In your mercy, please pray for me. The tooth extraction went a little sideways and we only took one tooth (that part is alright), but that decision was made after wrenching on the other for nearly 40 minutes. I have been in more and more pain since Wednesday, getting rather bad Friday and this weekend. Rich met with the dentist yesterday to get me a stronger pain medication prescription and an anti-biotic, if it looks like there is an infection. Please pray that the pain lessens and that there is no infection or damage to the yanked on tooth, especially below the gum. What I can eat has been severely limited, and even chewing on crustless bread was hurting a little. The stronger pain medication helped me eat more solid food that was still on the soft side.

After many mixes and many experiments with gluten-free pancake recipes, I finally just used the peanut butter pancake recipe I normally use with Jerome's flour, egg substitute and almond milk, and they were the best pancakes he's had since being on this diet. When he can have egg back completely, in a month and a half or so, it will improve them even further. Since he can't have our Michaelmas dragon, I may just give him some of the filling to eat on some gluten-free biscuits. The girls' ballet schedule makes it easy to have our bonfire this year, so we will be able to enjoy that.

Jerome's name day is this week, as well, and I think I've found an appropriate treat that he can enjoy with the rest of us. In the interim, I am resting as much as I can and trying to heal. We are still doing as much food preservation as possible, so we don't let the late summer harvest go to waste.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Pancakes (Gluten-free and Vegan Peanut Butter Pancakes* for Jerome) with Raspberry Syrup, Bacon, Milk and Coffee, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: One Pot Chicken, Vegetables and Rice with Parmesan Cheese on the Side, Grapes
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs (Scrambled Chickpeas for Jerome), Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Chicken Fajita Bowls with Peppers, Garlic and Onions, "Mexican" Rice Pilaf, Refried Beans, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Yogurt with Jam (Grain-free Granola with Almonds, Dried Fruit, and Coconut Milk for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Homemade Hamburger Helper (made with GF flour and broth instead of milk), Mashed Potatoes, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday - Feast of Saint Michael and All Archangels
  Breakfast: Waffles (Gluten-free and vegan for Jerome) with Blackberry Syrup, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Red Pepper and Garlic Sludge* with Pasta (Gluten-free pasta for Jerome), Michaelmas Dragon with Pear and Blackberry Filling (Dragon "Egg" made of GF, Vegan Biscuit for Jerome)
• Thursday - Feast of Saint Jerome
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Pears and Cinnamon Sugar (Grain-free Granola with Almond Milk for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: White Wine and Garlic Steamed Clams, Crudités and Charcuterie, Lion Fruit Salads
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Honey on Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Caponata with Pasta (Gluten-free for Jerome), Grated Parmesan Cheese (Shredded Faux Mozzarella for Jerome), Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Toast with Cream Cheese (Gluten-free with Dairy-free Cheese for Jerome), Sliced Peaches, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Mongolian Beef and Peppers, Jasmine Rice, Pears

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world -- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. -- Revelation 12:7-9

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who roam through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in praelio. Contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur. Tuque princeps militiae caelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Michaelmas, Prayer Requests, Shelftember, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

Battatas ou Bayd

This is not the prettiest dish, but it sure is delicious. It's a quick and hot breakfast, perfect for cold fall and winter mornings. In the Arab world, it seems like recipes are either very literally named (as this one, which simply means potatoes and eggs), or they have fanciful stories attached to them (like baba ghanooj, which is named for a spoiled papa).  I've given this recipe per person, and you can adjust up for as many people as you are serving. We normally do ten times this amount.

sunflower oil (or another light oil)
1 large potato, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon sumac
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
salt, to taste
1 large egg

Heat an appropriately sized skillet over medium-high heat until the pan feels hot for at least 30 seconds when your hand is held a few inches over it. Add a generous amount of oil (enough for the potatoes as well as the egg), then the potatoes. Increase the heat to high and allow to sit and cook until they brown a little on the bottom.

Flip the potatoes and allow to brown again. Do this another time or two, until all sides are crisp and brown. Add the spices and salt and toss to mix well.

Crack egg and add to the pan with the potatoes. Immediately reduce the heat to medium and mix up the egg with the potatoes and spices.  Serve hot with fruit, bread, and whatever you like.

 

Salatat Zeitoun (Green Olive Salad)

This is a salad and relish all in one. In the Middle East, pickles and relishes like this are eaten with just about every meal. Even foods like hummus and baba ghanooj are considered salads like this that can be eaten with the meal. This is a bright and tangy dish that is delicious with rich foods. Some people like to make a large batch of this to store long term. If you plan to do that, you may wish to reserve the fresh lemon peel to add at the time of serving to preserve their freshness. This is not necessary if you use preserved lemons.

2 cups diced bell pepper (cut into 1/2 inch squares)
2 cups pitted, brined green olives, finely chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 medium lemon, seeded and roughly chopped (you can also use a preserved lemon)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt + more to prep the vegetables
2 tablespoons shatta* (hot pepper paste), optional, but not really
olive oil to cover

Place peppers in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and place the colander in a bowl. Leave in the fridge overnight. (This is to reduce the water content of the peppers. This will preserve the salad much longer).

Mix the olives, pepper, lemon peel, walnuts and shatta. If you prefer a finer texture, pulse all of these in your food processor. Place the mixture in jars and add enough olive oil to cover and fully submerge the mixture. Close with lids and store in the fridge.

Shatta

1 pound red chili peppers
2 tablespoons salt
juice of 1 large lemon, strained (about 3 tablespoons)
good olive oil

Wash peppers and dry them them. Leave them in the sun for 3 to 4 days or put in a food dryer for a couple hours. You want to dehydrate them a bit.

Remove stems and grind peppers in a meat grinder, food processor, or using a mortar and pestle.

Add 1 tablespoon salt and mix well with pepper paste, then place in a fine strainer in the refrigerator. The next day add another 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt, mix well and return to the fridge to strain for 2 to 4 days. Most of the liquid should be removed to help preserve the shatta longer.

Place strained paste in an airtight jar. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Top with olive oil and seal with the lid. This stores in the fridge just about forever.

Labels: Frugality, Homemaking, Preserving the Harvest, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

Tarboosh is finally published! It is available in my PayHip store, Ravelry store, and will be available in my LoveCrafts store within 24 hours.  You can see that it matches Kabsa, and I have a great deal for you if you purchase both right now. With the coupon code TarbooshIntro in both my PayHip and Ravelry stores, you can receive Tarboosh for 50% off with the purchase of Kabsa in the same cart. In fact, if you have already purchased Kabsa, that purchase will still count for Tarboosh. You will have to do it a little differently on PayHip if you made a previous purchase, and e-mail me your receipt for that one (or the name your account is in so I can look it up for you), and I will send you a coupon code for Tarboosh at 50% off specifically. This coupon is valid through the end of the day PDT, September 30, 2021.

I have a new design on needles, and I am hoping to have it ready for tech editing and beta knitting by the end of October. It is a project I had almost finished for years, but I was unhappy with it, so I started over, and it is much better. This will be a woman's garment, and it will be graded from 29 inches at least up to 54 inches in bust circumference. I am trying to figure out the math to figure out the armscye for larger sizes, so I can perhaps have it graded to 58 inches.

We are finished with Anne of Windy Poplars and started Anne's House of Dreams. I'm not as far into Desert Queen as I hoped, but am making progress. I've had too many sleepy nights. Another blogger shared The Lost Words and I had our library send it to us. As soon as Rich finished reading it, he said he thought we should own in, so I think I will get on that. It is a beautiful book, illustrated in watercolors, with lovely poetic verse about several of the 400 words which the Oxford English Dictionary (mostly regarding nature) thought should be excised from the new edition almost ten years ago. My thoughts on that are that if people and kids are more familiar with technology, then it is precisely the nature words we should keep for them to find in the dictionary, as they already know what blog and download and cut-and-paste mean. They didn't ask me for my thoughts, though.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday.

If you would like to receive updates and early notice of new patterns, beta knitting opportunities, and great discounts (plus pictures of new yarns, new tools, fun places, neat hints, book ideas, recipes and more) each month, please subscribe to 1,001 Knits. My best, and sometimes my only, discounts go to my subscribers.

Labels: Books, Design, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Knitting, Tales from the Kitchen, WIP, Yarn Along

We are basically entering winter here. It has been actually cold in the mornings, and we are set to have a morning at or below freezing Wednesday. We are so grateful for God's provision, and are spenging quite a lot of time on drying, canning, and freezing so we can enjoy this bounty all winter.

Even planning on using leftover ingredients and putting a leftover day on the weekly menu, we still ended up having leftovers again for dinner on Saturday. Aside from Alexander no longer eating with us each night, Dominic was housesitting this weekend, so we had a lot extra from several meals over the week. Since we were busy with the preservation all day on Saturday, I just had everyone eat leftovers for dinner again. I have a little urgency in getting the preserving done, because I don't think I will be up to it after my wisdom teeth are out Tuesday (at Tooth Hurty). While the kids will be able to help with most meals, I do most of the heavy lifting on the canning, so that part needs to be done before Tuesday afternoon. They can handle the freezing and drying, though.

The Orthodox service was canceled this past week, and they are trying to hold it this Saturday. I'm hoping I will be feeling well enough to go. If not, the family can go and I can stay at home and rest. Our co-op began this past week, and I will have to be there for that this week because this is the only week my co-teacher is going to be gone, so I may be using up my energy on that. We shall see. We are still only doing a little school work, but will begin the serious work next week.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Pancakes (Gluten-free and Vegan for Jerome) with Raspberry Syrup, Bacon, Milk and Coffee, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore with Egg Noodles (Rice Noodles for Jerome), Green Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Toasted Pecans, Salt and Pepper Sliced Tomatoes, Grapes
• Monday
  Breakfast: Battatas ou Bayd* (No Eggs for Jerome), Fried Ham, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Bell Pepper Mahshi, Rice, Duqqus, Tourshi Makhloot, Fried Tomatoes, Green Salad, Peach Blueberry Cake (Lemon Sorbet for Jerome)
• Tuesday - Feast of Saint Matthew the Apostle
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Honey Peanut Butter, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Arabic Beef and Vegetable Soup (no cilantro and with green chickpeas), Rice, Duqqus, Applesauce
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Polenta with Maple Syrup, Sliced Peaches, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Potato and Poblano Stew (leaving out the coriander and cilantro, and with no cheese), Fried Tortilla Strips, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash with Bacon, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Leftovers, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Honey on Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Caponata with Pasta (Gluten-free for Jerome), Marinated Cucumbers, Peppers and Onions, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Pears and Cinnamon Sugar (Grain-free Granola with Strawberry Coconut Milk Yogurt for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers, Fruit

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Shelftember, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

Tourshi Makhloot

Tourshi makhloot just means mixed pickles. So, this recipe is very customizeable. I grew up eating this, and we like to eat it. Since we had bits and bobs of various vegetables to use, I decided to make it for us. However, I think there are things that must be in it, things that should be in it and things that may be.

There must be: Carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, onion, sweet peppers.

There should be: Celery, hot peppers, salt packed or brined olives, and turnips.

There may be: Beets, cabbage, or green beans.

You need to wash all the vegetables, but you must peel carrots, onions, turnips, and beets. Ideally, your onions will be little pearl onions, but we don't often have them, so I use slices about 1/4" thick.

If you like, you may include turmeric in the brine. Don't do this if you are adding beets to the mix. The color will be awful. Turmeric is not essential, and I usually leave it out, but it is traditional in many quarters. If you use beets, do not use turmeric; if you use turmeric, do not use beets. Neither are essential, though. However, if you do not have celery to add to the mix, you can add some celery seed instead, as I describe below. Normally, I would have included coriander seeds, but since Jerome can't have that right now, I left it out of this batch. This recipe makes about four quarts of mixed pickles. Any extra vegetables can be put in a jar on the counter with the brine and an appropriate amount of the spices and herbs in it; cover it with the lid and turn the mix around for a week or so, then put in the refrigerator to eat right away. Any extra brine can be kept in the fridge and used for other pickles or added to salad dressing.

6 pounds of mixed vegetables, scrubbed, peeled if necessary, chopped into similar sized pieces, leaving small hot peppers whole
1/2 cup pickling salt
about 2 trays of ice cubes or equivalent
Brine:
6 cups white vinegar
3 cups water
1 tablespoon turmeric (optional)

For each jar:
3 cloves garlic, peeled (12 total)
2 heads fresh dill (8 total)
1 dry, hot chile (4 total)
1 teaspoon peppercorns (4 total)
1 teaspoon mustard seed (4 total)
1 teaspoon celery seed, if you don't have celery, if you do, exclude this (4 total)
1 teaspoon coriander seed (4 total)

Layer chopped vegetables in a large bowl and toss with the pickling salt. Cover with the ice and let sit at room temperature for about 4 hours.

In a large pot, bring vinegar, water, and turmeric (if using), to a boil. Keep hot at a low boil.

Drain vegetables well (do not rinse, you need the salt). Place the garlic, spices and herbs into the hot, sterilized jars. Pack salted vegetables into hot quart jars. Ladle hot brine over the vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Using a thin knife, or skewer, poke down through the jars to release air bubbles. Wipe rims and cover with new lids. Screw on rings to finger tightness, not too tightly, just enough to keep the lids on before they are sealed.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Cool upright, remove rings and check seals, and store without the rings. They will be ready to eat in about 2 weeks.

Labels: Frugality, Homemaking, Preserving the Harvest, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

We were talking about how so many Americans really don't seem to know what to do with an eggplant. Our kids are excited when they see eggplant, but I know that most people either are perplexed or repulsed by them here. I think Americans tend not to cook them enough. There can be crispness to them from frying or roasting, but there should never be crunch on the inside. They should be soft and silky, otherwise, they will be too astringent. Anyway, I thought I'd give you some ideas on what to do, all in one place.

We had about eight eggplant left in our fridge (after using about eight or nine already) because of our gleaning club last week, so I took the time to make caponata, as it freezes so well and can be made into so many meals. I use it as a pasta sauce on abstinent days, it can be a side dish with grilled or fried sausages, I add it to lasagne, you can brown up ground beef or Italian sausage and add it to it for a meat sauce. We froze two gallons of it. The other thing I made was Baba Ghanooj. Rich was really wanting some, and even though Jerome can't enjoy it right now, I made it. Between the two of those, we made short work of those eggplant. Here is how I made the caponata:

Caponata

6 medium sized eggplant, cubed
6 zucchini or summer squash, sliced
3 large sweet peppers, cut into chunks
6 tablespoons capers, drained
3 dozen kalamata or green olives, pitted
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 28-ounce cans chopped tomato (or equivalent amount fresh tomatoes, chopped, with all their juices collected and saved)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
6 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 red onions, finely chopped
12 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
chopped parsley, to garnish

Lightly season eggplant cubes with salt, set aside.

In a large pan heat olive oil then pan fry eggplant cubes until they are turn golden on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add additional olive oil to the pan, then sauté onion, peppers and celery. Add summer squash and brown slightly.

Add the garlic, and cook a minute or two. Add oregano, basil, red wine vinegar, capers, olives and chopped tomato. Bring to a boil, then add fried eggplant and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper then garnish with chopped parsley.

There are so many ways you can make eggplant, though. I like to just shallow fry slices, crisply, and eat them salted. You can get fancy and fry them in garlic oil with chile peppers, too. I like to make a green curry with shrimp or chicken and eggplant. Also, I roast eggplant, peppers, onions, summer squash, seasoned with salt and pepper, garlic and oregano, and toss them with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and top flat breads or pizza dough with it and bake. Here is a list of my recipes and other recipes that I love which feature eggplant:

• Eggplant Gyros
• Tomato and Eggplant Sauce So, somehow, I ended up sharing this recipe on the blog twice. It really is that good, but this is the better written version.
• Mediterranean Braised Vegetables
• Eggplant and Chickpea Curry
• Melanzane al Forno
• Slow Cooker Ratatouille (plus summer squash)
• Zaalouk It has a typo, you should cut the eggplant in 3/4” slices. I add a couple teaspoons of minced ginger with the onions and garlic. You can substitute parsley for the cilantro if you like.
• Maghmoor
• Chickpea Salad with Za'atar Fried Eggplant
• Caramelized Onion and Eggplant Pastry Tart
• Eggplant "Meatballs" I put far more parsley and basil in it than they recommend, just because we have it and I like fresh herbs, and I don’t put Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, just plain. We make our own sauce with canned, diced tomatoes, and canned tomato sauce, sautéing the garlic first, then adding the tomatoes and tomato sauce, stirring in a spoonful of pesto I've made before (I freeze it in ice cube trays and then bag them up for later use), dried oregano, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil and parsley at the end.
• Thai Ginger Chicken
• White Bean and Eggplant Gratin I double everything, use cannelini beans instead of navy, increase the eggplant from two large (for a doubled recipe) to five small, I use one can (instead of two, because of all the liquid) of crushed tomatoes and I use panko instead of regular bread crumbs, but mix them with a little olive oil before putting on top.
• Eggplant Tomato Gratin with Mint, Feta and Kalamata Olives

Labels: Frugality, Homemaking, Preserving the Harvest, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

Glory to God who provides so abundantly for us! Not only are we blessed with our gleaning club and our local Grocery Outlet, but our Fred Meyer rewards showed up this week, and we were able to buy some pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, and basil for $0.50 a pound or a bunch (for the basil). We have been preserving up a storm! We are still below our Shelftember monthly budget, but we will be squeaking by if we make it this month. Last year we were over by only a little, and I was hoping to break even or be under this year.

I'm finding that even with just Alexander gone, we are building up quite a backlog of leftovers in the fridge. On Thursday last week, I wouldn't let anyone eat anything new until just about all the leftovers in the fridge were eaten. That was for both lunch and dinner! So, now I am trying to build in a leftovers day on Thursday, since that seems to be one of our busier days, until I get used to making just a little less. It makes my heart ache a little. I did alright not crying until after Alexander left Monday night. Nejat was sitting at the dining room table and just started to bawl. I held her and told her it was alright, that he still lived nearby, still loved her, and we would still see him, and that there was no reason to cry, all while tears started. I miss waiting for him to come in the door from work and miss saying goodnight to him. I don't want to spoil the fun and adventure of having his own place and freedom, so I'm telling you instead of him. He is doing well, and lives among several elderly folks who will soon find out that he is a big, friendly teddy bear, and will probably have him helping around their places soon enough. He is a light of Christ in a dark world, and among his neighbors, but I miss seeing him every day.

Anyway, it looks like this week is Mexican week at our house. Or at least Mexican style. I didn't quite plan on that, except that those meals worked out the best for our schedules this week. Next week is going to be much more about soft foods and soups because I get TWO wisdom teeth out and I think I will not want things that require lots of chewing or are too crunchy.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Egg and Croissant Sandwiches with Cheese and Tomato (Ham, Mushroom and Tomato Sandwich on GF Bread for Jerome), Grapes, Milk and Coffee, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef Machacas, Quick and Dirty Mexican Rice, Mixed Greens with Cumin Lime Dressing, Diced Cantaloupe
• Monday - Feast of Saint Cyprian of Carthage
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Vegetables (Scrambled Chickpeas for Jerome), Brioche Bagels (Gluten-free Bread for Jerome), Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lengua Tacos with Ranchero Black Beans, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Feasts of the Elevation of the Holy Cross and Saint John Chrysostom
  Breakfast: Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowls with Honey Peanut Butter, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftover Taco Meat and Ranchero Black Beans with Arepas, Green Salad, Fruit Plate
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Apples and Cinnamon Sugar (Grain-free Granola with Strawberry Coconut Milk Yogurt for Jerome), Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Vegan Dan Dan Rice Noodles, Salad with Citrus Dressing, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash, Fried Ham, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Leftovers, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Peach Butter on Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Grilled Tuna, Đuveč Rice, Croatian Cucumber Salad
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Potatoes and Eggs (No Eggs for Jerome), Bacon, Fruit, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Leftovers, Fruit

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Menu Plans, Shelftember, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

We did loads of preserving this week. Between our gleaning club and a homeschool family selling their garden produce at $0.50 a pound, we are overflowing with good things. I made and froze a few gallons of caponata, made a few basil, garlic and olive oil cubes to freeze, canned peaches, made peach jelly and butter, crabapple jelly, some peach and raspberry preserves, dried apple slices and tomatoes, and made loads of dill pickles and bread and butter pickles. The dills cost us under a dollar per quart, which is a dollar cheaper than even at the Grocery Outlet and larger by eight ounces, and the bread and butters cost under a dollar per pint, which is about $0.50 cheaper than the Grocery Outlet for an equivalent amount, only made how I like them. We go through pickles quickly, so we will still have to buy them this winter, but we will spend less on them now. If I keep getting cucumbers from this family, I will also be able to put up more.

Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

This is how we like pickles. The grape leaf helps keep them crisp, so I strongly recommend them, but you can leave them out if you don't want or have them. I usually have Rich or one of the kids packing the hot jars while I prep the lids and rings and the brine. This quanity of brine will make about 4 quarts of pickles. Any extra brine can be kept in the fridge and used for other pickles or added to salad dressing.

Brine:
4 cups white vinegar
4 cups water
1/4 cup pickling salt

6 pounds small pickling cucumbers, washed
4 young grape leaves (optional)
8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 - 8 dried red peppers
4 fresh dill heads or 4 tablespoons dill seeds
4 teaspoons peppercorns

Put all brine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Keep hot at a low boil.

Trim very thin slice off both ends of cucumbers. Pack one grape leaf, 2 cloves garlic, 1 - 2 red peppers, 1 dill head or 1 tablespoon dill seeds, 1 teaspoon peppercorns in the bottom of each hot quart jar. Pack about 1 1/2 pounds cucumbers into each jar, tightly.

Fill with boiling brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Leave to seal on their own (I trust them with this much vinegar and salt, and it keeps them crisper, but you may not want to do that) or use boiling water bath for 5 - 10 minutes. They will be ready to eat in about 6 weeks.

Half Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles

I didn't grow up with these, so when I saw how syrupy the normal recipes were for them, I wasn't keen on that. I add lots of onions and a bit of spice, and reduce the sugar by quite a lot. That is more like bread and butter for me. I use the larger pickling cucumbers, that aren't quite as good whole, for these, but are perfect cut into slices. This recipe yields about 10 - 12 pints. Any extra vegetables can be put in a jar on the counter with the brine; cover it with the lid and turn the mix around for a week or so, then put in the refrigerator to eat right away. Any extra brine can be kept in the fridge and used for other pickles or added to salad dressing.

5 pounds pickling cucumbers, washed, ends trimmed, and cut into 1/4" slices
3 pounds onions, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
3/4 cup pickling salt
about 2 trays of ice cubes or equivalent
1/4 cup whole mustard seeds
1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes
1 tablespoon celery seeds

Brine:
6 cups apple cider vinegar
5 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon turmeric

Layer sliced cucumbers and onions in a large bowl and toss with the pickling salt. Cover with the ice and let sit at room temperature for about 4 hours.

In a large pot, bring vinegar, water, sugar and turmeric to a boil. Keep hot at a low boil.

Drain vegetables well (do not rinse, you need the salt) and toss with the mustard seeds, hot pepper flakes and celery seeds. Pack spiced vegetables into hot pint jars. Ladle hot brine over the vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Using a thin knife, or skewer, poke down through the jars to release air bubbles. Wipe rims and cover with new lids. Screw on rings to finger tightness, not too tightly, just enough to keep the lids on before they are sealed.

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Cool upright, remove rings and check seals, and store without the rings. They will be ready to eat in about 3 weeks.

Labels: Frugality, Homemaking, Preserving the Harvest, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen

It is September, and I am doing Shelftember again. My cooking style is very different than the woman who organizes this, and I include all our household supplies and animal supplies in my grocery budget, but I do like to try to eat as much from our freezers and pantries, and save money at the beginning of all school and co-op and dance and all of that. Plus, we have to buy both snow tires and regular tires for my van. This will give us more cushion for that, too.

Since we belong to that wonderful gleaning club I mention here so often, though, we are still flush with produce. Also, I have a pretty big Fred Meyer reward rebate that we will be using in a couple weeks, which I don't count against our lowered budget. Normally, we spend about $1600 a month on our groceries, including toiletries, paper products, cleaning products, and animal feed/supplies. This month, I have reduced that to $550 and we are eating out of what we have here. With the way prices have gone up, though, I think it will be a little harder to do this year even than it was last year. When I went to the grocery store for my bi-weekly trip, many prices that have been stable for a long time had gone up significantly. Thank God for our gleaning group and friends at the Grocery Outlet.

We have had a few changes this past week. One of those is that the local Orthodox Mission has set up Divine Liturgy twice a month, and the first was yesterday. We were able to join them, and will be going every other week. Rich will still be leading the Anglican Evening Prayer service Sunday nights, so I think we will just be alternating which weekends we go to either the Catholic or Orthodox Church in the morning. It has been the biggest challenge since we have come here not to have a home parish. We love each of these churches, but we miss our own. However, it is beautiful and our boys, especially, love the Orthodox liturgy, and they are so glad to be going. It has been good for our youngest girls, as well. They see the icons and ask about them, and they "read" the history of our faith in them. That has been wonderful. We are always trying to see the great blessings God has given us here in our desert place.

It has been downright cold in the mornings here. I'm trying not to complain, but instead be grateful for our warm house and bed, but it is hard. Also hard is that Alexander finally moved out on his own this weekend. It is time and we are happy for him, but it is hard, too. I imagine, he will find some things harder than he expects, also, because while he won't have to work around nine other people or do dishes for nine other people, he also doesn't have those nine other people doing all the things they do for him here. He's still in town and working here, too, so we will see him; he goes to church with us, and he already plans to be here for some dinners and such, but he is the first to leave the nest.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Blackberry Pancakes (Gluten and dairy-free for Jerome) with Maple Syrup, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Borschty, Egg Noodles (Gluten-free pasta for Jerome), Sour Cream (Cashew Cream for Jerome), Green Salad, Sliced Peacock Melon
• Monday
  Breakfast: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy (Gluten and dairy free for Jerome), Cantaloupe, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Grilled Kofta, Turkish Ezme Salad, Fried Tomatoes, Quick Pilaf, Sliced Watermelon
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Vanilla Yogurt with and Diced Peaches (Strawberry Coconut Milk Yogurt for Jerome), Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Lubia Polo with Beef, Persian Salad, Sliced Watermelon
• Wednesday - Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Blueberry Peach Jam on Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Loaded Vegetable Nachos with Salsa and Cheese (Vegan-alternative for Jerome), Sliced Watermelon
• Thursday - Feast of the Parents of the Theotokos, Joachim and Anna
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Peppers, Onions and Corn Chips (Dairy-free Sausage Gravy and Gluten-free Toast for Jerome), Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Leftovers, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Ful, Moroccan Olives, Chopped Tomatoes and Onions, Toast (gluten-free for Jerome), Nectarines, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Quesadillas (Faux Cheese for Jerome), Sliced Peppers, Salsa, Fruit Plate
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Yogurt (Dairy-free for Jerome) and Toast (Gluten-free for Jerome), Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Shared Meal after Vespers

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Labels: Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Menu Plans, Shelftember, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

One of my goals for this year's designs was to create more adult garment patterns. Initially, I was hoping I could make two new ones and re-grade another that was initially made for infants and small children, but I think if I can make just this one and do the re-grading of the other, existing, pattern, I will be more than satisfied. This sweater should be quick, once I really get started, but I don't know if I can have the other ready before the end of the year.

This color is so lovely, and I just cannot capture it with my photography skills. It would likely be easier in outdoor lighting, so I will try that next. I wish you could see how pretty it is. When I swatch for a design, I don't bother to try for a particular gauge, but rather for a fabric with texture and drape that I like. This time, I started on size 6 needles, and finally settled on size 4 needles.

Besides the swatching for a new sweater, you can see that I am still working on the baby blanket and just started a little baby hat for some friends of ours who are due in February. I still have the final mitten of Basbousa to make, and hope to make both a hood and a hat before the end of the year. It's the time of year that I want to cast everything on at once. What are you working on now?

We are still reading through Anne of Windy Poplars, and the kids are enjoying the fun humor of it. I have only read a little in Desert Queen, but still think I can finish it this month. In the times that I cannot handle deeper thinking, I have another happy, little murder to occupy me. It is fun, but I am not sure I will read any more in the series.

Linking to Unraveled Wednesday.

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Labels: Books, Design, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Knitting, Tales from the Kitchen, WIP, Yarn Along