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!

What a Difference a Year Makes

One year ago today I began this blog to chronicle the adventures of living in a little mud house.  I wanted to create a memoir of life in the Sonoran Desert, a part of the world I always considered my home. Although we signed a lease for only a year, I hoped we would live in the mud house much longer. But, as it often does, life had other plans.  It's a bit of a challenge transitioning from a place so ingrained in my soul to a place so new and different, but it's also a wonderful, unexpected opportunity.  I don't know what this year will bring or even where I will be a year from now, but for now, in this place, I will find joy in the little things and I will continue to share my memories here.

Many thanks to my family and friends for sharing this eventful year with me!

Pinterest Wednesday

Kiss PiesThis is one of those recipes that looks like such a good idea but it is much better in theory than in reality.  I was so excited to find it on Pinterest because I had leftover pie crusts in the freezer from Thanksgiving and I thought this would be a perfect way to use them AND make some goodies for Christmas Eve.   These little pies were easy - just two main ingredients!  They were fun to make and really cute...before I baked them.
After they were baked, they didn't look as cute and I'm afraid they tasted like pie crust, just pie crust.
I really wanted these to be wonderful.  I even tried a second batch using more sugar...
and some crushed peppermint.
I even tried different flavors of kisses
but, alas,  they just tasted too pie crusty.

If you are a fan of pie crusts you might really like these.  You can find the recipe at Picky Palate.   I'm giving these only 2/5 Prickly Pear Margaritas.  They were easy and fun to make but, as my daughter said, "Mom, they are not that great."
 

A Special Day

Our family is fortunate to have two special birthdays right in the middle of December! It's fun that they are close to Christmas, but not too close.  Today is my nephew, Theo's birthday.  Happy Birthday Theo!
Looks as though Theo and Santa are getting along just fine!
 

And Then There is the Beaten Path

In my two previous "Favorite Nashville Things" posts I highlighted some of the lesser-known diversions I discovered in Nashville.  However, there are many, many well-known attractions that should not be missed.  I am listing some of them here with links to find out more. This is by no means a comprehensive list,  just a collection of a few things I have enjoyed.  

 

Downtown Nashville - This is where it's all happening.  Perhaps best known for the strip of Broadway between 5th Avenue and the river where the honky-tonks and boot shops abound.   

Tootsies, for example,  is the much storied bar where country music legends partied before and after performances at the Ryman Auditorium (the original Grand Ole Opry).  It is just one of many venues where the music never seems to stop. The shopping is a bit touristy but, what the heck,  I bought this for a special little someone who will be spending Christmas at the Mud House: So much to do and see in downtown and you can find out all about it here.

 

Country Music Hall of Fame - Located in downtown Nashville click here for their website.

 

The Grand Ole Opry - No longer located in the famed Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, but still the venue for all of the country music greats.  Click here for more information.

 

Belle Meade Plantation - This may be my favorite place in Nashville.  A truly beautiful old home with a remarkable history.  It is well worth a tour to learn the history of the house and grounds.   I especially enjoyed the authentic furnishings and lovely old carriages in the carriage house.  However, the highlight of my entire visit was learning about this man, Bob Green.                                                                                                                               
For more information about Belle Meade Plantation and all who lived there, click here.    As a bonus, the tour includes a wine tasting from the Belle Meade Winery.  Read more about the winery here.

 

Loveless Cafe -  This cafe has been serving authentic and delicious southern food since 1951.  It is famous for their biscuits and peach jam.  It is well worth the short and scenic trip down Tennessee Highway 100.   More information here.        
                           
 

 

                                                                          The Civil War in Tennessee

                                           
Although this trip focused on the fun and frivolous (and the food), no visit to the southern United States is complete without acknowledging the somber subject of the American Civil War.  There are many historic sites in and around Nashville where battles were fought and many, many lives were lost. I visited the battleground of the 1864 Battle of Franklin and was struck by the solemnity and tragedy of the lives lost and families devastated.  It is haunting to walk the land and to enter the buildings and homes that still stand.  On my next visit, I plan to spend more time visiting these sites and to learn more about the history of Tennessee.  Here are some helpful links:

http://www.bonps.org/tour/tour.htm

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/franklin.html 

I have absolutely loved my time in Nashville and I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my stay. Thank you for joining me on my brief trip away from the Mud House! I am on my way back and I am looking forward to spending Christmas in our little adobe house with all those I love. 

My Favorite Day

One year ago today I was in Pasadena, CA, welcoming our first grandbaby, a boy.  He has brought such joy to all of us over this past year.  Watching my beautiful daughter become a loving and competent mother has been one of the finest experiences of my life.  I am also so grateful for our caring and involved son-in-law.  Our grandson is a very lucky little boy to have two such wonderful parents.  Our grandson just met Santa for the first time and he gave the whole experience some serious consideration.  I love the expression on his face and the body language!   We are so blessed this year to spend our second Christmas with this little guy.  It's funny how a baby brings magic back to Christmas. He is such a gift to all of us.  Happy Birthday to our sweet one-year-old grandbaby boy!    

Happy Holidays to all of you!