2 yellow squash, 2 cucumber plants and the tomatoes in the greenhouse.

Now, this year it rained a lot, so watering was pretty easy...I didn't have to do it much, which is a good thing because my dad isn't here to water for me.  But the problem with my garden is that everything is ready at the same time! I put harvesting off as long as possible (you can see in the picture below, one of my cauliflowers started to spread), but I finally had to deal with all that broccoli and cauliflower.

Freezing broccoli and cauliflower doesn't take a lot of work, just be organized and follow the steps.

Why does it all have to be ready at the same time?

Freezing Cauliflower and Broccoli

1) Cut cauliflower (and Broccoli) from garden, bring inside and wash.

2) Place large stock 2/3 full of water on stove and heat to a roiling boil.

3) While water is heating, cut cauliflower into desired sized florets.

4) Set up ice bath in sink, cold water and lots of ice (in Fairbanks we can skip the ice, our water comes out of the tap that cold)

5) Place several layers of towels on a table or big counter.

6) Once water is boiling, generously salt the water (this is optional)

7) Place about 4-6 cups of florets in the boiling water and set timer for 5 minutes for cauliflower or 3 minutes for broccoli.

8) When the time beeps, remove the florets from the boiling water (I use a big skimmer) and place in the ice bath until all the florets are cold. While one batch of florets are cooling, I start another batch in the boiling water.

9) Once the florets are cold, remove them from the ice bath to a colander to drain.

10) Once drained, tip them onto the layers of towels to dry further. I use a towel to GENTLY dry the tops, you don't want squished florets.

11) Place dried florets in sheet pans lined with parchment and freeze.

12) Once frozen transfer florets to ziplock bags and return to freezer until needed.

Blanched, dried and frozen for packaging.

I got some giant broccoli too.

Blanched broccoli drying, almost ready for the freezer.

So that is the way I blanched and froze 9 gallon bags of cauliflower and 3 gallon bags of broccoli.  The nice thing about freezing the florets this way is the florets don't freeze together and you can take out as much as you want and return the rest of the bag to the freezer.

But 9 gallons of cauliflower is a lot for Dave and me so I need to get a little creative in ways to fix it so Dave doesn't get too tired of it.  He loves mac and cheese, so I decided to give the "cauli and cheese" a try.  It was a hit! He even ate left-overs for lunch the next day.  

Cauliflower and Cheese

1 med. head cauliflower

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, or use 1/4 c. cream and 1/4 c. almond milk or water

3 oz. cream cheese

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup ground pork rinds, or pork panko

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray a baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

Wash the cauliflower and break into small florets.  Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  

Meanwhile, make sauce. In a medium saucepan or a microwave safe bowl, mix whipping cream, cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, cheddar, mozzarella and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.  Heat until melted and completely mixed and smooth.  

Gently mix cauliflower into the cheese sauce and pour into prepared baking dish.  

Mix remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and the ground pork rinds and sprinkle over the top of the cauliflower.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden on top and bubbly.  

1 year ago:    Birthday Cupcakes and Learning to Decorate
3 years ago:   Layered Panna Cotta and Dave's New Puppy
5 years ago:   Tazlina Wedding
7 years ago:   Lemon Bars

August 19, 2020   Sunrise 5:52 am  Sunset 9:53 pm  Temp. H 72/L 50°F

Roasted Broccoli Salad

I'm feeling very healthy these days. Mostly because I am getting my exercise in.  Our new offices are on the 5th floor of our building and the elevator is soooooo sssslllloooowww (really, we timed it and I can walk up to our floor, down to the first floor and up to our office floor BEFORE the elevator arrives). So, I walk the stairs every morning to get to my office.

Everyone in my office has been talking about what great shape we will be in as we huff and puff up those stairs.  I wonder how long it will take up to climb those flights of stairs and not be out of breath?

And because my new office is literally across the hall from the ladies room and so I don't get my steps in, I have decided to walk down the stairs and up the stairs every time I go to the bathroom...like 16 times a day. And, I placed little exercise cards in the windows of each floor so when I get to that floor I will do 10 wall push ups or 10 squats etc. So you see, I am getting a lot of exercise.

So continue my healthy habits I made this delicious roasted broccoli salad and have been bringing it for my lunch.  Broccoli is not my favorite, but I love it in this salad.  It has just enough crunch left in the broccoli and the bacon bits to make it very satisfying.  I think it gives me enough energy to climb those 5 flights of stairs up and down one extra time after lunch.

Roasted Broccoli Salad

4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 bunches of broccoli, about 4 cups, separated into bite sized florets
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. sweetener, I used swerve confectioners, optional
1/4 tsp. salt, more or less to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper, more or less to taste
3 Tbsp. salted sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Toss broccoli with avocado oil and spread in a single layer.  Roast for 15-20 minutes until just beginning to crisp edges.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan.  Cook chopped bacon until crisp.  Remove from heat to a paper towel to drain.  Add onion to bacon fat and sauté until translucent.  Remove to paper towel to drain. 

In a small bowl mix mayo, sour cream, sweetener, salt and pepper. 

In a large bowl toss broccoli with mayo/ sour cream mixture, add onion and bacon.  Pour into serving bowl and top with sunflower seeds.

1 year ago:    Homemade Coffee Liqueur and Keeping Traditions
5 years ago:   Garlic Chili Chicken and My Saturday Afternoon Date
7 years ago:   Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

October 17, 2010  Sunrise 8:49 am  Sunset 6:21 pm  Temp. H 31/ L 20°F

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

I love asparagus and I love bacon.  So putting them together was a no brainer!  I made this a couple of times before I figured out a good system.  The first time I just wrapped the bacon around the asparagus and when Dave tried to turn the asparagus and bacon, the bacon just fell off. So using a toothpick keeps it all together.

Right now we are trying to grill as often as possible.  The weather has been really nice and I know our nice weather is going to come to an abrupt end.  The last time I stopped by Creamer's Field the birds were all gone, the leaves are all yellow and falling, and it finally frosted enough to kill my zucchini.

So, in the meantime, we will grill as often as possible, and have bacon wrapped asparagus a couple times a week!

Dave, trying to avoid getting his picture taken.

Attack with the tongs because I keep taking his picture!

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus, mine was 12 spears

6 sliced of bacon, sliced down the length, one piece for each spear of asparagus

24 toothpicks

Place bacon in microwave, on paper towels, and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Wrap one (half) slice of bacon around each asparagus spear. Secure with toothpicks.  Grill over medium high heat until bacon is cooked.  Remove toothpicks, if used, and serve.

1 year ago:   Monday Mugcake, Chocolate Keto Cake
3 years ago:  Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls and the Travel Guy
5 years ago:  Colonial Bread

September 9, 2019  Sunrise 6:54am  Sunset 8:39pm   Temp. H 67/ L 46˚F

Cucumber Harvest

I met a friend for coffee and she gifted me two cucumbers and some tomatoes from her greenhouse.  I love cucumbers and told her how I would enjoy them for my lunch.  Well, that reminded me that my dad did a great job watering my greenhouse all summer, and while we did bring in some tomatoes, we never had any cucumbers.  I guessed they just didn't grow that much.

So, with the fresh cucumbers on my brain, I went out to my greenhouse to cut back some of the cucumber plants that hadn't been producing and make that my bag of garden I have to collect every day from now until the garden is put away.  I started hacking away at the overgrown vines, I hadn't pruned them all summer, and began to find hidden cucumbers.  After I cut about 6, I ran inside to grab a basket to gather the rest.  I came up with this...

So now I have more cucumbers than I know what to do with!  Dave doesn't eat cucumbers!  I decided I would try some dill relish, we might eat a jar a year, and maybe some dill chips, but English cucumbers aren't the best for pickles.  I posted this picture on my Facebook page and my very smart Seattle niece suggested antioxidant water. I drink a lot of water everyday, I have a pitcher on my desk I fill in the morning and have empty before the end of the day.  I could bring the  ingredients and make it here at work.  So I tried it.

Antioxidant Water
According to Beth

Cucumber slices
lemon slices
mint leaves
pinch of salt

Put all ingredients in a pitcher with cold water.  Enjoy.


1 year ago:    Feeling Blue and Blueberry Scones
3 years ago:  Gin and Tonic
5 years ago:  Zucchini Fries for Zucchini Season

September 4, 2019  Sunrise 6:39 am  Sunset 8:37 pm   Temp H 64/L 46°F

Poached Garlic Dressing and the Rough Day

I had a really tough day Sunday.

It started out with Mooree face butting me before I fed him. He is always very hungry in the morning so I let them out and feed them right away.  I was reaching down for his bowl and he was looking up to lick me and caught me right under my chin, I have a lovely little bruise and tender spot from his hard head.

I got my coffee and started some meal prep.  I made french toast muffins from Kyndra Holley's cookbook, Craveable Keto, cooked some sausage links and breakfast was prepped for the week.  Then I made some salmon patties and cleaned the kitchen while they baked.  After they came out of the oven and cooled, I stuck them in the freezer. I checked my list and saw that I forgot the artichokes, so I grabbed them out of the fridge, prepped them and popped them into some water to cook.  I went upstairs and got dressed (yes, I cook in my pajamas because Dave was still sleeping when I started), went back to the kitchen and the artichokes were not finished so I decided to go outside and weed a little while they finished.

About an hour and a half later Dave came outside and asked me what I had burned this morning.  

"I didn't burn anything this morning, why?" I asked.

"Something smells like you burned it." he said just as I remembered the artichokes and ran inside.  

Of course, the pan was black, the artichokes burned and hard and the house had started to smell. We grabbed the pan and took it outside to cool and to get the smoke out of the house.  Dave asked if I was serving smoked artichoke dip with dinner.  Very funny.

Then later that morning, we were emptying the greenhouse.  I have several little garden statues for the flower beds and I had two in my hands as I tried to step over the gate that separates the deck from the grass.  We keep the gate shut to keep the dogs off the grass and encourage them to use the dog yard.  Well, I made about three successful trips over the fence but this trip was not so successful.  I ended up on the ground, the statues went flying but I was able to get up on my own (I did have to lay there a little bit though).  I do have some lovely bruises on my legs to show for it (this morning Dave just laughed when he saw them and walked out of the room).

The final straw was when I was making dinner.  I had planned some grilled kabobs and grilled vegetables with this delicious poached garlic dressing.  I poached the garlic the night before and let it cool so all I had to do was give it a quick blend and it would be ready for the beef and veggies.  

Most of the prep was mixing some ground burger with spices and making meatballs to grill on some skewers.  I grabbed my mother-in-laws green bowl (I always laugh to myself and say "I hope this is a good try") put the burger in it and I needed some vinegar.  I reached into the spice cabinet and instead of taking everything in front of it out, I just tried to lift it over everything.  I bumped a glass jar of balsamic vinegar that was sitting at the front and it fell out of the cupboard and hit my green bowl and broke it.  Glass was everywhere...on the counter, on the floor, in the meat.  I saw what I had done and burst into tears.  I had broken June's green bowl because I was trying to cut a corner.  Dave was really kind, and calm. He took the broken bowl and the ruined contents to the garage to throw them away and helped me clean up the mess.  We ended up eating chili from the freezer with hot dogs and brats.  The grilled veggies would wait for another day.

So tonight, barring any accidents, we are going to grill veggies with the poached garlic dressing.  This is so delicious and good for anything, chicken, shrimp, pork, veggies...  I've heard that eating garlic is good for clearing up bruises, good thing because I am one giant walking bruise.

Poached Garlic Dressing
1/2 cup garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife and peeled of paper
1/2 cup avocado oil, or oil of choice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. brown sugar substitute, or honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper



In a small saucepan, over medium high heat bring garlic and oil to a simmer, reduce to low and let simmer for 15 minutes until garlic is golden brown.  Remove from heat and let cool (I usually do this the night before I am going to use it, while I cook dinner).
Transfer garlic and oil to a blender, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  Use as a dressing, marinade, or basting sauce.

1 year ago:    Seed Crackers
3 years ago:  Ruining the Surprise and Drunken Watermelon Drink of the Week
5 years ago:  Bacon Burgers and the Grilling Season
7 years ago:  Spinach Salad with Warm Mushroom and Bacon Dressing


May 22, 2019  Sunrise 4:04 am  Sunset 11:33 pm  Temp. H 72/ L 52˚F

Zucchini Chips

I have a new obsession.  It used to be things like hostess cupcakes, snickers bars, ice cream (o.k. so I still love ice cream), potato chips...the list goes on.  But most of those things I no longer eat and feel better for it, also for most of those things there is a keto version that I enjoy just as much.

However, I do miss the salty crunch of potato chips with a burger or hot dog.  In all honesty, I have eaten potato chips once in a while, just a few, but I know that goes directly against my food goals.  So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw some zucchini chips posted on Pinterest!  I tried to make my first batch in my oven, but my oven doesn't go below 250°F, so the chips were not ideal.

So, I did what anyone would do, I went and bought a food dehydrator.

I am loving this thing!  I use my mandolin to cut my zucchini nice and thin, lay them on the screens, turn  it on to 135°F and let it do it's thing.  8-12 hours later I have delicious, crunchy chips.  I like mine with salt, garlic and a little Parmesan. I have to be careful because the first day I ate two whole zucchini with my lunch and drank a ton of water and didn't feel so good the rest of the day!  I do need to learn the art of moderation!

So, this is what I do for my chip fix now.  I'm going to try radishes and see how that goes.  I also want to try cranberries for some keto cranberry bliss bars for the holiday season.  I might be late to the food dehydrator game, but I'm loving it now that I'm here!

Zucchini Chips

2 large zucchini, small just dry up to tiny nothings
2 Tbsp. avocado oil
salt
garlic powder
parmesan

Slice zucchini on mandolin.  Place zucchini in a bowl, add oil and toss to coat all the chips.  Place on dehydrator trays then salt and sprinkle with garlic (if I'm using parmesan, I dip one side in a little bowl of parmesan before I put it on the tray and top with salt and/or garlic).  Using manufacturer's directions, dehydrate (mine take about 12 hours and I like to rotate the top trays and the bottom trays half way through).

What other toppings should I try on my chips?

1 year ago:   Sleeping Pants and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
4 years ago:  Sometime Home Made Bread is Love
5 years ago:  Words with Friends and Dutch Apple Pie
7 years ago:  Barbeque and Bird Feeders

December 11, 2018  Sunrise 10:45am  Sunset 2:43pm  Temp. H 7/ L -5˚F

Pumpkin Mug Cake

This week is everything pumpkin.  We had a pumpkin martini on Monday and today we get a pumpkin mug cake.  I'm pretty excited, this is the season of eating and I am home for three straight months before I travel again for work.  I'll get to spend the whole season of eating at home, checking out Pinterest and eating anything I want to cook.

Gman and his people are showing up tonight for Thanksgiving.  Gman will be asleep, but I'll have the martinis and this mug cake ready for the older two.  I'm sure they will need a snack after that long 3 hour flight from Seattle to Fairbanks! This is warm and delicious with the buttery pecans on top...mmmm. And this is keto so no sugar and no grains, you don't have to feel bad for the splurge.

I wish you a happy Thanksgiving full of food and family and friends.  The rest of the season of eating is before us, and oh so delicious!

Pumpkin Mug Cake
Link is here from Sugarless Crystals

1 year ago:   Breakfast Chili
3 years ago:  Home Again and the Sob Story and Hot Buttered Rum
5 years ago:  Pumpkin Muffins and How Alaska Skews Your Knowledge
7 years ago:  Sweet and Spicy Smoked Salmon - a Blog Favorite

November 21, 2018   Sunrise 9:47 am  Sunset 3:25 pm  Temp. H 19/ L 13°F

Broccoli Cheese Crock Pot Soup

My dogs are assholes.  Yes, all of them.

Dave is gone for a hunting trip with my brother.  Hershey barks non-stop.  I think he thinks he has to guard the house while Dave is gone, and when Hershey barks, Riley barks, then Tek and Mooree get in on the fun.  The big dogs bark a couple times, but Hershey does.  not.  stop.  So, I got a squirt bottle and filled it with water, when he barks I tell him to stop, and when he doesn't stop, I squirt him.  He is starting to get the message.

Mooree is still an energetic puppy and while I can put up with that, I can't put up with the digging.  Our back yard is all pavers, gravel, wood deck and grass, and there is a gate to the grass the dogs can't get to unless I open the gate to let them run.  We have pulled all the flowers for winter so around the edge of the deck are empty flower boxes.  Mooree has decided he needs to dig in them, get dirt all over the place and then roll in it.  Plus, it has been raining so the dirt is now mud and all the dogs walk through it and into to the house, so my house is a mud pit. I was out in the pouring rain on Saturday sweeping the mud off the deck. And he eats my shoes.

Tek is mean and I got woken up at 4:30 with a jolt because someone (Lily or Mooree) yelped as Tek was getting pissy with them and I had to go running down the stairs into the garage where the big dog kennel is to be sure no one was bleeding. As it is, the little dogs have to kennel separate from the big dogs because Tek made Hershey bleed once.

And Tek is just not my favorite dog.

Riley is refusing to eat.  I actually sit on the floor and spoon feed that damn dog the stewed chicken I make him because he won't eat dog food and he is so underweight the vet said to do anything to get him to eat. Chicken must taste better on a spoon.

Then, while Dave is gone, I worked on cleaning out the dish/exercise room and getting it ready for me to exercise in during the winter.  I purchased some giant foam squares to put on the concrete floor in that room.  I vacuumed and mopped the floor, then laid out the foam squares and put a gate on the door so the dogs can't come in and get it muddy.  Dave is gone and Riley HATES Mooree so I brought Riley into the room this morning, put him on a soft little blanket and started an exercise tape.  Mooree and Tek got into something so I ran to make sure all was well with the house.  When I came back into the room to resume exercising, Riley had pooped right in the middle of the floor on my new foam squares.  So I spent about 15 minutes cleaning up the mess and rearranging the foam squares so I didn't lay down on the pooped one to do my push-ups or sit-ups.  Yes, I did disinfect the area but still, yech.

Lily is the only good dog we have.

After all this energy to take care of my asshole dogs, I am tired.  To help save myself some time with making dinner, I made this dump soup.  You just dump everything in the crock pot and a few hours later (or when you get home from work) you blend it with your emersion blender and dinner is ready.  I always have all the ingredients in my house so I can make this whenever I'm struggling for dinner or lunch.  I made this and had it all week while Dave was gone because 1) it is delicious and 2) Dave doesn't think soup is dinner.  He doesn't know what he is missing.

Broccoli and Cheese Crockpot Soup

1 lb. frozen broccoli
4 cups chicken stock
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup fresh baby spinach

Put broccoli, chicken stock, cream cheese, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in crock pot.  Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.

Add cheddar cheese and spinach, blend with immersion blender or carefully transfer to blender and puree until smooth.

Top with a little heavy cream (pour some onto a spoon and drizzle onto top of soup) and cheddar cheese.  Enjoy

Makes 6 servings

2 years ago:  Yard Clean Up and Quick Jambalaya

3 years ago:  Carrot Soup and Ducks in the Yard

5 years ago:  Cranberry Shortbread

October 8, 2018   Sunrise 8:22 am  Sunset 6:52 pm  Temp. H 43/ L 29˚F

Breakfast Ramen

I think this is my favorite time of the year in Fairbanks.  It is sunny when I wake up and sunny when I go to bed.  It is cool in the morning, but warm in the evening and we can eat dinner on the deck.  It smells like rain and it is time to start planting.

I do love spring.

For our long weekend, Dave headed to help friends put in their fish wheel and then on to Valdez to fish, I stayed home to plant my flowers and garden, and keep the dogs busy.  I was working hard outside so I needed some hearty meals to keep me going.  I love this keto ramen for breakfast;  roasted pork belly, zoodles, a hard boiled egg and sometimes I add some avocado.  It is easy to make all the parts ahead of time and just heat them up and throw them together in a bowl at breakfast.  It is fast, filling and I could get on with the planting.

Ahhh, spring.

Breakfast Ramen
Maria Emmerich, 30 Day Keto Cleanse

find the recipe in this book.


3 years ago:  Baby Greens and Artichoke Salad
4 years ago:  Black Forest Cake
6 years ago:  Meet the Pups and Homemade Dog Biscuits

May 29, 2018   Sunrise 3:40am  Sunset 11:58pm  Temp. H 63/ L 45°F

30 Days Dairy Free and the First Day Fail

I was traveling last week for work.  I went to Minnesota, worked some, went to the Mall of America and ate all the good food.  I ate more than I should have, and a few things not on my current Keto plan.  I decided when I get home I'll double down and get back on Keto and do a dairy free 30 days just for grins and giggles.

Well, I flew home and got in about 10:30 pm.  My husband was not home, he flew down to Spokane to help a buddy drive his new motorhome back to Alaska.  He left my car in long term parking so I found the car and drove home...no problems.  I got to the house and let the dogs out.  They were so excited to see me after being gone for a week (probably more that they were in their kennels longer since the dog sitter just came over, let them out, fed them, and put them back in the kennels - but I'm choosing to believe it was all me), so they had to play and run around for a while to get rid of their energy and excitement, then I kenneled them about 12:30.  Of course at 5:30 the next same morning, Hershey starts barking because it is time to get up and let them out again.  So, I got up.

Now, you are probably asking yourself why I am telling you all this.  Well, it is because I want to give myself the excuse of not enough sleep and not really being awake.  Everyone who knows me KNOWS that I need my sleep.  I'm in bed by 9:00 every night, and if I'm not, nobody really wants to be around me.  O.K. on with the story.

I had my coffee (black because I was going dairy free for 30 days), read my bible study for the morning, did my guided meditation and then started to make my breakfast.  There wasn't much in the fridge because I've been gone and Dave was gone, but I had eggs and olives.  That would do.  I cooked a couple eggs, added some olives to the plate, and while I was putting the olives away I saw the cheese.  Hmmmm, that would be good on my eggs, so I slapped a piece on my eggs to melt.  I sat down with my coffee and started to eat.  I had about 2 bites and then sipped my black coffee, I really like cream in my coffee, and though to myself, "I really like cream in my coffee, but I can do this for 30 days."  Then I started to take another bite of my cheesy eggs and realized what I had done.  Crap.  I am claiming sleep deprivation for that one.

Well, I did better the next morning.  I had time to plan and shop so breakfast was a Cabbage Rosti with bacon and mushrooms.  Now, Rosti is usually made with potatoes (but carbs) so this one is made with cabbage.  I'm not going to try to fool anyone, it tastes like cabbage, but I like cabbage and it was good.  I'll try it with shredded radish next time and see how that is.  So a day later than I planned, but I am working on 30 days of dairy free.

I am headed to Austin in a couple weeks for work, I wonder if I can stay dairy free for that trip?

Rosti with Bacon and Mushrooms
The 30 Day Ketogenic Cleanse, Maria Emmerich

2 slices bacon, diced
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup chopped green onions, plus more for garnish if desired
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
egg to add to the top, if desired

Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and fry until cooked and crispy.  Remove a little for garnish.  add the coconut oil, mushrooms, green onions and garlic.  Sauté for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden.

In a large bowl, mix the shredded cabbage, egg, salt and pepper.  Transfer to the skillet with the bacon mixture.  Spread out the cabbage mixture in the pan and press it down to form a large pancake.  Cook over medium heat until the bottom is crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Flip with a large spatula and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the cabbage softens.

Remove from the heat and serve.  Store extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.  To reheat, fry in a skillet with a tablespoon of coconut oil on both sides until crispy, about 3 minutes a side.  Garnish with green onions and reserved bacon and top with an egg, if desired.

2 years ago:  Chicken Marsala and Running out of Heat in the Camper
4 years ago:  Strawberry Mousse
6 years ago:  Hiving the Bees and Bee Cupcakes

May 1, 2018    Sunrise 5:16 am  Sunset 10:21 pm   Temp. H 43/ L 27˚F

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and the Lost Week

I don't know where last week went. I was drugged for most of it, so really, I don't know were it went.  We flew down to Anchorage last Sunday night.  I had a pre-op appointment on Monday and Tuesday I had the second of my three reconstruction surgeries.  This surgery was to take the tissue expander out, put the implant in and then give the other girl a lift so they are more symmetrical.  The surgery took about 2 hours and I was "home" by noon.

We rented through Air BnB this time and it worked out like a charm.  We had a lovely 2 bedroom apartment so I could sleep and Dave had room to work, watch t.v., make meals (we didn't have to eat out every meal this time) and I could wander around in my jammies and not have to worry about getting dressed if I wanted a snack.  The apartment was 10 minutes from the surgery center and 10 minutes from the doctor's office.

On Monday morning we had another post-op appointment, the stitches were removed and we were able to jump an earlier flight to fly home.  I just have to wear this tape over all the scars for the next 6 months...yes, 6 months.  It is so the scars heal as small and as flat as possible.  I feel like I'm taping my boobs and my one little nipple that is left, every time I have to change the tape.  But everything went well, no surprises and the one cyst (on the healthy side) my surgeon removed and had it biopsied. It WAS nothing just like everyone thought.  My surgeon is a rock star and I can't say enough good about her and her whole incredibly awesome staff. I'm also glad that I don't have see any of them until the end of the month for my 4 week check. (Edited by Dave - She's still on Valium)

                                

One limitation while I heal is that I am not to lift ANYTHING, no pushing the vacuum and no getting jumped on by the dogs (Dave has to get up in the morning with me because HIS dog is still too much of a puppy.  We compromised on me staying in bed until 6:00 and he gets up with me then) BUT no reaching for stuff.  I know it sounds great, the no vacuuming part especially, but I'll get tired of it way before that restriction is lifted.  So I'll try to be good as long as possible, but I'm not promising anything. (SFX Insert: You'd better promise FFS! - Dave ....... I'm editing remember?)

In the meantime, Dave has been doing everything, so I thought I would start making dinner again.  I work most of the day, come home and take a bit of a nap and then start dinner.  Meals will have to be pretty simple but at least it is something I can do... as long as Dave gets the heavy pots and pans and sets them on the stove for me.

This recipe showed up in my Facebook feed and I thought it looked delicious.  It is! It is rich and indulgent.  I added some moose sausage to the finished dish and it was a wonderful dinner.

Add a foil ring to hold the halves steady.

Fill with the cheese and cream to bake.

The finished dish mixed with some moose sausage.

Baked Four Cheese Garlic Spaghetti Squash

BudgetMeals.info

1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out (Dave had to do that for me)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

1 chicken bullion, I use the "Better than Bullion" paste

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup 4 cheese Italian white blend

fresh thyme

pepper

1 lb. sausage, optional

Preheat oven to 400˚F.  Place cup squash on large baking sheet, making a foil ring to secure the halves.

Generously pepper the inside of the squash halves, spread about 1/4 cup of the Italian cheese blend in each half of the squash.  Mix water and bullion until combined, add the heavy cream, the minced garlic, and the thyme.  Divide cream mixture between the two halves.  Top with remaining Italian cheese blend.  

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the flesh pulls easily with a fork.  

Meanwhile, brown sausage until cooked completely.  Drain on paper towel lined plate.  

Pull squash strands from the rind and place in a large bowl, mix in the sausage and top with more fresh thyme or parsley.  Serve.

1 year ago: Loving things Your Husband Says and A Taste of the Islands Drink of the Week

3 years ago: Sick Dogs

5 years ago: Wearing Blue Pants with Black Shoes and Chocolate Martini

February 1, 2018  Sunrise 9:35am  Sunset 4:34pm  Temp H -13/L -20˚F

Leek Confit

The last job I had from our garden is taking care of all the leeks.  Dave pulled them last fall and piled them in the bottom of the garage fridge.  I was gone for work, then surgery and I just wasn't feeling like dealing with them, but that is one beauty of leeks; they stay in the garden until the last minute and they keep in a cool dark place for a long time.

But now it was time.  I needed to do something with them before they started to spoil.  I used some in a few recipes, but I needed to take care of all of them now.

I made leek confit.  You cook the leeks in butter and a little salt until they are reduced and the flavor is concentrated.  It takes some time but the hardest part of this is cutting the leeks.  It turned out I had 3 (18 cups) batches of leek confit to make, so it was an all-morning project, with most of that time reading cookbooks, scrolling through Facebook, and complaining to Dave how long it takes!

Now I have frozen containers of deliciousness to use in omelets and quiche, on sandwiches, I love it on top of cream cheese as part of a cheese plate or a little nibble with a cocktail, warmed and used to top chicken, pork, or  beef,  added to chicken soup, potato and leek soup, or added to a vegetable or rice dish to add an subtle layer of extra flavor.

I don't think this is really a "recipe" and it is very flexible.  The leeks cook down to a jammy sweetness.  It keeps in the fridge for a week, but I bet it won't last that long.  I freeze this in 2 cup containers and when I pull one out to use, any left-over is gobbled up on Dave's lunch, (usually he eats left-overs from dinner the night before).

Make sure you wash your leeks well, they are known to be gritty.  Swish them around in water after you cut them and pull the leeks up out of the water after they sit for a few minutes, leaving the grit at the bottom of the bowl.  I use my salad spinner to get as much water out as possible, but a bit of dampness helps them cook, so don't dry them completely.  If you wash them ahead of time and they are totally dry, add a couple tablespoons of water to the leeks when you start to cook them.  It will evaporate in the end of cooking.

Leek Confit

1/4 cup butter
6-7 cups leeks, cut into 1/4 inch half moon slices and washed well (about 4 very large or 5-6 medium)
     use the white and light green part only
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 Tbsp. water, if needed

Melt butter, over medium-low heat, in a large, heavy bottomed pot or skillet.  Add leeks and salt (water if needed).  Add leeks and stir to coat with butter.  Cover pot and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove cover and cook 5 minutes more or until the liquid is evaporated.  Leeks should have a thick, almost jammy consistency.  Cool and store in refrigerator for 1 week or freeze for 6 months.

1 year ago:    Oat, Seed and Nut Crackers
3 years ago:  Sometimes Homemade Bread is Love, Even if You Use a Bread Machine
5 years ago:  A Month full of Cookies and Cranberry, Pistachio Coins

December 4, 2017   Sunrise 10:28 am  Sunset 2:53 pm   Temp. H 26/ L16°F