St. Patricks Day Recipe: Red Potatoes with Bacon

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I don’t know when my love affair with potatoes began, but I am deeply in love with them.  Potatoes are not only simple, but a must have on your St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Menu.  I made these potatoes last night for dinner and they turned out delicious.  Give them a try, you’ll be glad you did.

This is a Williams-Sonoma recipe {I’m their #1 fan.  In a Misery/Kathy Bates sort of way}.

Ingredients:

3 lb. small red-skinned potatoes
8 thick-cut bacon slices
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and add water to cover and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat slightly, cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Spread the potatoes out in a single layer on a shallow baking pan and let cool to room temperature.

In a large, heavy fry pan, arrange the bacon slices without overlapping. Cook over medium-high heat, turning several times, until almost crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool. Discard all but 1 Tbs. of the bacon drippings from the pan and set the pan aside. When the bacon is cool, chop it fairly fine.

Place the fry pan over medium-high heat and add the butter to the drippings. When it has melted, add the potatoes and cook, stirring and rolling the potatoes in the pan, until they begin to crisp and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the bacon, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the bacon is hot and the potatoes are very crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with the 1/4 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper and toss well. Add the parsley and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve hot. Serves 8 to 10.

 

MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD



How to Grow Your Own Food: Using Grow Lights to Start Seedlings

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I don’t think 2 sets of grow lights are going to cut it. I am having to resist the urge to buy another set. I can’t take the Seattle rain any longer.  I want to start gardening now!  Do you hear me Mother Nature?  Now. Now. Now.

My goodness.  Another day another downpour.

At least the tomatoes are coming along nicely under the grow lights. But I have one concern.  I have noticed a few of the leaves have yellow patches on them.  Why is this?  Am I keeping the grow lights to close to the plants, or do I need to give them a little boost of miracle grow? Is there a grow light hotline I can call?  If someone knows the answer please let me  know.  But don’t tell me to go buy some hippie product like fish emulsion or blah blah root.  I am a hard-core compost and Miracle Grow girl.  No weirdo remedies here.  Unless of course we are talking about slugs.  Then I will salt the bejezzus out of them to insure a good crop.

Is it weird to want to kiss a cabbage plant?  Oh my word they are cute!  I think they love me.  The HH’s stinky Brussels Sprouts are coming along nicely as well.  What’s up with the Irish and their love for all things cabbage anyway?

Ahh sweet peppers.  I know I’ll need a few of these for a batch of zucchini relish, but I’ve already resigned to the fact The Girl Who Thinks She’s A Bird & Monkey Boy are going to eat all of the sweet peppers.  Back in the old days when I would buy bags of sweet peppers from Costco, they would be consumed in less than 24 hours.  Sweet peppers are like candy to my kids. I bet if the kids had to choose they would pick sweet peppers over M&Ms any day of the week.

Now on to the herbs & flowers:

I have high hopes for my basil plants this year.  Very. High. Hopes.  I would like to be able to grow enough basil so I can stash away tubs and tubs of pesto to enjoy next winter to use in pasta dishes and panini sandwiches.  I’m not exactly sure how much I will need to grow but I’m thinking 2 more trays {72 starts in a tray} should do the trick.  I plan on starting more here in just a few weeks once I’m able to move the tomatoes and peppers out to the greenhouse.

Cilantro is another herb I’m not sure of how much I will need to grow.  I’m primarily growing it so I have plenty on hand when it comes time to can salsa.  This lovely seed is taking its own sweet time.

The Coleus seeds were so tiny I was afraid they wouldn’t even sprout.  Obviously I was wrong.  The seeds took off like gangbusters.

The Old Fashioned Vining Petunia starts are looking great as well. It looks like I have tomorrows garden project all lines up. Thinning seedlings.

Peace Out Girl Scouts…

I’m off to go play in the dirt! mud!

Mavis

Talking Dirt: The Dirt Diva’s Down-to-Earth Guide to Organic Gardening

How to Feed Your Family For $100 a Month

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Although I spent money like a mad woman last week, I still think I did pretty well.  I was able to score free candy for the Easter Bunny, purchase a case of apples, score a ton of free yogurt and load up on my family’s favorite garlic bread and bread sticks.

Stocking up when the prices are low can be fun, but I need to start watching my pennies.

I need to keep two very important things on my radar.

#1 Canning Season {I’ll need sugar, goofy spices, and some odd ball ingredients}

#2 Summer fruit deals.

Stocking up on summer’s bounty is key for us.  I would much stock up on fresh local fruit when it’s in season and freeze it, rather than be forced to buy crappy fruit at high prices during the winter.

We finished our last bag of frozen peaches the other day, and we’ve been out of blueberries for a while now.  With only 3 bags of frozen blackberries and 10 quarts of  raspberries left we are running seriously low on fruit.

Bottom line: We. Will. Need. Fruit. Lots and Lots of fruit!

Maybe later this week I will sit down and try to figure out just how much fruit we will need to purchase this summer, but for now, here is a show & tell of what I bought this week at the stores:

Albertsons $22.15

24 Boxes of Texas Toast/ Bread Sticks $12
24 4- Packs Activia Yogurt FREE
12 Boxes Who Nu Cookies {could taste so bad} FREE
2 Gallons of Milk $4.78
2 Boxes of Oreo’s $1.98
1 2lb Container of Ricotta Cheese $2.39
2 Salad Kits $1.00

Not bad…  I did have to plug the freezer back in though to accommodate all the free yogurt and bread sticks. Ha Ha Ha.

Fred Meyer $37.26

38 lbs Fuji Apples $23.26 {The best apples on the planet!}
8 Boxes Rice Krispies $8
2 Orange Juice $5.58
4 Bags M&M’s FREE
Cabbage $.42

Guinness $3.29 {for Beef Stew & Brownies}
Parsley $.59

Total Spent This Week $63.29
Total Spent This Year $293.68
Total Spent This Year on Garden Seeds/Supplies $304.63

How about YOU?

Did you splurge on anything this week?

Simply in Season

How to Grow Food In a Greenhouse: Planting Strawberries in Gutters

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Yesterday’s forecast called for rain off and on all day, so I decided to go ahead and install the second set of greenhouse gutters.  The first set I installed a few weeks ago went well, so  I decided I might as well go ahead and install a few more.

After the gutters were in place I filled them with 1/4″ of pea gravel.

Then I added moistened potting soil.

I ended up planting 65 strawberry plants in 40′ of galvanized gutters.  I think it will be interesting to see if there is a difference in the yield of berries I am able to harvest from inside the greenhouse vs the ones I planted outside the other day.

I have 1 more “berry project” on my list I’m going to try and complete this week, and after it’s finished I’ll be on berry maintenance mode until the end of June.

Can you feel it?  Spring is almost here.

Totally Strawberries Cookbook

St. Patrick’s Day Recipe: How To Make Irish Soda Bread

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The first time I tried Irish Soda bread was in a Pub in Dingle, Ireland. I’d love to go back just for a slice of bread, but Dingle Town has now been over run with tourists, so I don’t think we will be going back anytime soon. But the Bread?  Now there is something I can revisit again and again.  No airline ticket needed.

The recipe itself is very straight forward and easy to make.  However, if you have never tried Irish Soda Bread before let me warn you.  It is very hearty.  In my opinion the bread is best served with stew.  If there was ever a “man” bread, this would be it.  The bread is so substantial, you may want to make an extra loaf to keep on hand just in case you need a lethal weapon. Perfect for lumberjacks, brick layers and leprechauns of course.

Irish Soda Bread {slightly adapted this recipe from Ina Garten}

I say slightly adapted because I don’t think a  “man” bread should have things like currants and orange zest in it.

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Recipe Credit

Here is a great movie to go with the Irish Soda {Man} Bread: Waking Ned Devine.  Have you seen it? The scenery is breathtaking.

Amazon: Free eBook Downloads

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Free eBooks can go quick so if you’d like to view it for free be sure and download it before it’s too late.

How to Create Stunning Digital Photography By Tony Northrup

In this book, Tony Northrup (award-winning author of more than 30 how-to books and a professional portrait, wildlife, and landscape photographer) teaches you both the art and science of creating stunning pictures.

When I Found You By Catherine Hyde

WHEN I FOUND YOU is a wrenching, fast-paced story about the risks, sacrifices, and faith necessary to accomplish something larger than yourself- – raise a child, save someone’s life, and follow your dreams, even in the face of crushing setbacks and staggering odds.

Soups By The Gooseberry Patch

Get cozy with fireside chili, baked potato soup and farmhouse beef stew.

The Island of Ted By Jason Cunningham

Ted is a mid-tier Hollywood movie producer on the verge of losing his job, and his mind. After a string of personal tragedies, Ted decides to leave it all behind and purchase his own island off the Philippine coast to escape from the evil and violence in the world around him. With technology as his only companion, will Ted find what he’s looking for, or will his past follow him to paradise?


How To Slay a Dragon By Bill Allen

Greg Hart can’t slay a dragon. He’d be lucky to win a fight against one of the smaller girls at school.His only real skill is that he can run faster than any other twelve-year-old boy in his class, a necessity, since that’s who he’s usually running from. Oh, it’s not like he’s never been the hero at the center of an adventure. It’s just the kind of adventures he’s been involved with have always been the made-up kind he’s written about in his journal.

Don’t have a Kindle?

No worries. You can have access to this from any pc or mobile device using Amazon’s FREE Kindle application.

How to Grow Your Own Food: How to Plant Strawberries

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In January I dug up my strawberry beds to make room for this years tomato crop.  Although I was able to salvage some of the plants, the original strawberry plants had been there about 4 years, so I decided this year would be a great year to order new ones.

I wanted to buy in bulk.  So I went online.  I decided to place an order with Raintree Nursery.  Not only were they a {somewhat} local nursery, but I had ordered blueberry bushes from them in the past and was pleased with the quality and service I received.  After going back and forth a bit, I decided to purchase 2 different varieties.

TriStar {250 plants}

TriStar berries are the only berry we have ever grown {I think}.  They are everbearing and early.  TriStar berries are great for snacking and making homemade jam. TriStar berries are the perfect backyard berry in my opinion {that is IF you can keep the squirrels from snatching them}.

Seascape {250 plants}

This is a new variety for us. According to their description, SeaScape berries perform beautifully in the south, and are PERFECT for greenhouses.  Which is exactly why I bought them.  I figure, even if Scott the Squirrel and his pesky friends eat all my TriStar berries I plant outside, they won’t get my Seascape berries I plant inside the greenhouse.

We’ll see who gets the last laugh this year!

So, how to do you grow strawberries?  It’s simple.

If you order your strawberry plants online or buy in bulk from a local nursery, they will most likely be sold in bundles of 25. This is by far the cheapest way to buy strawberry plants.  Once you’ve decided on a  location for your berry patch {make sure you choose one that receives plenty of sun}, carefully untangle your berries.  I always lay mine out and inspect them for mold, or any other sort of damage. Next, give them a little drink by placing them in a bucket and adding a little water.

Once your berries have had a drink, dig a small hole, spread out the roots and then cover the roots with dirt. Make sure the soil is level with the crown of the plant {enlarge photo above}.  Water regularly.

In a few weeks your new berry plants will look like this.

And in just a few short months, they will be ready to harvest!

If you really want to go the thrifty route… You can grow strawberries from seed.

Will you be growing strawberries this year?

Do YOU have a favorite strawberry variety? 

 

 

St. Patrick’s Day Recipe: How to Make Rainbow Cupcakes

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rainbow cupcakes
St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, do you have any special plans? If you’re looking for fun treat to help celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or to liven up dessert time around your house, these rainbow cupcakes might be the way to go.

how to make rainbow cupcakes

Simply divide your cake mix batter between 6 bowls and add food coloring.

rainbow cupcakes recipe

Line your cupcake tins {I use these brown liners} and carefully layer them with red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple batter.

rainbow cupcakes picture

Bake for 18 minutes at 350°.  Cool on a wire rack.

how to make rainbow cupcakes recipe

Frost with vanilla icing and add a chocolate gold coin to the top.

May the luck of the Irish be with you!

St. Patrick’s Day Recipe: Guinness Black & Tan Brownies

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If you are anything like me, when you see a good recipe in a magazine you tear it out, stuff it in a drawer {or binder} and save it for later. Well back in 2010 I spotted this recipe for Black & Tan brownies in Cooking Light magazine. I re-discovered the recipe as I was pulling out  my recipe binder the other day and quickly decided to whip up a batch for the HH seeing how he is Irish. I’ve made these brownies twice now.  The first time was with pecans and the second time without. Personally, I think they taste best with the pecans.  And I’m not all that into pecans.

The key to making these brownies is…

Read the directions thoroughly.  I tend to glance over recipes and not read every single direction.  However this one could be a little tricky.  So read through it a few times before you start.

Tan Brownies:

6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans {I left them out}
Cooking spray

Black Brownies:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Guinness Stout
4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Place one rack in lower third of oven; place another rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare Tan Brownies, place 6 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture and pecans to sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Spoon into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly with a knife or rubber spatula. Bake at 350° in lower third of oven for 15 minutes.
3. To prepare Black Brownies, melt chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute or until melted, stirring after every 20 seconds until smooth. Add granulated sugar, stirring until well combined. Add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and Guinness, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Pour mixture evenly over Tan Brownies.
4. Bake on the center rack at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack; cut into squares. Recipe Credit

The Irish Pub Cookbook

Mavis Cleans Out The Freezer

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In an effort to stay on track with my goal of feeding my family for only $100 a month this year, I decided to clean out the freezers in the garage yesterday.  I needed to know what was in them.  I feel like I have been slacking off in the coupon department lately, and that’s okay.  Summer will be here soon enough and we will have more than plenty of food to eat as well as preserve.

Right now I need to focus on using up what we already have on hand.  Especially since some of the expiration dates on a few of the items are in question.

Luckily, I was able to condense everything into 1 freezer without many casualties.  I unplugged the empty freezer, and tomorrow once it is defrosted I will clean it, let it air out and get it ready for the big harvest I am anticipating this summer.

Want to know what was in the freezers?

2 boxes of Veggie Burgers {expired… but c’mon, they’re veggie burgers.  They taste like crap anyway.  I really don’t think eating them a few months past the expiration date is going to make them any less appealing}
3 bags French Fries
6 bags Sweet Potato Fries {I feel like these have been in there FOREVER!}
2 Boxes Texas Toast
1 Box Pretzels
3/4 Box of Cod {Seriously, is this still edible?}
1 Cheesecake {Christmas Gift}
1/2 Gallon Butter Pecan Ice Cream {The HH will be happy I found this}
1 Coconut Cream Pie
2 Pie Crusts
1 Bag  Kraft Mozzarella Cheese {circa August 2010}
10 Quarts Raspberries
3 Quarts Blackberries
4 lbs Ground Pork
1 lb Ground Turkey
3 Packages Pork Chops
1 Package Cube Steaks
1 Package Llyod’s Ribs
1 Package Ham Slices
1 Pork Roast {barf}
5 Packages Ground Beef
2 lbs Ground Buffalo {from my neighbor the Hunter}
1 Italian Sausage
12 Packages of Tortillas
2 Quarts Corn
1 Bag Sliced Green Peppers
5 Bags Rice
1.5 lbs Bacon {I thought I used it all}
2 Bags Crab Cakes {Groupon Freebie}
5 Bags of Chicken {1-2 lbs each}
16 Salmon Filets {The HH is always bringing home free fish}
4 Halibut Steaks {I’m not a HUGE fan of fish.  I spent almost every summer of my childhood on a boat.  Eating fish.  So while most people would love to get sacks of free salmon, halibut and crab, I kind of turn my nose up at it.  I’d like to think I’ve had my fill}.
1 Bag of Mystery Meat
10 Packages of hot dogs {barf}
1 Box of “Gourmet Franks” {Translation: Fancy barfalicious hot dogs}
1 Tin Sticky Buns
9 Fruit Chillers {I tossed these.  I can’t remember a time when I opened the freezer and they weren’t there.  It was time to let them go}.
2 Boxes Creamed Peas
1 Box Brussels Sprouts
1 Box Corn
1 Box Broccoli
1 Pound Cake
4 Pineapple Juice {Circa February 2011}
2 Apple Juice
9 Homemade Ice Cream Cups
2 Wholly Guacamole {Yum!}
16 Frozen Yogurt Cups
15 Zucchini Bread {Note to self: Don’t make so much bread this year}.

Holy canolies that was a lot of food.  My next goal?

Figuring out how to use it all up before the summer produce starts rolling in.

Does anyone have any good pork recipes?  Or rather, does anyone have any good recipes where I can add pork and not have the meal taste like pork? 

Fix, Freeze, Feast: The Delicious, Money-Saving Way to Feed Your Family

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