Uh, oh, free range horses! Plus a surprisingly good state park buffet--no, really!

Ran across a couple of free range horses and a mule when we were out on the motorcycle the other day. Coming across animals on the loose means trying to figure out who owns them and then hoping like everything that the owners are home! We got lucky, because Hubby guessed right on where these lovelies belonged. Lucky too because no yard dawgs tore into Hubby or me as he knocked on the door! ;)

Sweet little road trip on Friday to Spring Mill Inn State Park in Indiana. An all around PERFECT day. Soon as Hubby downloads pics from his camera,  I'll share a few pics I took of the Pioneer Village. My camera batteries gave out right after I snapped the cornmeal pie!
   Hope you had a perfect weekend too. Feel free to leave a link if you've something delicious--food or fun--to share!!

Hey, I'd never seen bonafide Fiestaware on a restaurant buffet, have you?

Fairly healthy plate overall, so a little fried chicken won't hurt me, eh? Honest to goodness, this tasted like the fried chicken my Mamaw used to make! Can you make out the log cabin birdhouse just out the window?

My chess pie has a couple of tablespoons of cornmeal in it, so that's what I was expecting. NOPE, this really was a cornmeal pie. Got the recipe and hope to make it sometime soon!

This was my something new on Friday...really gotta love broadening my horizons in this way! Pictured here are Persimmon Pudding and Sugar Cream Pie...both new tastes for me. The pudding was the more interesting of the two. The Sugar Cream Pie was WAY too sweet for me. Hubby thought the pudding really tasted like persimmons; I wouldn't know as the only persimmon I ever tried was gonna be my last--unripe lip-puckering thing it was. Ripe persimmon--tasty!

Loving the idea of 'Ten on Ten,' a snapshot of our lives

Love, love, LOVE this idea I read about over on The Good Life about a concept devised by A Bit of Sunshine: the Ten on Ten Photo Project. This morn of August 10, 2011, I will attempt to capture some element of our lives at the top of every hour. I will add photos throughout the day...I think I get to be home today for a change, so this might be the best day to begin a Ten on Ten! Might need to refresh the page if you visit again to see the rest of the photos.

Six O'Clock-ish: Rolled out of bed at 6:02AM and assembled my banana breakfast smoothie soon after. Hubby will cut up the tomatoes gleaned from the garden yesterday to freeze. He wants to make a batch of tomato relish this year. (Note: I ended up coring and quartering all our ripe tomatoes myself...ended up with 10 pounds for the freezer!)

Seven O'Clock-ish: Hubby sautéed venison tenderloin in butter for his breakfast that also included fried eggs, sliced tomatoes and a leftover sweet roll.

Eight O'Clock-ish: Refilled the cotton ball container in the master bath.

Nine O'Clock-ish: I was on the phone when the timer went off to remind me to take a photo, so this is the best I could do with one hand and half a mind on the subject: our breakfast dishes. New dishwasher eagerly awaited!

Ten O'Clock-ish: Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad, inspired by Savory Sweet Life.

Eleven O'Clock-ish: I'm here catching up on my blog hopping, interspersed with some of my daily exercises. I'm sitting on a throw, to keep the lotion on my legs from getting on the couch.

Twelve O'Clock-ish: Yes, we ate a weird lunch at this messy table. Hubby pulled out the Tomato Mozzarella salad, but for some reason also pulled out the pimiento cheese. I liked the salad, but as I hadn't yet had any of the pimiento cheese I'd made, I ate some on these leftover tomatoes (instead of on bread) for the bulk of my lunch.

One O'Clock-ish: Got up in Hubby's truck bed to take a pic of our view to the west. He just bought it yesterday (new to us!) and had pulled the truck into the shade to wax it.

Two O'Clock-ish: Reading a Harry Potter book for the first time while I stir goat milk, etc., to make cajeta (Mexican version of dulce de leche) for the first time. Boiled the stuff over in fact, and had to switch burners while the mess cooled. NOT the first time that's ever happened, unfortunately! The cajeta tastes great--despite me!

Three O'Clock-ish: Though I forgot to take a pic at three, this is the mess from the boiled over cajeta that I was cleaning up about that time.

PS: Though I was shocked to find that A Spicy Perspective wasn't on it, I can't wait to check out this list I found: Forbes Magazine: Eight of the Very Best Food Bloggers.

Learned a thing or two; Remembered a thing or two

Okay, you might've noticed that crafts are not my thing; yet, when my baby brother razzed me for only cooking so far in my commitment to try something new for 30 days, he had a point.
   Of course, his idea that I should make hand-crafted paper went way beyond my desirability zone, but thinking about paper led me to origami. So, there you have it, my first and only origami heart.
   Yes, it was easy. No, I didn't enjoy making it. BUT now that it's made, I do have some sense of satisfaction in having tried something new. There's something to be said for that, don'chaknow!

   Haven't been home much lately, so there are some fairly wussy choices in my "do something new" daily challenge:

• On Sunday, we chose to eat at a locally owned joint we'd never before tried
• Out with "the girls" last night, I drank a Greek beer for the first time
• Today ate dark chocolate that contained cocoa nibs, something I'd never tried (well, YUM!)

   To make up for the utter forgetability of those something news, I asked the mumsy to teach me to knit a dishcloth. My frustration level with crafting is tempered here by the fact that I need more dishcloths!
    Time to power down...I'll let these photos bring 'er home. Let me know if you can thing of something I might've never tried before that would be fun & worth trying. ???? 

Hey, I'm learning to knit! Hopefully this dishcloth will not be an embarrassment in the end!

These are some of the groceries bought in Columbus, Ohio. Can't wait to try my hand at working with spring roll wrappers, a product that can't be found around here. Bought the cans of Eden Organic Beans on closeout for $1.29 per can.

Picked up this Jeni's Salty Caramel Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio, to eat on our way home, but the grocery had only one plastic spoon. I can't be expected to take turns at the spoon when ice cream is melting! At a rest area picnic table about an hour later, eating slightly thawed ice cream with a fork was not as much fun, but the ice cream was still swallow-your-tongue GOOD!

Oh, yeah, I finally remembered to put some flatware in the car. No more plastic when we stop for quick lunches on the road!

Alternative ways to travel - Planet Green

No way Hubby would ever go for it, but I'm intrigued by the "couch surfing" that some folks do. Even 4-Hour Body and 4-Hour Workweek author Timothy Ferris promotes couch surfing!
   Never heard of "woofing" myself, had you? Here's the scoop on Alternative ways to travel - Planet Green.

Gosh, Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cups were easy; Uncluttering while unplugged

Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cups, in the peanut butter spread phase

Remember the part about me being lazy? Then it'll come as no shock to you that I am choosing new somethings that go EASY ON ME for my 30 days of learning.
   Oh, so thankful that I noticed the yummy-looking Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cups over on Jo in the Kitchen. These are so simple to make, I'll definitely be making them again. Thanks, Jo!
GREEN thoughts:

• Though I was a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup fan, I no longer buy them because they contain palm oil, which is linked to rainforest deforestation.  
• The Illinois House passed a "Green Ramadan resolution allowing the ninth month of the Islamic calendar as a 'Green Month' for all faith communities in Illinois."
• The Vatican issued a green statement in April: "We call on all people and nations to recognize the serious and potentially irreversible impacts of global warming..."
• The Southern Baptists have espoused a green Declaration, which says it's time to address global climate change; "Humans Must Care for Creation and Take Responsibility for Our Contributions to Environmental Degradation."

   Now it's time for me to get off this thing and go "unplugged" for a few hours. Still working up to a weekly 24-hour unplugathon, but for today, I'll settle for a 4-hour span of not using anything plugged in. Uncluttering the kitchen should keep me busy, as I look through the cabinets and drawers for items I don't and likely won't use.
   Our kitchen cabinets were made by a local cabinet maker, and I never even noticed this upper shelf sagged until I took a pic of it for this post. Maybe I should move the Winfield China Mom gave us somewhere else!

   Hope you find some unplugged fun this weekend!!

Bombed at homemade noodles; Survived the wild turkey wrangle; Thumbs up on 5-minute cake

Wild Turkey-Pineapple Mish Mash

Get ALL that white stuff off? I tried!!

Thanks to Yummy Little Cooks' post on Pineapple Chicken, I knew just what to do with some leftover pineapple chunks. Missing several of her ingredients didn't stop me!
   With no raw chicken on hand, I thawed out some wild turkey breast. I'd incorporated leftover cooked wild turkey strips into many a meal, but Hubby's the wild game cook in this house. I'd never worked with the raw meat myself.
   The wild turkey was covered on both sides with a filmy, sometimes thick membrane and sprinkled with what looked like little black hairs and a few blobs of yellow fat. Well, GROSS! But I braved it and eventually cleaned it to my satisfaction. Once cut it into chunks, it cooked up just like chicken!

See, don't you think it looks like chicken?

   Lacking Asian Plum Sauce, I improvised with some cherry jam, red pepper flakes, ginger and white pepper. Needing to use up some produce, I added green pepper and chopped tomato too.
   My Turkey Pineapple Mish Mash turned out quite well, despite my fiddling with the original recipe, so thanks, Yummy, for the inspiration!

   Only as I was doing it did I realize that the task of cleaning wild turkey breast was new to me, so I decided to purposefully do something I'd been wanting to try: Bake one of those 5-minute Microwave Chocolate Cakes, like this one Bittman credits to Food Network. Not my cheat day, so Hubby had to be the judge of this first one. He liked it, hey, Mikey!
   The hard part of committing to trying something new each day might just be the frustration of failing at something new on a regular basis! But hey, I survived my first failed attempt at making homemade noodles. And my thick, ugly noodles still might taste good once they're dried and ready to cook...one can hope.
   Despite the head-banging over the noodles, I'm getting a kick out of this challenge. Thanks, Bruise Mouse, I look forward to seeing what you choose to do for your 30 days! And LOVE the comments, you guys, helps to get me off my tuchus and into the kitchen to try something new! Kitchen's first...WORLD'S NEXT!

These noodles are supposed to be long...but once I'd rolled them up to cut, they wouldn't UN-roll!

The rest of the story: my homemade mayo transformed some leftover chicken into a fine salad.

 

I made homemade mayo!; Meet the followers

Homemade mayonnaise ingredients. I thought my arm would fall off before I finished my adventures and misadventures in whisking up my first homemade mayo!

My mayo "broke" when I switched to the immersion blender in hopes of making it thicker. So, I just whisked another egg yolk and then slowly whisked the separated mayo in to create a new emulsion. Phew!

Always wondered if I could make my own mayo, and now I know! I did NOT feel like cooking last night but wasn't up to trying a spoon of Mar-mite either, so I came up with the quickest recipe that featured a technique I'd never tried before.
   Though the end product turned out great, homemade mayo won't keep as long as the commercial stuff, so I'll probably stick with Hellman's!

Guess what? The final product tastes like mayonnaise, only fresher!

Only way to go when the counter is loaded with less-than-perfect tomatoes: homemade slow cooker tomato sauce. I only "cheater canned" them, without going through the water bath, or boiling the jars and using new lids. The jars sealed, but I'll still refrigerate them and use them up quickly.

$GREEN$ and GREEN thoughts: 

• Dishwasher not working again! Broke a few weeks ago, and on the advice of a repairman, Hubby replaced the circuit panel to the tune of 100 bucks! Now it's gone berserk again!!
• Yesterday Hubby made $8 on aluminum cans at the local recycling place. He also took apart my folks' broken coffee pot and was able to recycle some of its parts.
• We filled up our gas tank early in the morn yesterday. Saves money because the gas expands in the tank, so pumping in the afternoon means less gas for the money on hot days.
• Hubby continues to "top off" the gas tank. I've read this is bad for the environment, as it pushes more gas vapors into the air. Old habits die hard though and he won't quit topping off the tank, so I may have to start pumping myself. He'll think I'm nuts!

   Hope you're staying COOL today?! Thought I'd put the "followers" up top, so everyone can see and click on them easily. I get such a kick out of "visiting" with those who visit here. Thanks!!

Gonna try something new for 30 days; Ohio State Fair final chapter

Living a Little Greener has invited us to join her in a challenge to "Try something new for 30 days," as inspired by Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days | Video on TED.com. I love the idea, so I'm IN!
   Maybe something new I do or discover this month will make this my BEST YEAR EVER.
   While I'm thinking of what my own "something new" will be, I'll just share a few of my favorite pics from the Ohio State Fair.

I love, love, LOVE this Best of Show rug!!

Best of Show in leathercrafts

Best of Show in its division

Best of Show in another division (age-based maybe?)

Civil war re-enactors.

LOVE old kitchen stuff, so this exhibit was eye candy to me!

My fav window box planting (Double click to enlarge photo)

   Okay, drum roll please, I've decided my "something new" will be ____________. Well, I can't decide! There are LOTS of things I've never done before but always wanted to do.
   For instance:

• Always wanted to try my hand at making these from scratch: pretzels (or German brezels), Challah, bagels, croissants, Danish pastries, doughnuts, jell-o. 
• Always wanted to cook enough in one day to "fill the table" with food (I've no doubt done this, but there's no picture to show for it). 
• Always wanted to see how much "spring cleaning" can be accomplished in one day (more of a curiosity question, NOT a fantasy).
• Always wanted to see what it's like to exercise for 6 hours in one day (that's how long the contestants on Biggest Loser exercise, which astonishes me!)
• Always wanted to sleep out in the open, under the stars.
• Always wanted to go hang-gliding.

   To make this easy on myself, I've decided that my "something new" will not be one thing, but instead will be a mind-set to do at least one new thing each day. Could be as simple as dipping a spoon into that jar of Mar-mite I bought but haven't had the guts to try.
   Whether I'm baking something new, trying a new craft or tasting something new, this should be an interesting 30 days. Beginning today. Now, anyone know how I'm supposed to eat Mar-mite?

Ohio State Fair continued--Let them eat cake!

This picnic cake was my fav!

Went to sleep thinking of cakes and find myself craving cake though it's only 9 o'clock in the morning. Wonder why?

Not sure how this was made out of cake...people can be so ingenious when it comes to food!

Winner of Best of Show Professional Baker

Gotta love a cake smörgåsbord!!

Best of Show Novelty Cake

A bizzaro Chip and Dip Cake won its category: Ugliest Decorated Cake.

This Best of Show winner in its category led me to craving cupcakes, a craving satisfied when I found a booth selling a cupcake "sundae"...so big it was the first cupcake that I could not finish...oh, the shame of it!!

   Because I am such a sucker for food porn, please, please, PLEASE share a link if you've got a cake to show off.
   I'm getting the remaining two of my fillings replaced this morn. (No fun spending $money$ at the dentist, but that's one of the reasons we save, eh?). I'll be numb afterwards, of course...oh, how I hate that part! *sigh*
   On a brighter note, check out the Link Love goin' on over at Northwest Edible Life--she's got links to those participating in the 2011 Nosy Neighbor Urban Homestead and Garden Tour!

Eating meatless but looking at pics of meat from the Ohio State Fair

Lunch was Kung Pao Veggies featuring green and YELLOW zucchinis, plus yellow summer squash.

It's not cheating to just look, is it? If so, then I shouldn't be sitting here on Meatless Monday looking at pics of some of the MANY meats we saw at the Ohio State Fair.

Never had seen yellow zucchini before we bought some from an Amish man at a farmer's market at Kentucky's Blue Licks Battlefield State Park on the way home from Ohio. The Amish farmer had traveled from Mays Lick, Kentucky. Though the market didn't open 'til 3, he'd been dropped off at 1, so his friends could ride on down the road to another market in another town. Originally from Pennsylvania, he said the Mays Lick Amish community consists of 35 families. His comment that he loves living in Kentucky set well with me of course. Said he wished he'd moved here years ago, "It's a great place to raise kids."

Supper tonight was a Crustless Swish Chard Quiche I'd made on Saturday...this little mish mash turned out so fine!

Hubby and I split this bad boy at the fair on Thursday....boy, don't I love tzatziki sauce! This Greek Gyro was yummy, and it was kinda nice knowing we were helping to support the Ohio Lamb Producers as well.

Wish we'd had some room in our tummies when we got to this Amish booth, though I can't quite see me eating the "Amish favorite: Noodles over Mashed Potatoes"!

No room for Meatless Monday at this barbecue booth!

   Yeah, kinda rude to ask while you're looking at these meats, but did anyone else go meatless today?? Hope to share the pics of the cakes I took at the Ohio State Fair mañana. Oh, how I love a state fair!!
   (P.S. August is National Happiness Month...let's make this August our best one yet!!)