Mud House Year

A Little Update

We are leaving for Nashville and Kentucky but before we go, I thought I would write a quick update on a couple of things I have been working on.  First, the roses.  They seem pretty happy.  However, not long after we arrived, I noticed my favorite rose had a problem.  On closer inspection I discovered hollow canes.  All of them. I cut the canes back until I found solid centers, but I was afraid the rose would not survive.  However, after just a few days it sprouted new growth.  This is what it looked like then: And, here is the same rose this morning, less than a month later: It is covered in new growth and buds.  I'm thrilled it is thriving and, as usual, I stand in complete awe of nature and its tenacity.And now for my second ongoing project.  It was a month ago today that we decided to follow an ancestral approach to eating for 30 days.  I am happy (and surprised) to announce that we actually stuck with it!  I tried some really wonderful new recipes and even eating Paleo Pumpkin Pie, I lost 5 pounds and Allen lost 12. Of course this is completely unfair, but typical.  Whenever I decide to improve my diet, he loses weight.   I do all the planning, shopping, cooking, and he loses twice as much as I do.  I suggest the walks, bike rides, push-ups - well you get the picture.  When I was younger, losing weight was a snap but not anymore. So, even though my skinny husband lost more, I am thrilled with my 5 pounds weight loss. We plan to continue our new "lifestyle" although it will be more of a challenge as we travel through some of our favorite foodie destinations over the next two weeks.  I will be posting from Nashville and Lexington, KY and will let you know how we manage (or don't manage) to stay on plan.  

I will leave you with a final rose.  
I just wish the fragrance could accompany the picture.  So lovely.

A Split Decision

My daughter laughed yesterday when I told her I was making soup for the winter storm.  She said she was afraid I might be disappointed in the discrepancy between the forecast and the actual weather.  I was not deterred and plunged headlong into a crock pot full of split pea soup.  

When I looked out my front window yesterday morning there were heavy gray clouds, no sun to be seen.  The weather man was still calling for lots of rain and issued a severe weather alert for a "cold storm system." While no longer officially a "winter storm," things still looked promising.   Temperatures in the 60s and rain felt like a cozy southern California day to me.  In fact, a perfect split pea day.  

I have a couple of slightly different recipes I like to use.  This is one I make in the crock pot and the seasonings are a little different.  It freezes well so I made a double batch.

Split Pea Soup

Here's What You Need:

1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed
2 large organic parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium organic carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium organic celery stalks, 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 medium organic red onion, 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 meaty smoked ham bone or 2 ham hocks (I used 2 ham shanks, no preservatives/nitrates, etc)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
3 cups home made bone broth
3 cups water
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A  bouquet garni of fresh rosemary and thyme 

Here's What You Do:Place all ingredients, except the bouquet garni,  in the slow cooker in the order listed above.  

Pour the broth and water into the slow cooker and season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook until the peas are very soft and the meat is falling off the bone, on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours.About an hour before the soup is done, add the bouquet garni and remove the meat from the soup to a cutting board.   Let it cool then remove meat from bones and add it to the soup. Discard fat and bones. 

Adjust seasonings if needed.  I added more pepper.  If you want a smoother soup, mash it or run it through a blender or food processor before you return the meat to the soup.

Before serving, remove the bouquet garni.  

It actually was a cold and dreary southern California day - a perfect soup day!

Enjoy!

Nice Way To Start The Day

Just thought I would share this picture of the sunrise from our living room window.    The sky was even more beautiful than the picture indicates, with intense shades of orange against an increasingly blue sky. This old house we call home was built over 100 years ago with its front facing due east.    We are on the high second floor with eastern, western, and southern exposures providing beautiful light and vistas of early morning and late afternoon skies.   When I'm up early enough, I stand at the front windows, watch the sunrise, and think of others who have stood at these very same windows for over a century.  

The first winter storm of the season is forecast for tomorrow.  Of course, here in southern California “winter” is a term loosely applied.  We expect  temperatures in the 60s and some drizzly rain.  I'm making some soup in anticipation.  If it's good, I will share the recipe in a day or two.   

Stay  tuned...

 

Really?

I don't know.  I have always avoided spaghetti squash.  I just never thought I would substitute squash for pasta.  Ever!   But, then, for a variety of reasons, I needed to find some new ways of cooking and my awesome sister-in-law, Kathy, had a recipe she said was pretty good.  

So, I gave it a try.   This is funny stuff.  As Kathy said, "Who da thunk that would be inside a squash." (She doesn't always talk like that but the squash really was surprising.)Cut it in half.  It's a sturdy squash so I gave that job to Allen.  Roast it cut side down for 30-40 minutes and then scrape it with a fork.  Voila!  Spaghetti-looking squash.

Here's my adapted version of Kathy's recipe for Spaghetti (Squash) Pie via Pinterest:

Spaghetti (Squash) Pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Here's What You Need:

1 spaghetti squash
olive oil 
sea salt
pepper
1/2 lb. 100% grass fed organic ground beef
2 tsp. coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed oregano 
1/2 jar Rao's Pasta Sauce (I actually don't know how much I used.  Enough for a sauce that isn't too runny)
6 oz. ricotta cheese   
1 large egg 
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

Here's What You Do: 

Halve squash lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Brush olive oil on cut side of squash, sprinkle with salt and peppper, and place cut side down on a large cookie sheet and roast in pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on size of squash.

Remove squash from oven and, using a fork, carefully rake stringy squash into strands that look like spaghetti.Brush a pie plate with a little olive oil.  Place spaghetti squash strands in bottom and up sides of a pie plate to form a crust. Set aside.

Brown beef, drain, remove from skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender.   Add garlic and oregano and saute briefly until fragrant.  Return meat to pan and add sauce.  Simmer to reduce liquid.  

Beat egg with a fork and mix with the ricotta cheese.  Add salt and pepper to cheese mixture to taste.Spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the squash.Pour meat sauce over cheese layer and sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.  If it's firm enough you can cut it into wedges.  Mine wasn't but it was really, really good.  I am actually really surprised I liked it so much.  

I doubled the recipe and gave one pie to my daughter and son-in-law who claims I am trying to sneak more vegetables into their diet.  Who? Me?

Anyway, this is good.  I am giving it 4 1/2 Prickly Pear Margaritas.

    

Enjoy!

 

 

Prickly Pear Gin and Tonics

Last night we toasted the Mud House Year Blog's one year anniversary with Prickly Pear Gin and Tonics! You can find the recipe on Mud House Year by clicking here and you can learn how to harvest prickly pears here.  Of course, if harvesting prickly pears is not on your fall agenda, you can always just buy prickly pear syrup here. 

When we moved to Pasadena we knew we would no longer be surrounded by cactus so Allen bought dry ice and packed up our frozen prickly pear juice in a cooler and drove it to Pasadena (we worked hard on that harvest, darnit).  It made the trip just fine and is now being put to very good use.   After thawing some of the juice... I combined it with an equal amount of sugar, and boiled it down to a lovely syrup.  For the complete recipe, and to find out how to create that lovely layered look, click the recipe link I provided above. 

Maybe it's because I haven't had any sugar in awhile or maybe the prickly pear juice is even better now that when we harvested it, but these G&Ts were even better than the ones we made last fall.   Absolutely scrumptious and so pretty. Be sure to use plenty of fresh limes - they set off the sweetness and earthiness of the syrup perfectly

Cheers!