Horsing around with freezer canning, Swiss cheese and cheat day

Have I told you that I LOVE where we live? We have only an acre, and neighbors are actually fairly close on both sides.; yet, in the country you never know what might pop up. Captured these guys riding down our neighbors' drive this evening. Living here, we've had several little adventures helping folks we don't even know round up wayward cows, and once even walked a free range horse back down the road to its rightful owner. That's country fun! ;)

Thanks, My Plastic Free Life, for pointing the way to a great post over on Phd Parenting: Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes…
   I'm afraid of canning myself (HELP!), so I like freezing in jars like PhD does, but I have serious freezer envy looking at her post. Maybe Hubby will plant more tomatoes next year, 'cause I want a freezer full of sauces like hers!!
   Made some seriously dull Swiss Cheese Spread the other day. Wah! Main ingredients: Swiss cheese, cream cheese, a little horseradish and  almonds. Any ideas on what I can add to jazz it up? I don't eat crackers unless it's cheat day, so I'm thinking of using the remaining spread to make a potato casserole, but it still needs something. ???
   Meg, of Cooking.In.College, mentioned that she used to have a cheat day but that it was "crazy bad." Well, that pretty much describes MY cheat day! Still, by skipping the breads, pastas and desserts six days a week, I have many fewer opportunities to eat crazy bad!!
   I only follow the 4-Hour Body rules that work for me: i.e., I never quit eating cheese (in moderation), have fruit/protein powder/yogurt smoothies for nearly every breakfast, eat popcorn many afternoons, skip meat whenever I want, eat potatoes and even French fries occasionally, and drink a glass of Ovaltine/coconut milk whenever I'm CRAVING something sweet.
   My goal in starting this was to make myself eat more fruits and veggies -- it totally worked! Never go hungry and don't think of myself as "on a diet," but two pairs of jeans I bought 'cause they were cute and on sale--even tho' too tight to wear--now fit me fine...and have for several months now. Gotta love that! (Spicy Perspective tipped me off to the book, and she has posted some great 4-Hour Body compatible recipes too.)
   Now that I'm eating right--except for cheat day!--my next goal is to get in better shape. I get enough aerobic exercise, but I want defined muscles! That is, besides the ones in my right arm that I get from cooking from scratch!
   If anyone can point the way to something that will motivate me to replace my couch routine with a strength training routine, let me know! :-D

We have high cholesterol--the good kind--maybe because of foods like this

Last night's Minimal Meat Meal: Squash Tomato Garbanzo Medley
Yeah, branching out from always calling things a "mish mash." ;)

   Despite the pics you saw yesterday of some of the road food we've eaten at locally owned joints in the last year, we seldom eat fried foods. Mainly because I am too lazy to clean up the mess in my own kitchen.
   Our blood work tells the tale: we eat fairly healthy most of the time.

   Hubby and I have both been tested and told we have high cholesterol...of the GOOD kind, the HDL. Though I couldn't point to just one thing, I think our abundance of good cholesterol may be attributed to the fact that we consume plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and raw nuts, ground flax seed and LOTS of olive oil. I cook up primarily minimal meat meals, and the lion's share of the protein nowadays consists of what Hubby brings home, including wild turkey, wild caught fish and venison. If, for instance, we have grilled venison steaks one night, the leftovers will be cut up into a stir fry of mostly vegetables for the next night. Minimal meat meals save us both time and money!
   We eat dairy too, including cheeses. These days I eat 6 ounces of organic whole milk plain yogurt daily. I often cook with butter, never margarine. Hubby drinks whole milk. We eat the skin anytime I cook a humanely raised chicken. We sometimes have whole eggs for breakfast, and in the last year or so these eggs have been organic and certified humane.
   Hubby's cholesterol improved once he retired, but my HDL moved up to "amazing" even before we switched to leaner, organic meats. Maybe because I love fish, eat minimal meats & eat ground flax seed on an almost daily basis??? I'm also addicted to sweets, but that's probably not at play here. ;)
   I may have mentioned this before: A few years back, I quit buying "low fat" products after reading REAL FOOD: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck. Her book just made sense to me, and then a few year's later I learned that Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food also validated the principle of eating real foods. For the most part, we just aim to follow Pollan's mantra to eat the way our great grandparents would have eaten.
   Now, it goes without saying: I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV. Can't say this method of eating would work for anyone else, just sayin' what works for us. Capiche? ;)

(Ingredients in the squash medley: olive oil, sliced sweet onion, zucchini and yellow squash, minced garlic, about a half cup of cooked organic sausage, dried oregano, freshly ground pepper, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons of chicken base, half a can of garbanzo beans, pimiento-stuffed olives, plus about 14 ounces of chopped, fire-roasted tomatoes. Added a little bit of cornstarch and water to make a bit of thickened sauce, and added about 3 tablespoons of minced fresh basil at the end.)

Breezing by the chains on my way to local joints for happy surprises in food, gifts

Ms. Becky's, Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Hubby was in such a hurry to get to his fried fish that I didn't manage to get a shot showing all of the huge fish fillet hanging off the edge of his plate. And yes, not ashamed to admit I ate a "chuckwagon" sandwich, aka "country fried steak," which is pretty much a fried hamburger. It was a cheat day after all!

Kuntry Kutter, Stanley, Kentucky. We happened upon this sweet little shop one day when out cruising on the motorcycle and have been making our way back ever since. Gifts, antiques and collectibles may be found in the red caboose and in a lovely little shop right beside it at the back of the owner's home.

Jerry's Cajun Café, Pensacola, Florida. Whenever we're lucky enough to be visiting family in Pensacola, we're sure to include a stop at Jerry's Cajun Café. Jerry's HUMONGOUS "Gulfaletta" sandwiches are loaded down with fried shrimp, fish and oysters on New Orleans Gambino's bread then smeared with New Orleans Central Market olive salad. I always buy a jar of the stuff to take home, so we can make our own muffulettas. Guess I should mention that the portions are so large that we split the sandwiches among several people!

Can't remember the name of the joint in Louisville, Kentucky, that served up these Scotch eggs. These sausage-encased eggs were not properly cooked, but now that I know I love the concept, I'm going to try my hand at making my own. I'll let you know when I get around to trying this New York Times' recipe.

Cruisers Classic Diner, Owensboro, Kentucky. Some of the best fried sweet potatoes around! When I say I'm "going to town," I'm referring to Owensboro. With a population of only 55,000+, Owensboro's the biggest town in our region of western Kentucky and folks from Indiana shop there as well. Owensboro lays claim to being the barbecue capital of the world, and people from around the world have enjoyed barbecue at its finest at Owensboro's International Barbecue Festival.

     Anyone else passing up the chains for the local joints these days? Feel free to share a link to your favorite local haunts!

On my mind: Edible landscaping and using up zucchini!

Okay, I'll give this edible landscaping a shot...in a little bed at the front entry no less! To an existing bit of blue rug juniper, a couple of small bushes, some chives, white phlox and a mum, I've added red cabbage, fennel, thyme, Greek oregano and Texas tarragon. Added a couple of non-edibles: two coleus whose variegated leaves will add a blend of green plus the deep red color as found in the cabbages. I figured I'd let this bed grow a tad and then fill in with some types of flowers once I decide what more color is needed to keep it from just looking like a vegetable patch. Wish me luck!

Toted my plants bought on clearance home in the marine cooler that pretty much lives in my car. Absolutely LOVE having a cooler ready on hand whenever I need one!

Hey, I'm keeping up with the zucchini so far!! Used up the harvest today with a zucchini gratin and a crustless zucchini quiche. I love pie crusts, but trying not to eat anything but "slow carbs," except on cheat days.

Little grandgirl hands were a big help when adding herbs and layers of zucchini, onions, panko crumbs & dairy to the gratin.

I thought I had heavy cream in the fridge, but Hubby had used it all for his coffee! Had to fall back and punt: used a mixture of sour cream and mayo instead.

   Isn't it fun to be in the thick of summer nowadays? For those of you down under, I guess the reverse is true: likely you're happy to get a bit of a cool down! Wherever you are, hope today shone brightly upon you, whatever the temperature or weather!!

   Thanks, Rhonda at down-to-earth, for sharing this On My Mind concept. What's on your mind today? Share your link here or on down-to-earth.

Gather ye cookies and cauliflower while ye may

Though I'm not a Magic Cookie Bar fan, I am a huge fan of the basic recipe! These Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars are the latest incarnation to come out of my oven. My dad is a HUGE peanut butter fan, and he LOVES these. These bars have about 6 ounces of mini chocolate chips and 6 ounces of peanut butter chips on the graham cracker crust/sweetened condensed milk base, plus 1 cup of whole peanuts.

The Ball Blue Book said to blanch cauliflower 2-4 minutes before freezing.

Hubby doesn't cover up the cauliflower as they grow, so they're not as white as those found in the supermarket. (They taste the same.) Here they're cooling after being blanched.

Froze the blanched cauliflower in a single layer on my jelly roll pan for a couple of hours. Here they're ready for the freezer.

My little baby sprouts! They're really growing...wow!

I am in a carbohydrate craving mode right now and cannot wait for Cheat Day! Looking at goodies is all I can do 'til then; so, if you have any great pics to share, I could use some eye candy right about now!

Nearly overdosed on Jelly Doughnut Cake and Caramel Corn!

Hubby named this Jelly Doughnut Cake, and it really does taste like one!

Had SUCH a fabulous cheat day yesterday...I ate my fill and then some of homemade Caramel Corn and Jelly Doughnut Cake that I'd made on Friday. When I put a layer of cherry jam in between white cake layers and frost with my decorator's frosting, it really does taste like a jelly doughnut...my favorite doughnut of all.
   No need to buy canned frostings when homemade tastes so much better and is so easy. Trouble is, I can't share the recipe right now, 'cause Hubby just fell asleep in his chair!
   He was off volunteering at a charitable fundraiser all weekend. I don't have the heart to wake him by getting up for the recipe, so I'll have to finish this post mañana.
   It is absolutely gorgeous outside right now...sunny, breezy, wowy! Hope your Sunday is treating you well!  

Pour the cooked caramel over the popcorn, then stir.

The most difficult part about this recipe is trying not to eat it all in one setting!

Decorator's Cake Frosting
1 lb. confectioner's sugar (4 to 4 1/2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup shortening
3-6 tablespoons cornstarch (I use 3, as I am not making a decorated cake)
2-4 tablespoons water (this varies, I used 6 this time to get spreading consistency)
Blend with stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth.

For the cake, I just used the white cake recipe on the back of the Swan's Down Cake Flour box. To reduce packaging waste, I'll keep looking for a homemade white cake recipe. Though this cake recipe turned out well, it wasn't what I'm looking for. Truth be told, I like the taste and texture of Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake...a box mix! Oh, the shame of it. ;)
   If I make a two-layer cake, I split the layers and spread with cherry jam between each then frost the middle of the two. (Jam made from the recipe in the box of powdered pectin I had on hand.) I am a HUGE icing/frosting fan...if you are not, I'd suggest putting a thinner layer of frosting on the cake and spreading the leftovers between some saltine crackers!
For the caramel corn, I use a recipe found in Better Homes and Gardens America's Best Loved Community Recipes, but just found an identical recipe online at All Recipes.com, except I don't add the peanuts.
   Hubby is not a caramel corn fan, so I took quite a bit to Mom/Dad. What's left from that and what I ate, ate, ate is sitting around calling my name! Hope it doesn't get too awfully stale by next cheat day. This'll be the first time caramel corn will EVER have set around uneaten around here!

Not buying it: Chili oil for Asian cooking

Repurposed bourbon bottle now houses Chili Oil.
I'm not a bourbon drinker, but I'm told
Jefferson's Reserve is a fine sippin' whisky,
if you're into that sorta thing.

Love this Chili Oil recipe I found in Fuchsia Dunlop's Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province, a library book I will definitely be checking out again. Wish I had a copy of my own, but I am really trying to become more of a minimalist. Y'know, save a tree and all!

Not buying commercial chili oil = less packaging waste.

Chili Oil (la jiao oil)
1 cup of Dried Chili Flakes with seeds
2 and 1/4 cups of Peanut Oil
Place dried chilies in a glass preserving/canning jar. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat until it reaches 350ºF. Remove from heat; let the oil cool down to 225-250ºF then pour the oil into the jar containing the chilies, stirring a couple of times. Let cool in a shady place for at least 24 hours. I transferred the chili oil from the canning jar to a bottle with a stopper (once Hubby and assorted company drank all the bourbon, that is!). I refrigerate the oil until needed.

   Hubby and I made Dunlop's recipe for General Tso's Chicken one night, and it was absolutely fabulous! If interested, you'll find that recipe in NPR's piece on Dunlop's book (click NPR link then scroll down).
   If interested in an Italianized version of chili oil, check out Giada's recipe on the Food Network site. Please let me know if you try that one as I haven't...just found it.
   Haven't uploaded the pics yet to prove it, but I have eaten WAY too much sugar on my 4-Hour Body cheat day. So much so that I'm more than ready to go back to eating healthy! Who'd have thought that possible? ;)
   Have you been in healthy or cheating mode today? Feel free to fess up either way. Love hearing from you, if you've the time to comment. Great weekend...the SUN came back to see us, well, for part of the day at least!!

On my mind: 'Always been there' makes unused stuff invisible!

Unused bread box, why did you continue
to take up space even after I stopped using you?

Space, glorious space--top shelf says goodbye bread box!

Some 29 years ago, Hubby and I received this bread box as a wedding gift. Don't remember who gave it to us. Not long after getting it, we learned the prevailing wisdom that nothing would make bread mold faster than being in a bread box. So we took the top off but continued to store our bread in the box in a cabinet, figuring it would keep the bread from being smashed.
   All was well and good while DD was living at home. Bread got used up quicker than it could go stale. When DD moved out leaving just Hubby and me, we soon learned a whole loaf of bread goes to waste around here.
   We then divided each loaf in half, freezing half, but even a half loaf would go to waste in the bread box...out of sight, out of mind. Nowadays when we have bread around, half gets frozen and half sits on the counter or in the fridge so we will see it and eat it.
   This unused bread box continued taking up space in the tiny cabinet by the stove. The box was in there only because the old habit of it always being there somehow made it invisible to me! It would be there still if I weren't inspired by Zero Waste Home to take a look at everything with a minimalist's eye.
   Hauled off a load of stuff to give to charity yesterday. Bye, bye bread box!
"Slow Carb" Update 
   On another note, I'm really getting a kick out of practicing my own version* of the 4-Hour Body recommendation of eating only slow carbs (veggies/protein/legumes) with one cheat day per week. (*As my goal is to eat less sugar, I allow cheese/yogurt.)
   Here's a pic of the mish-mash I made the other day. Yesterday, I put the little bit of leftovers into a bowl & topped them with a couple of beaten eggs & gruyere for a lovely makeover crustless quiche mish-mash. Too easy! I haven't eaten this many veggies in my life, so I'm really getting a kick out of this new eating plan.
   But don't get me wrong, I LOVE cheat days. I've got a cake cooling on the counter now--just have to keep my hands OFF 'til Saturday! Hope something yummy is cooling on your counter right now??

Latest minimal meat mish-mash: broccoli slaw, yellow peppers, sausage, Greek seasoning.

   Thanks, Rhonda at down-to-earth, for sharing this On My Mind concept. What's on your mind today? Share your link here or on down-to-earth.