Potato salad

 6 large potatoes peeled and cut

Boil potatoes until pierce with a fork, drain add to a salad bowl with 3 tbsp of white vinegar . 

Cook 3 strips of bacon until crispy. Chop up and add to potatoes. Stir, Put in fridge to cool. I often chop up potatoes smaller if needed when cool.

Boil 5 eggs, hard boiled,  peel and loosely chopped. 

Add eggs, 1/2 cup of mayo. 1 tbsp of ranch dressing,  1tbsp of mustard.  Fresh dill chopped,  fresh chives chopped,  lots of pepper and salt

Chopped red or green pepper, chopped celery, diced 1/2 and onion or green onions 

Mix and cool. Let it sit for 2 hours.  Yum

Chicken gnocchi stew

 2 stalks of celery

1 small onion 

1 large carrot

Dice these ingredients and put in a soup pot

2 chicken breast chopped 

Saute these ingredients with 1 tbsp of oil. Once vegetables are tender, add 1 tbsp of butter melt in pot. Add two tablespoons of flour stir to incorporate flour. 

Add 8 cups of chicken broth,  I have used homemade turkey broth also

Add 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp of dried oregano,  1 tsp basil, and pepper 

Stir and scrape bottom of pot to lift flour. Bring to a boil , lower to simmer.  Let cook 15 mins 

Add 1 can of coconut milk  400ml

Add gnocchi to pot 500grams 

I use 2 frozen balls of spinach, but you could use baby spinach or chopped frozen kale.

Cook 10 minutes with spinach and let sit for another 10 minutes.  The gnocchi keeps cooking and it will help thicken the stew.   Adjust seasoning if needed. 

May 6th

 

I'm so excited because our rhubarb is ready. I've made rhubarb muffins and rhubarb crisp. This means we will have our own produce soon. 

We had a surprise birthday party for Gary last Wed.  I over bought food. Costco sandwiches,  3 veggies trays. Lori brought cupcakes,  Jane did a cheese and crackers tray.  Debbie Batchilder did a fruit tray and a veggies tray.   The party was huge success.  

With leftover veggies I made cheese broccoli soup and tomato vegetables soup for my neighbors with rhubarb crisp. 

Today I made 2 Sheppard pie for my neighbors and greek pasta salad for both of us. A lasagna for us and a rhubarb crisp for supper.  I'm going to try a chicken tortellini broccoli Alfredo bake later this week. 

April Fools day!

 Today is Tuesday April 1st.  My girls LOVE a joke. I didn't want to let them down so even though it was 10:30pm I googled easy pranks and made red jello in cups and left them to set in the fridge overnight. 

Ashley and Emily thought it was funny. I told them it was fruit punch.

I'm still cooking. We had a huge bag of potatoes that weren't great.  So peeled and peeled.  I followed a website about making freezer hashbrowns. Peel potatoes and shred/grate.  Rinse in cold water, drain,  three times. Squeeze in a clean tea towel to get all moisture out.  Lay out in one layer on cookie sheets and freeze.

Gary gave me a vacume and seal device for Christmas.  I used it for the first time for my freezer hashbrowns.

I also made cream of potato soup with ham. (Yum)  and Mashed potatoes for Sheppard pie for supper.

Today I made 2 Sheppard pie for a friend. I got frozen tomatoes from jen and all the ingredients to can salsa. I figure if I feel like cooking I better keep doing it. When the weather is nicer I'll be outside gardening and not want to cook. 

March 30

 

Today was the second day of ice storm.  I made homemade pizza crust. I oiled the cast iron frying pan. Put corn meal in the bottom of the pan. Laid out the pizza dough and filled with toppings.  Baked at 445. For 20 minutes they turned out great. Crust was a little thick. Next time I will roll thinner.  It was great to clean out the fridge and put the toppings on pizza.  I used the homemade tomato sauce from yesterday and the day before. 

Emily tried baking balsamic Brussel sprouts. She likes them. I'm about to try them.

Also I blanched broccoli and carrots.  I got out my dehydrator. I put celery on the bottom then slightly cooked carrots,  broccoli and Shallots.  I'm going to use these in a dehydrated soup with Mr noodles if i ever get to go camping. It was a great day. Now I have to do the dishes. 

March 29th

 

It's an ice storm day today. We canceled our plans and are staying home for a quiet weekend at home.  Which is my favorite. 

I asked my kids what they were going to do today.  I'm proud to say that they understand that a day at home is a day to create.  Emily wanted to start with

Cinnamon buns. But her recipe was a baking powder instead of yeast so she agreed to turn them into  tea biscuits.  Then she made amazing chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. 

Ashley has alot of homework to do this weekend.  But also she made me the yellow spoon rest in the photo.  I'm very proud of the people my girls are. I made crockpot tomatoes sauce yesterday.  Today I pureed it and made spaghetti sauce for supper. 

Great day inside. Emily is now sewing pockets into her female pants thst have no pockets.  Why do female pants have no pockets? There is nothing these girls can't do.

 Also this march the girls had 2 weeks of march break.  It was alot like this weekend.  Time at home , playing,  creating,  eating.  Ashley worked on her civics project.  She has to help her community.  She made cat beds for the Napanee Ospca.

Great kid, great project.  These are great times

Apple crisp

 I don't know where I first got this apple crisp recipe.  I learned from my mom how to make apple crisp this way. It's delicious and everyone loves it. Often my kids eat apple crisp for breakfast.  In my mind it's just apples and granola.  When apples are in season I peel, slice and freeze apples in freezer bags so I can make apple crisp all winter.

Apple Crisp

topping

1/2 cup of soft butter

1 tsp of cinnamon 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup of all purpose flour

2 cups of oats,   I usually use quick oats but also rolled oats work.

1 cup of brown sugar. Mix until wet, if dry add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil.  I usually do this.

10 or twelve apples peeled and sliced 

Put in bottom of 9x11 inch pan.  Sprinkle top of apples with 2 tbsp of white sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon. 

Cover apples with topping and bake 50 mins at 350.

Sometimes I use apples straight from the freezer. Apple crisp is great with frozen apples but the apples cook down like apple sauce. Still delicious.