My husband is a deer hunter. I will leave it at that.
I asked him if he realized that the text he sent me this week, and then this photo, while he was hunting, was giving me blog material. He wasn't thrilled because he thought I would rip on him for his lack of *ahem*, deer caught! (Note: I realize the proper term is 'killed', not 'caught', but I like the word 'caught' better! And it drives him nuts)
Anyways, on Monday, while he was hiding in a bush somewhere, I text him a 'well check'. This means I want a response to know if he is alive. You know those hunters - no matter if you are in a blinding orange vest, this is why my horses have to stay inside all week. So, this was the preceeding conversation we had via text:
Allen: Seen big 8 150yrd
Me: Well get it!!!
Allen: Well it went in the pines
Me: Story of your life
So then, a few hours later, I sent another 'well check' text and received the above photo in response.
The sad part of all this is when I get a text such as Seen big 8 150yrd and I KNOW what that means! And I have committed to cooking with the venison if he brings any home - now that's a wife, right!
It has been 6 years since I adopted Apollo - 6 years!
My gosh does time fly!
6 years, 3 more horses, a farm & a baby ... to be exact.
But Apollo, I love you just the same! I love you more! And I am so glad you have been here with me through all of it. I couldn't ask for a better mane to bury my thoughts and dreams into.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the 'early years'!
And to be exact, I think our Anniversary was 11/22 - but cut me some slack.
This photo was taken just a few days before I made the final decision to adopt Apollo. Clearly he was still being on his best behavior!
This photo was taken days after I offically adopted Apollo - I was already tourturing him trying to make him wear a santa hat!
This was always a favorite of mine...he looks like a magical unicorn, no? :) The sun was setting and I was sitting in the pasture watching the horses graze.
Taken in the Fall of 2006 - always a favorite of mine
Taken right after his teeth were floated. He was still drugged up and he looked pathetic!
When a pink bow is tied to Apollo's hair, it has my friend Y's name written all over it! She tied pink ribbons and bows all in his mane and tail and then called me and told me he was acting funny. So I rushed to the barn and this is what I found!
Typical Apollo - out in the rain, the somehow managed to get mud just on the top side of himself!
Yesterday was our annual tree hunt. It is tradition every year to go the day after Thanksgiving. Seeing as it was in the 60's, it felt a little odd, but none the less. And it was the babe's very first!!
Buying a real Christmas tree can be a hefty cost when you are on a tight budget :) And we just so happened to discover a place 15 minutes from our house this year that was selling all their trees, u-cut, for $20 -- any tree, any size. How could we pass that up.
Of course, it was a no frills kind of visit! No horse drawn wagon to take us out in the fields!
But that is ok. Things like this are what make traditions all the more fun - you never know what will happen. We had the whole tree farm all to ourselves and there was a cute old lady at the house who took our $20 and watched us tie it onto the roof of the car.
Are you filled from turkey and stuffing and potato's and cranberry sauce.....
Do you still have half a turkey sitting in your fridge? Is your stomach turning at the thought of having to eat one more morsel of it?
I am not one particularly fond of poultry leftovers. It tastes funky to me most of the time. But, I was determined to make use of our leftover turkey...and stuffing...and you get the idea.
Anyways, I came up with a fabulous idea. I'll use some turkey and stuffing and stuff the butternut squash sitting on my counter with it. And it turned out great. Sorry, no photo - but trust me on this one.
Leftover Turkey & Stuffing Stuffed Squash *amounts of ingredients will vary depending on how large your squash are. Eyeball it.
Leftover Turkey, diced
Leftover stuffing, chopped finely
Cheese of your choice, I used Parmesan
Some Cream
2 Butternut Squash
------
Halve your squash, scoop out the insides and then try to dice out enough of the neck to have room for more of your stuffing. Save the diced out pieces, chop them finely and throw them into a bowl with your diced turkey, stuffing and cheese. Mix it all together and add in some cream to make it a tad moist.
Coat your squash on the inside with a light layer of olive oil, then stuff with your 'stuffing' mixture. Place them open side face down in a casserole dish, or I used a cast iron skillet large enough to accommodate all 4 pieces.
Have your oven preheated to 400* F and bake for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on size of your squash). Once you can pierce through the skin of your squash, they are done.
Scoop out of the pan or dish with a spatula long enough to get underneath a good portion of squash, flip to have stuff side exposed. It should be nicely browned. Serve. Enjoy. It's delicious. And the squash still intact and now be scoop out with your fork when you dig in for the stuffing mix.
And can I tell you one more thing. I had one stuffed squash left over so I scooped it out and threw it in the fridge and ate it the next day, cold, on leftover rolls for lunch. Seriously still delicious!
The options with this recipe are endless - have fun with it and let me know how you stuff yours!
And the more I think about it, a round squash, like acorn squash, might be a heck of a lot easier to do this with, but butternut is what I had on hand!
This year, I have so much to be thankful for. It would be silly of me to try and even list it all out, but most importantly, this year, I am so thankful for meeting my son! Truly, it is weird to think I was ever without him!
One thing that did strike a chord with me only just a few weeks ago...
One of my sisters and I were at business lunch with a figure in our community. We were chit-chatting in general about things in life and the lady we were lunching with said "So it sounds like you two are part of a very close-knit family" and we both responded with a 'yes'. My sister then added that we are very close, but all so very different. And she couldn't be more right. But that is what makes it so great. We can be our own person, and still be accepted. And for that, I am ever grateful.
Pumpkin Pie from scratch couldn't be easier. Sure, it takes a little more time, but if you plan accordingly, you'll be much happier you did it this way!
I made my pie the day before I served my turkey dinner.
Hubby was admittedly leary since this pie didn't take on the natural dark tone of the store bought pumpkin pie. I was too - but not admittedly :)
I am happy to say - it was EVEN BETTER than store bought. Much creamier in my opinion! And a very vibrante flavor.
I used good ol' Martha's recipe for the crust and the pie.
I pureed my pumpkin the day before I made the pie. This baby food post I wrote on pumpkin will show you how I do my pumpkin puree - so easy. And don't skip the part where you let the puree drain out some of the water!
I've mentioned before I am not the best with dough - and this pie was no exception. When doing the crust, my first batch was a bust and I had to pitch it. I pulsed it too long in the food processor and it was one gummy, sticky mess. I researched some more online and decided, for the second go-round, I'd forgo Martha's instructions to continue using the food processor when I add the ice water. I instead opted to take Deb's advice and put the flour/butter mix into a bowl to fold in the ice water. (And I must say, I will try this recipe next time - Vodka! Who would have thought!)
This method worked much better for me, though I still think it wasn't perfect. And, when I rolled it out, I didn't have excess dough to trim off. But it turned out good and it tasted good so I'm good with that!
Try your pie like this next time - you won't be disappointed
Some of the side dishes that I served at my Thanksgiving dinner really need to mentioning - the mashed potatos, the corn (that I forgot!), the mashed sweet potatos... They are pretty self explanatory!
There are a few dishes though, that I wanted to share.
First, the stuffing - or dressing - whichever you prefer to call it. I imagine this a huge staple of a turkey dinner. I, for one, was never much of a fan of stuffing, but I am learning to like it. And I am still learning to make it! I have yet to do a stuffing that turns out completely right.
For this stuffing, I used this recipe from Mrs. Wheelbarrow, slighlty adapted. And that was probably part of my problem - the 'slightly adapted' part!
I fully intended to make my own Challah, but never got the time to do so. Bread baking from scratch takes time. This loaf was an estimated 5-ish hours from start to finish. And when you work full time M-F, that can be difficult! So, I ended up with plan B. I bought a loaf of bread - the store I purchased from didn't have any Challah, so I opted for a round, artisan french type of loaf. I cubed it and let it sit out to stale some, but it wasn't enough, so I had to toast it in the oven. Even after uping the oven to 400* after the normal recommend cooking period, and letting it cook longer, it still had a slightly soggy taste to some bites - which always seems to be my problem with stuffing. I imagine, had I followed Mrs. Wheelbarrow's recipe to a T, it would have turned out as good as it should have!
With that being said, it was still good, and still edible :) And I'll try it again, only next time, with the Challah!
The dinner rolls were a big deal for me. I never have luck with making my own bread of any kind, especially when yeast is involved. But this time, it worked!! I was so happy. The rolls were a tad 'heavy', however, I fully intend to say that is probably my fault, again! I probably made then larger than they needed to be. But regardless, a home baked roll is where it is at. And I am enjoying these left overs for breakfast with some honey and butter.
This is the roll recipe I used from Jessica at How Sweet It Is.
And, of course, the Cranberry Sauce. I forgot to get an individual picture of it, but here are the fresh cranberries cooking. Seriously people, get out of and over the habit of the 'cran in a can'. FRESH cranberry sauce is so rodoculously easy it is insane! And it taste much better! And it is better for you, I am sure :) Now that I have done this one, I plan to make this many more times while fresh cranberries are still in season.
My first Thanksgiving dinner was a success! There were a few bumps along the way, which I'll recap, but all in all, no complaints!
Today, I want to showcase the bird and the most important part of the whole meal - the gravy!
I chose to do a dry brine on my bird. The simpler the method, the better, I think. I also thought it would be neat to do a 'traditional' liquid brine, but for starters, I don't even have the fridge space to accommodate that.
I used this 'method' for the dry brine and I think it worked great.
Gravy is a big deal for my husband and I. We love gravy - we are condiment people ;) And we don't just love any gravy -- it has to be real, good gravy! My mother-in-law does a fantastic one and in our opinion, make the meal. As hubby was carving the bird and I was getting all the sides plated, I told him I needed to do the gravy, but I wasn't sure how I wasn't to go about it. Sometimes I have luck with gravy, sometimes I don't. And for this time, I didn't want it to be a time when I didn't have luck! I knew I wanted it to be like my mother-in-law's, and I had my mushrooms ready to go. So we did the only logical thing we could think - we called her and said 'HELP! How do you make your gravy?" :)
Dar's Turkey Gravy
This is a 'little bit of this, little bit of that' type of recipe. You have to trust your judgement when you make it, but in the end, it usually ends up being the best!
You will need[and adjust according to how much drippings you start with]:
Turkey Pan Drippings/Juices and whatever else fell into the pan
1 package of mushrooms, diced and sauteed (I sauteed in butter and a little olive oil)
Approx. 1 cup of cold water, divided in half
2 Tbsp cornstarch
Method:
Pour the pan drippings into a sauce pan and add about 1/2 cup of water and the sauteed mushrooms -- eyeball, more of less water, depending on how much you had of the pan drippings, and how diluted you think you like your gravy. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to about medium - you want a very gentle boil now. Mix your cornstarch with the other 1/2 cup of cold water and then slowly pour it into the sauce pan. Stir continuously and cook 3-5 minutes or so until all flavors are combined and the starch has cooked into the gravy giving it a nice 'gravy' consistency.
This is what worked for the amount of drippings I had in my pan after roasting a bird that was almost 12#. As I mentioned above, you may need to add more water and cornstarch if you have more drippings after roasting a larger bird.
This gravy is where it is at. I am telling you. Hubby will be so mad tonight at dinner when we sit down for leftovers and he realizes that I used the last of the gravy for my leftover lunch today :) Whoops!
Tomorrow is my big debut....my first Thanksgiving dinner for my tiny little fam!
I have been researching and preparing all week for this dinner.
The turkey has been in the fridge, in a dry brine, since Thursday. The Pumpkin Pie dough and Challah bread for my stuffing started Friday night. And, as you read this Saturday, I am making more preparations and picking up last minute things at the local farmer's market.
My goal was to make this as much of a SOLE Thanksgiving dinner as possible - meaning the food is sustainable, organic, local and ethical. Most of this was not a problem. The turkey, however, is another story. I wanted to purchase one from a local farm, but I learned I was a little late in the game reserving one. I did find one farmer who still had some available, however, they were rather large and I was only looking for something around 10-12 pounds. So, I ended up at a local grocery store - Giant Eagle. I didn't really want to go this route, but it is what worked for this time around. Next year I will know better and make a reservation with a local farm early!
I could have stood at their turkey display all day trying to figure out what I wanted. They did have a few 'fresh' turkeys under their 'Nature's Basket' line, which are labeled as a 'all-natural' turkey. Upon further reading on the packaging, it stated something to the effect of the USDA not allowing any growth hormones etc to be added to poultry. I can't say I had ever heard this before, actually, I have heard the complete opposite! But the way it was worded made me believe that this statement applied to any turkey in front of me, not just the Nature's Basket line. I ultimately knew better - marketing at it's finest. Everything is so misleading you can't trust any labels anymore.
I opted for the plain 'ol Giant Eagle branded 'fresh' turkey since it came in a size I could work with. It was not labeled 'organic' or that it was 'all-natural' and not pumped up with hormones. It did say 'No MSG'. I am not stupid, I knew it wasn't the ideal turkey I had hoped to serve, but it worked for me this time around and it was fresh, which was nice. I wasn't convinced anyways, that the 'Nature's Basket' branded turkey was truly any different than this one, other than the packaging. Once I took it home and 'undressed' the bird, it was a complete disappointment. The whole inside of the turkey was frozen!! I couldn't even get the neck and other goodies out. This wouldn't have been such a big deal if it weren't for the fact that I paid about $1/lb extra for a turkey that was supposedlyfresh.
(Photo Credit: Giant Eagle.com)
Of course this isn't ruining the dinner. It is not like the turkey is bad, or inedible. It is just the point. The principal. I came to terms with the fact that this years bird wouldn't be from a local farmer, but at the very least, I would have hoped that when I purchased a turkey stating 'fresh' on the packaging, as opposed to the neighboring cooler of 'frozen' birds, that I would truly be getting a fresh bird!
Just a few other random rants - why does a bird pumped full or hormones and garbage cost more than a bird left to free-graze on bugs? One would think that it cost more to pump all those hormones than to let the bird feed off bugs...I'm just saying.....
And, if you think I am overreacting about this in general...about buying a bird from a grocery store instead of a local farmer, just google something like 'turkeys from giant eagle' or 'turkey from the grocery store', 'giant eagle turkey' and you tell me how you feel about all the recalls due to salmonella that pop up. Seriously, big ag sucks! Know what you grow!! Here is one more good food for thought article - and now I have to stop because I am going onto a completely different tangent!
I, for one, love them. So I usually help myself to a few tastings :)
At 8 months, we have now done a few things with a Banana.
Banana [& Milk] Puree
The most obvious, is a banana puree. I let them get very ripe. Like, black and you think it is trash ripe. If you worry about fruit flies, throw it in the fridge. Once they are ripe enough for my liking, I throw it into the mini food processor and puree away with some milk. Now, here is where I probably have to clarify - I used breast milk (and no, I don't taste test after I add the milk!). If you use formula, then you can add your formula. I would note that this is something I usually reserve to make only when it will be served immediately because pureed banana doesn't look real pretty after a few hours in the fridge...and then, if you add the milk, you have a whole other issue to worry about with storgae!
Sauteed Banana & Butter
Yes, sauteed Banana...in butter. Take a ripe Banana and 1 tbsp of butter and saute it in a pan. Once it's sauteed for about 5 minutes or so, pour into a bowl and mash it up a tad with a fork. Depending on the age of your baby, you may need to fully puree it. At 8 months for my little guy, we can leave it lumpy!
Variation - Mix it with some plain yogurt - sure to be a pleaser -- trust me! I waited until about now, 8 months, to start giving the babe yogurt. I have done some reading, that in smaller amounts, plain yogurt is good for them.
The possibilities of what you can do with a Banana in baby food are endless. Here is another combo I have done:
It comes in it's own carry case! Duh! So, once your baby is more of a 'toddler', how easy is it to throw a 'naner in the bag and go! No special packing care required!
Banana's have amylase, which is a wonderful enzyme to help aid digestion - it seems a lot of people think banana's can be binding for a baby, but it is actually just the opposite - in moderation, of course!
Banana's can actually improve nutrient absorption, according to a study published by Digestive Dieases and Sciences
Other people are right. These donut pans are addicting!
Donuts are so easy to whip up & bake and the options are endless.
I was having some company over and in my chaotic state to get the house cleaned, baby fed, horses taken care of etc etc...I was able to whip out a few batches of these bad boys!
I used Frieda's recipe for Chocolate Cake Doughnuts, and then added my own spin with a Kahula glaze. It was the only sane thing to do, seeing as a bottle of Kahula was staring me blank in the face.
And always, sprinkles for good measure.
For the Kahlua Glaze, take 1 cup of confectioner's sugar (that's powdered sugar, folks!) and mix in about 3tablespoons of Kahula. You be the judge on the amount of Kahlua you use...it all depends on the consistency you like your glaze to be. 3 tablespoons worked for me. And upon biting into one of these, a friend proclaimed "Oh, they taste like alcohol!" - perfect, right?! :)
This year I have decided to finally start a tradition, in my own home, to make a Thanksgiving Dinner for my family. When I was younger, my mom always did this for our immediate family, if I remember correctly, the day before Thanksgiving. Since I am not the host of Thanksgiving dinner for either my side of the family, or my husbands, I decided to start my own tradition at my house. I've been itching to cook a Thanksgiving dinner from scratch anyways, so let the tradition begin!
This Sunday I will be whipping up my very first Thanksgiving Day dinner for my hubby and I...and the babe :) I'm excited - I'm planning. Oh the planning! This is what the menu is looking like thus far:
Turkey & gravy
Mashed potatos
Stuffing/dressing -- do I cook it in the bird, or not?
Cranberry Sauce
Dinner rolls -- this could be tricky, I never have luck with homemade bread requiring yeast
Sweet potato casserole
Corn - I asked hubby if he'd prefer corn or green bean casserole. He made it too easy for me and said corn!
Pumpkin pie -- fresh from the pie pumpkins sitting on my table!
I will be making everything from scracth - don't scratch your head and look at me like I am crazy! - it will be fun! And I am trying to purchase as many of the ingredients as possible locally. The turkey is my biggest challenge at the moment. As I am learning, farmers take orders for them early! I know an Amish farm a few towns over sold them in the past, but by the time I get over there after work, it would be dark. And I would prefer to pull in the drive when it is light out!
Stay tuned as I will post the outcome! In the mean time, if you have a favorite recipe for one of the above dishes, please feel free to share :) I am taking as many suggestions as possible at the moment!!
This past weekend I held a Holistic Healing Arts Reiki Clinic at my place. My friend, Karen, is a certified equine massage therapist and reiki master. She was in town and offered to do the clinic if I would be willing to host. Of course I was game for this! And so was my Gypsy girl, who served as our demo horse for the clinic.
For those of you who are horse people, I follow a lot of Linda Tellington Jone's principles with her TTouch method. Reiki is kinda like that. Some of the exercises Karen used on Gypsy were very similar to things I do with her, which I thought was cool. I should preface by saying that you really don't have to be a horse person to be familiar with LTJ's TTouch method; she has books out on using the method on cats & dogs as well. Maybe even people - I can't remember for sure. But her roots are equine realted, so I know many horse people are familiar.
Watching Karen work with Gypsy was amazing. Truly - you could see the benefits of what she was doing, as she was doing it. I think those that aren't even a firm believe in the holisitic arts may have felt differentlty after watching this.
In this photo below, Karen is working on her 'throath latch' area. For horses that are ridden, and ridden by someone with a heavy hand especially, this can be a very tight area for the horse. Though Gypsy is now retired and only carries the wee ones around from time to time, she was a lesson horse for at leats 5 years that I am aware of. And in that time, she carried all kinds of riders. She is a very forgiving horse, to say the least. Apollo, not so much! But that's another topic, for another time ;)
This picture, below, is my absolute favorite! You can just see the calmness in Gypsy as Karen works with her. I can tell, throughout her whole body, that she is relaxed.
After the clinic was over and Gypsy was back in her stall, those who stuck around were able to witness the lingering effects of a Reiki treatment. Gypsy was very relaxed, calm and literally had her head resting on the stall wall. Something I have never seen her do!
And, the next day, while out in the pasture, this ol' mare was running and bucking!!! This is a sight we rarely see from Ms. Gypsy - but she was clearing feeling good!
I am sure it comes as no surprise that as I add toys to my sons 'collection', when I can, I choose green and eco-friendly products. Because, if for no other reason, then simply, why not?!
The holidays will be here before you know it. If you have a little one to buy for and are looking for an eco-friendly or green gift to give, I thought I could offer a few suggestions. These are toys my sons has that we enjoy. I should note up front, this is not a paid blogging post. None of these companies have offered me anything in exchange for this!! This is just simply my opinion on these toys...for what it is worth!
B. Zany Zoo
I am not going to lie. I found this Zany Zoo for a S.T.E.A.L. for, are you ready, $19.99 at a local discount store. When I got home and looked it up online and saw that it can retail for $89, I fell off my chair!!
Anyways, I love this toy because it is made with non-toxic paints; inks are soy-based and varnishes are water-based. The toys are packaged in recyclable material. One thing I found very cool about this Zany Zoo is that there are no pointed edges - all edges in this are 'shaved' off for a smooth finish. Pretty neat, huh! This block will go a long way too. My son is 8 months now and loves it. And my 2 & 3 year old niece and nephew love it too - so it appeals to a wide age range. My son sits and plays with all parts of it and as of recent, he now uses it as a support to help himself stand! Even if I hadn't found this toy for a steal of a price, it would be well worth retail. I looked online and B. toys has all kinds of cool things. Best of all, you can purchase them locally at Target!
Green Toys Stacking Cups
I purchased these because I thought they'd be fun in the bath tub. My little guy has recently took a huge liking to playing in the water while in the tub and I figured we could use these to make a splash! Little did I know, they are just as much fun for an 8 month old outside the water, too! He loves to sit and play with them, throw them, clank them against each other..the floor...the side of the crib...the dogs.... And what I think is pretty cool, they are made in the USA from recycled milk jugs!
Wooden Teether from Finns & Flowers
I have read a lot about wooden teethers. And to be perfectly honest, I see my son chewing on wooden things more that I see him chewing on the plastic types of teethers. I remember reading about the Etsy shop, Finns & Flowers, and their wooden toys and teethers. They have received plenty of good feedback so I ordered their wooden circle teether. We are still waiting for it to arrive, but I have high hopes. It should be here any day now so once it comes in, I will post an update on how he likes it!
**Verdict is in - HE LOVES IT! And no, Mom, he didn't get splinters from it!
Green to Grow Sippy Trainer Cup
I actually won this Green to Grow Sippy Trainer cup from a contest on another blog. And I am glad I did. The down side, for me, is that I can't find anywhere local to purchase them. So, when I need more, I will order them off Amazon. I like them because, duh, they are 'green', but also because of the handles on them. I have noticed they make it very easy for my son to grasp and 'feed' to himself, or to just hold onto in general. If you are looking for an eco-friendly sippy cup for a little one, I'd recommend checking this one out!
Seeing as my baby is only 8 months, we don't have a plethora of toys on hand. I am sure that will change in due time, but for now, these are a few that we really enjoy. I hope this list has been helpful to those of you in the same boat. And please, if you have an item to add to this list, let us all know in the comments below.
This post was linked up to Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist
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