I promised a stock turorial some time back, and here it is, finally!

Stock is basically free nutrition. It uses the bones and skin and bits left over from meat, poultry, fish, even the shells from shrimp or crab, and the scraps from vegetables and herbs that would otherwise be tossed or put in the compost. I read in a nutrition book more than 20 years ago, so I have no reference for you, that the protein from stocks are more available to our bodies than even the protein directly in meat. This does not mean that there is more protein in stock than in a hunk of beef, but that the form it takes is more able to be used and processed by our bodies than that piece of meat. This illustrates to me one of the numerous ways that God takes care of the poor. A scrap of meat on the bone is not enough to make a meal or make one person feel full, but it can be turned into a pot of beans or soup or stock, and now it will feed many and will give them more accessible protein and nutrients than just the bit of meat could.

A lot of people want to make stock, but don't know how. This should not be intimidating or difficult, so I hope this helps you feel confident to make your own. It really is the simplest thing. You take those bones or shells or scraps and put in the vegetable scraps and a few peppercorns, some salt, maybe a bay leaf, bring it to a boil and simmer it for a few hours or just an hour (for seafood or vegetable stocks). Strain, put into containers for your freezer (being careful not to overfill, because they will expand in there a bit), and that's it. Now, I don't always have the time to make a pot of stock when I have the supplies for it. So, I freeze those scraps and pull them out when I have the time or when the freezer is getting too full.

This pile of tough onion ends and dill stems would have become chicken fodder and compost before. However, now I toss it into one of my stock bags in the freezer and use it at a time that is more convenient to me. I used to put the woody stems of rosemary, sage and thyme into the chicken bucket or compost bin, but now they go into the stock bag, too. Cilantro and parsley stems, tough bits of lemongrass and leeks, the ends of garlic I trim off because they are hard, the tips of carrots that I trim when cooking, the ends of celery, trimmings from lemons and limes, all of these things go in my stock bag (and more). Unless I have a very good reason for it, I don't differentiate between chicken, duck, goose, or turkey bones and trimmings for stock. They all go into one poultry stock bag. Likewise, beef and lamb bones and scraps. I even save the cartilage and skin that isn't crisp enough for us to want to eat it. Same goes for fish. The bones and skin and trimmings go in a bag in the freezer for making a quick fish stock later. The shells from shrimp and crab (we don't often have lobster, but have found that the smell is rather strong, and we don't save those - the shells get dried and ground up for calcium for our poultry). Pork bones don't generally get saved, though I do use the shanks and such to make beans and stews. I do save ham bones and the scraps on them to make beans and greens.

There are all sorts of recipes and guides on the right way to make stock. I just toss everything in a big pot, bones, herbs, vegetables, a bit of salt, a few whole peppercorns, and a bay leaf or two, bring it to a boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and let it go. That's it. I don't even skim most of the time. When it has cooked enough (a few hours or more for poultry and meat stocks, and 30 minutes to an hour for vegetable, fish, and shellfish stocks), I strain it, we give the bits in the strainer to our poultry (and pigs, if we have any), though Rich often fishes out the carrot bits to eat, and put the big bowl in the refrigerator to cool. The fat cap on top keeps it from turning for nearly a week. We usually get it into containers for the freezer before that, though. We use quart freezer bags, because they thaw more quickly and are more useful to us in that quantity. Sometimes, I will scrape the fat off and use it for cooking, other times it goes in with the stock to the freezer. Rarely do I absolutely need a clear stock. This does mean that my stock does not always have a uniform flavor, but that is fine for us. Since everything but the few peppercorns, salt, bay leaves, and water are scraps and leftovers, I can make a gallon and a half for basically a nickel or a dime. Even the best price of boxed stock at the store is about a dollar for a quart. We write the type of stock and the date it was made (not packaged) on the bags before we fill them, we put the bags in bowls, cups, or yogurt containers to keep them upright while we fill, and turn the tops down, so the edges don't get too messy. Seal them up and lay them flat in the freezer and we are set for a long time. Just this past week, I turned four gallon bags and one quart bag of vegetable bits into about two gallons of vegetable stock. Even putting the stock back in the freezer, it freed up quite a bit of freezer space for us, and we use it all the time.

If you don't have freezer space or wish to have it shelf stable, you will need to pressure can the meat and seafood stocks. I am not sure about vegetable stock, that may be able to be processed in a boiling water bath, but I am not positive about that. We have always simply frozen it. However, having some that is shelf stable, should the power go out is not a bad idea. I hope reading how I make stocks and work the job around what I have and when it is convenient to me helped you.

Previous Posts:
Make it at Home
Grocery Shopping
Waste Not, Want Not
Soup
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Use What You Have
Combining Trips
Storing Bulk Purchases
Turn It Off
Grow Your Own
Buying in Bulk
Gleaning
Entertainment on the Down Low
Finding Fun Locally
Holiday Shopping
Reconsidering Convenience
More Bang for Your Grocery Buck
Preserving the Harvest
Revisiting Kitchen Strategies
Extreme Frugality
Bargain Getaways
Cultivating or Curating Abundance
Making Your Own Snacks and Treats
How Weird Is Too Weird? Things We Don't Think of Eating
Fuel Costs
Quick Hint on Eggs
What's in Your Refrigerator (Revisited)

Labels: Family, Frugality, Homemaking, Tales from the Kitchen

We only have two more weeks of Lent to go. It has gone by more quickly than I anticipated. Properly, this Sunday is called Passion Sunday, as it marked the final week of Lent, with Holy Week being its own separate and distinct observance. Passion Sunday gave the general overview of the last days of Christ's life on earth, while with Palm Sunday, we enter into each day of that final week with Him quite specifically. Unfortunately, in the West, this has largely been relegated to a footnote to Palm Sunday, rather than its own observance. So, right on the heels of celebrating the Hosannas of Christ's triumphal entry, we slide right into the Good Friday narrative. This is a shame and robs parishioners of the real, walk of that final week of His life with Him during Holy week, from Palm Sunday, through His betrayal on Spy Wednesday, His Last Supper and the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist, His arrest and trial, His crucifixion, and His rest in the tomb, as He harrowed Hell to free those captive to death. We live through the events of that week each year. It seems to me that the modern church seems to think it is too much to ask of her people to take that walk with Him for one week each year. Passion Sunday marks the last week of Lent, as a summary of what Christ did to rescue us from sin and death, as we ready ourselves to walk each day of the way of sorrow with Him.

While we have no major saints' days this week, we have adopted the practice of commemorating Saint Lazarus (who lived for 30 years more after being raised by Jesus and became the first bishop of Cyprus - he had more work to do). So, even though it is a week earlier than the Eastern Church, we will make Lazarakia (little sweet, spiced breads shaped like a man wrapped in burial clothes) this weekend to remember him. We especially love how Jesus shows us that death is still our enemy with Lazarus. Even though He was about to raise him from the dead, He still wept at Lazarus' death. There was no nonsense about how he had gone to a better place or how he was somehow free of this mortal coil (which is gnostic heresy). He wept. This is because death is the enemy of all and Christ never wanted anyone to die. Raising Lazarus was His last major act before walking the Via Dolorosa of Holy Week, which is why Lazarus is remembered on the Saturday before Palm Sunday.

It's been a week of illness at our home, and while none of it has been absolutely unbearable, it has made the week more challenging. Please keep us all in your prayers, especially as the hard spiritual work (as well as the physical preparations for the Paschal feast) begin next week.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Vegan Cornmeal Waffles with Raspberry Syrup, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Fattet Badenjan, Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Fruit
• Monday
  Breakfast: Home Fries with Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetable Pasta Salad with Bay Shrimp, Garlic Toast, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Raisins, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Cauliflower Tikka Masala, Rice, Salad, Fruit
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Veggies, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Paella Primavera, Salad, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Wheateena with Maple Syrup and Coconut Milk, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetable Stir Fry with Edamame, Jasmine Rice, Pineapple Cups and Orange Slices
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: 15 Minute Peanut Butter Noodles with Vegetables and Shellfish Mix, Home Canned Pears
• Saturday - Lazarus Saturday
  Breakfast: Lazarakia to break the fast after Liturgy
  Dinner: Korean Seafood Pancakes, Kimchee, Jasmine Rice, Fruit Plate

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 a Saturday.

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

Many years ago, I shared a post about what I normally had on hand in my refrigerator. I have meant to update that for a while now, and also to add a list for my freezer and pantry. These are items I keep on hand to make quick meals, hors-d'oeuvres for unexpected guests, and to help adorn plain meals. It is part of how I curate abundance. Some of those things have changed and some have been added, so I thought I would give you an updated list, plus the long promised pantry and freezer lists. We go through mustard so quickly now that I don't keep those in the fridge. They don't go stale quickly enough and we use them more quickly than ever. Some of my kids will eat spoonfuls of it. During Lent, the dairy gets pushed aside, so I will give a Lenten alternate (not necessarily a direct parallel, just something that we have more often during Lent - honestly, we also keep some of these around outside of Lent) in parenthesis.

• 1. Milk (from pasture raised cows) (Almond Milk)
• 2. Homemade Yogurt (Poblano Cashew Cream)
• 3. Butter (Avocados)
• 4. Mayonnaise (Toum)
• 5. Garlic Ginger Paste
• 6. Chopped Ginger
• 7. Buttermilk (Harissa)
• 8. Heavy Cream (Coconut Cream)
• 9. Carrots
• 10. Romaine Lettuce
• 11. Celery
• 12. SAF Yeast
• 13. Lemons
• 14. Capers
• 15. Grade B Maple Syrup
• 16. Bacon Grease (Cooked Chickpeas in Aquafaba)
• 17. Homemade Chocolate Syrup
• 18. Sri Racha (Shatta)
• 19. Cheddar Cheese (Trader Joe's Vegan Cream "Cheese")
• 20. Parmesan Cheese (Alfalfa Sprouts)

Freezer:

• 1. Salad Shrimp
• 2. Mixed Cooked Shellfish
• 3. Raw Shrimp
• 4. Fish Fillets - Salmon, Cod, Tuna, Sablefish, Walleye, Rockfish
• 5. Beef Chuck Roast or Steak
• 6. Beef Shortribs or Oxtails
• 7. Ground Beef
• 8. Boneless Chicken (Thighs or Breast)
• 9. Bone in Chicken Pieces
• 10. Whole Chickens
• 11. Whole Turkeys
• 12. Whole Ducks
• 13. Pork Shoulder or Shoulder Cubes
• 14. Ground Pork/Country Sausage/Chorizo/Hot Italian Sausage
• 15. Bacon
• 16. Ham
• 17. Legs of Lamb
• 18. Ground Lamb
• 19. Lamb Shanks and/or Neckbones
• 20. Stock - Mammal (beef/lamb), Poultry (chicken/turkey/duck), Fish, Shellfish
• 21. Frozen Vegetables - Peas, Roasted Corn, Green Beans, Sliced Peppers (sweet and hot), Okra
• 22. Frozen Fruit - Sliced Peaches, Sliced Apples, Blackberries, Raspberries, Sliced Strawberries in Sugar, Rhubarb, etc.
• 23. Butter
• 24. Puff Pastry and Phyllo Dough
• 25. Bread

Pantry:

• 1. Mustards
• 2. Oils - Olive, Safflower, Sunflower, Sesame
• 3. Thai Red Curry Paste
• 4. Worcestershire Sauce
• 5. Tamari Sauce
• 6. Hot Sauce - Peri Peri, Yuzu, Chipotle, Among Others
• 7. Tahina
• 8. Sweeteners - Date Syrup, Honey, Molasses, Brown Sugar, Evaporated Cane Juice
• 9. Canned Vegetables - Artichoke Hearts, Hearts of Palm, Water Chestnuts, Roasted Peppers
• 10. Peanut Butter
• 11. Dried Fruit - Cherries, Pears, Figs, Sultanas, Apricots, Dates, Apples, Peaches, Cranberries
• 12. Seeds and Nuts - Sesame, Poppy, Almonds in various forms, Cashews, Walnuts, Pecans
• 13. Ketchup
• 14. Trader Joe's French Fried Jalapeño Slices
• 15. Panko
• 16. Rice - Basmati, Egyptian, Jasmine
• 17. Dried Beans - Chickpeas, Fava Beans, Black Beans, Pinto/Bolitas, Pinquitos, Hutterite Soup Beans, French Green Lentils, Split Peas
• 18. Canned Tomato Products - Paste, Diced, Crushed, Sauce, Whole, Purée
• 19. Loads of Vinegars - White Wine, Red Wine, Prosecco, Balsamic, Pomegranate, Apple Cider, Rice Wine, White
• 20. Olives of Many Sorts - Black, Kalamata, Spanish, Giant Green, Arabic Country Style, Oil Cured, Brined, Salted and Dried, etc.
• 21. Flours of Many Sorts
• 22. Pastas of Many Sorts
• 23. Homemade Jams and Jellies
• 24. Homemade Pickles of Various Sorts
• 25. Oats - Steel Cut, Rolled

Obviously, we keep many, many other things around, but these are things we basically always have. These lists don't count things like potatoes, onions, and garlic that we buy in huge quantities, either. There are some things I tuck away like extra bits of pie crust, or cheese rinds, or leftover chili, so we can put together a quick and tasty meal, but they are leftovers from other items. What do you keep around to cultivate abundance?

Previous Posts:
Make it at Home
Grocery Shopping
Waste Not, Want Not
Soup
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
Use What You Have
Combining Trips
Storing Bulk Purchases
Turn It Off
Grow Your Own
Buying in Bulk
Gleaning
Entertainment on the Down Low
Finding Fun Locally
Holiday Shopping
Reconsidering Convenience
More Bang for Your Grocery Buck
Preserving the Harvest
Revisiting Kitchen Strategies
Extreme Frugality
Bargain Getaways
Cultivating or Curating Abundance
Making Your Own Snacks and Treats
How Weird Is Too Weird? Things We Don't Think of Eating
Fuel Costs
Quick Hint on Eggs

Labels: Family, Fasting as a Family, Frugality, Homemaking, Keeping the Feast, Tales from the Kitchen

Yathrib is so close to being finished and ready to go to my tech editor. I'm really excited. This design has only half a seam to sew on each sleeve, and if someone wanted to wrangle a provisional cast on, that someone wouldn't even need to do that. The entirety of the jacket is knit in one piece, with stitches picked up and knit where necessary and (nearly, or possibly) no seaming. It is fairly straight forward, with the interesting reversible cabled cuffs and edging, and fantastic construction that allows you to bind off the bottom ribbed edge, but not cut the yarn and go straight into making the edging around the bands and neck. I love that. Likewise, I have a good chance of finishing Nabati (the colorwork mitts) by the end of this month, and that could mean that it will be ready for beta knitting next month. In fact, if I can have both ready for that, I will start Beta for Nabati and Yathrib after Bright Week. I'm trying not to even think about other projects besides these and the baptismal gown (which is still not completed). The two wubbies had to take some attention for a little while, but now I need to knuckle down and complete a few things.

Did you miss out on the sale? I have a special coupon for my blog readers, LastChance, which is valid through the end of the day PST March 29, 2023 on both PayHip and Ravelry for 20% off Rih.

Every now and then I am peeking into The Diary of a Country Priest for myself and The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew with the kids. I finished another happy, little murder, Death al Dente, which I enjoyed. It was not as easy to solve as some are, and the characters had a little more development than fast fiction normally affords. I've finished 13 books so far this year, and I am hoping to have at least one more by the end of this month.

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, MalMarch, WIP, Yarn Along

Laetare Jerusalem: et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae.

Be joyful, O Jerusalem: and come together all you that love her: rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation.

Laetare is milk-joy Sunday. It is the Mother's Day of the Church, remembering the Church as our Mother and the Blessed Mother herself, who is both the mother of God and of all believers. This week has a couple fish days in it for us, and is a little bright spot in the work and discipline of Lent. We have two major feasts this week, beginning with the Feast of Saint Joseph today, and ending on the Feast of the Annunciation on Saturday, which is also Elijah's birthday. So, he has all the Holy Family to remember and celebrate this week. Saint Joseph is one of Rich's favorite saints, and one of our family patrons (he also loves Saint Michael). We are blessed to be able to commemorate them this week, as we have a special devotion to the Holy Family in our family.

Even with those two fish days (and one last week!), we are in the fourth full week of Lent, and it is getting challenging. We have had a package of fake ground beef in our freezer that I got as a freebie at Safeway a little while ago, and we are going to use them and my faux cheese sauce, plus beans, peppers, salsa, olives, scallions, avocados and poblano cashew cream to make some faux nachos this week as a treat. The kids have been waiting for us to use it, and it will be quick and a fun meal before we get to Holy Week and the last push in the race.

We ended up having to cancel Evening Prayer at church because so many people were not feeling well, and just did Evening Prayer at home with the kids. However, since I had already started part of dinner for after the service, we had a ton of rice left, and I decided to use it in breakfast for tomorrow. Some of the sick folks are a couple of our kids, so please keep them in your prayers.

• Sunday - Laetare Sunday and the Feast of Saint Joseph
  Breakfast: Roasted Vegetable Pizzas, Fruit, Honey Cake, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Cumin-Crusted Sablefish, Roasted Vegetables, Rice, Tyropita, Salad, Fruit
• Monday
  Breakfast: Coconut Milk Rice Cereal with Brown Sugar, Cake Spices, and Mixed Dried Berries and Raisins, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Pinquito Bean Tacos, Rice, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Raisins, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Thai Pumpkin Soup, Salad with Sesame Citrus Dressing, Fruit
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Toasted Bagels with Faux Cream Cheese, Spanish Olives and Sliced Radishes, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegan Lentil Moussaka'a, Salad, Fruit
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Potato and Vegetable Hash Burritos with Salsa, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Faux Nachos, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Galayet Bandora, Kesra, Green Salad
• Saturday - Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  Breakfast: Ful, Toast, Sah'awiq, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Roasted Blue Hake with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers, Home Fried Potatoes and Peppers with Onions, Chocolate Orange Marmalade Cake

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 a Saturday.

Labels: Birthday, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Family, Fasting as a Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Laetare, Lent, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen

Here are two excellent recipes for using up green tomatoes leftover from the last of the summer harvest and a recipe for an excellent tomato salsa for when you still have ripe tomatoes. I've included a bonus recipe for a garlic ginger paste that is useful enough to keep in the fridge at all times. Most Asian recipes, Indian recipes, even Middle Eastern recipes use ginger and garlic together, and this saves you a step.

Simple Tomato Salsa for Canning

Most canned salsa recipes have basically no heat to them. I don't even know why they include any jalapeños at all. So, this one still preserves the ratios of the ingredients, but makes it so you can still taste some of the heat. It is still fairly mild to medium, this is not a super hot salsa, but it is remarkably fresh tasting salsa with a little heat to it.

7 quarts tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped
5 cups peeled and chopped onion
3 cups finely chopped jalapeño peppers
1 cup seeded, chopped anaheim or other mild green chile
10 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 1/2 cups lime juice
4 1/2 tablespoons fine salt (canning/pickling salt, non-iodized)
1 cup finely chopped cilantro

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except the cilantro and heat over medium-high heat, stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro at the end.

Fill hot, sterilized pint or quart jars, leaving a half inch of headspace, wipe rims and seal with lid and ring. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. This will yield around 10 pints plus a 1/2 pint or so, or 5 quarts plus a pint and 1/2 pint or so.

Green Tomato Dill Relish

I like this relish at least as much as dill pickle relish, maybe more, and it is wonderful to use those green tomatoes at the end of the season, rather than let them go to waste.

8 pounds green tomatoes, washed and dried, stems and hard cores removed, finely diced
4 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups of white wine vinegar
2 cups water
3/4 cup pickling salt
12 sprigs fresh dill + one for each jar
4 shallots, or one medium onion, peeled and finely diced
4 fresh chili peppers, cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons dried dill

In a large, heavy pot, combine vinegars, water, salt and fresh dill. Bring to a boil and cook for about half an hour at a high simmer. Remove dill sprigs.

Reduce heat, add tomatoes, shallots, peppers, dried dill, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off heat.

Fill hot, sterilized pint jars with a quarter inch headspace, add remaining fresh dill to each jar. Seal and place in fridge or process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Makes about 6 pints. Will keep for three months in the refrigerator or for years in the processed jars.

Green Tomato Chutney

I got this recipe from Aunty Leila and then modified the method to make it easier for me to do in my busy home and kitchen. Using this method also means that the tomatoes and apples keep some of their firmness instead of turning into a mush. This is delicious, and again, uses those green tomatoes at the end of the season and turns them into something lovely to have in your pantry or refrigerator (hmmm, it's time to update that list, and tackle the ones on my freezer and pantry) to dress up some cold ham, grilled chicken, roasted or grilled fish, pork chops, you name it. This is one way you can cultivate or curate abundance. You can drizzle a little of this over a brie, then wrap it in puff pastry for a lovely hors-d'ouevre on the fly. Honestly, this could be eaten from a spoon.

4 cups cider vinegar
2 cups of sultanas (golden raisins)
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 seeded, chopped lemons
1 1/2 cup dark honey (you could use all brown sugar)
2 cups brown sugar
2 heaping tablespoons of garlic ginger paste
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 tablespoon whole mustard seed
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt
12 cups green tomatoes, chopped
2 cooking apples, cored and chopped

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except for the chopped green tomatoes and apples, mixing well. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, to reduce the liquid and combine the flavors.

Add the chopped tomatoes and apples and simmer another 15 - 20 minutes, keeping an eye on it so nothing burns.

Ladle into sterile, hot, pint and/or half-pint canning jars, seal, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for half-pints, 15 minutes for pints. This will yield about 6 pints and 6 half-pints, plus some smaller jars, or about 10 pints. Any jars that aren't completely full can go into the refrigerator, and will last as long as you need them, if you don't eat them up first.

Garlic Ginger Paste

This is easiest to do in a food processor, but if you do not have one, you can grate the garlic and ginger into a jar and stir in the salt and oil.

1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
1/2 cup peeled and roughly chopped ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons safflower oil

Place garlic, ginger, and salt in a food processor. Grind until the mixture is finely chopped. Drizzle in the oil and process until smooth. Scrape into a jar and keep in the fridge indefinitely.

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

The Trapanese pesto pizza with shrimp and chard last week was a huge hit, and will definitely show up on the menu again. We leave out the cheese when we make the Trapanese pesto, so it will be Lenten, and increase the amount of the almonds, and it is so good! It was more like a flat bread than a pizza, but there was a local restaurant that made a similar (not exactly the same) flatbread and took it off its menu, so this was a great replacement, and actually better than theirs.

We are excited to have the feast of Saint Patrick this week. I had the opportunity to give a little talk about him to our homeschool co-op this week, which was awesome, as his life and confession are so inspiring to me. We will be having fish on Friday in his honor.

This morning, we told our kids that since we didn't have church this morning, we would have a family movie morning with muffins and maize (popcorn), because last night was a pretty late one, and with the evil D(emonic) S(atan's) T(ime) change, we didn't want everyone up even later. I think my prayer intentions today are for the end of DST.

• Sunday - Saint Gregory the Great
  Breakfast: Lenten Apple Butter Muffins with Sliced Almonds, Popcorn, Coffee and Tea
  Dinner: Mediterranean Braised Vegetables, Rice, Strawberries
• Monday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Chickpeas with Veggies, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Potato and Poblano Stew with Crisp Tortilla Strips (no cheese), Lenten Cornbread, Cabbage and Carrot Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing, Lenten Tropical Muffins
• Tuesday
  Breakfast: Vegetable Hash Burritos with Salsa, Sliced Oranges, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Curry Ramen Noodles with Vegetables, Marinated Cucumber and Onion Slices, Pineapple Cups
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats with Raisins, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetable Bean Chimichangas, Salsa Rice, Fruit Plate
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Potato Pancakes, Home Canned Peaches, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Slow Cooker North African Vegetable Tagine, Cous Cous, Home Canned Pears
• Friday - Saint Patrick
  Breakfast: Cream "Cheese" Toast, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Baked Middle Eastern Style Cod, Roasted Potatoes, Steam Sautéed Carrots and Peas with Garlic and Dill
• Saturday - Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
  Breakfast: Big Green Salad with Olive Vinaigrette to break the fast after Liturgy
  Dinner: Creamy Avocado Pasta with Cashews, Green Salad, Fruit Plate

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 a Saturday.

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

This first part is just a recap of our first experience with Misfits Markets. Part of that problem was not their fault (except that they chose to use FedEx instead of UPS). If you have been reading the blog from the beginning, you know how we feel about FedEx. FedEx delivered it to a neighbor's house, marked it as delivered at our door, and I had to go searching for it. The only reason we got our package that day (three and a half hours after it had been delivered, and was sitting on our neighbor's back step, with fish and shrimp in the package, starting to thaw) is because Rich has an inside connection with the local FedEx office through his work at the airport. I was given the option of going to get it from the neighbor myself, or waiting another five to seven hours, for the driver to finish his route and come retrieve it for me. With fish and shrimp in the box. Then, after I went to go get it, Misfits simply marked it delivered again, as though everything was just fine. I filed a complaint about the shipping issue and also asked for a refund on the shrimp, which had begun to thaw, and shipping costs. This was Thursday around 1:00 pm. The company is based in UT, which is only an hour ahead of us. I did not receive anything but an automated reply all of the rest of Thursday and all of Friday. They also did not preserve my skipping of the next shipment for the next week (because I was planning on ordering the following week), so if I had not checked and cancelled it again, I would have been charged automatically, and sent a shipment of their own selection. The shipping mistake was not their error, but how they have failed to respond most definitely is.

They did contact me on Tuesday (five days after the problem was reported, three business days later) with a refund of the purchase of the shrimp, and an offer to help correct some of the other issues. They did not offer to refund the shipping, even though the shipment wasn't delivered to our home, and would have sat at our neighbor's house for at least nine to eleven hours, had I not had Rich investigate, and then gone out myself to get the box. Again, the shipping problem was not their fault, but I was dismayed that it took three full business days, and five days total, to contact me at all.

We gave them another chance, expecting that at least the local FedEx would take more care to have it delivered, which they did. I did not order any seafood, though. This second package is the only one to arrive at our home, and with no problems.

We had yet another problem with Misfits Market on our third order. Our package was supposed to arrive last Thursday. We now track it carefully, especially after our first experience. FedEx showed it as arriving between 9:00 am and 1:10 pm. Then, they showed it arriving by 3:50 pm. Then, by the end of the day, and later by the end of the next day. Then they said there was a package exception and that it was returned to the local FedEx. Then they reported it as undeliverable. Yet again, Rich had to contact them directly, because we heard nothing from Misfits, after we contacted them. FedEx told him that the box was dripping, and they contacted Misfits, who told them to throw away the box. Notice that Misfits still hadn't contacted us. Two days after this, we received notice of a refund being made which did not include a refund of shipping, but still no actual contact from the customer service who, according to the auto-reply will answer in about 24 hours (it has taken more than 100 hours both times we had problems).

Out of three orders and shipments, only two actually made it to our home. Their customer service is abysmal, and I will no longer be using their service or recommending it to anyone. I was hoping people might have a recommendation for a similar company, who does not ship with FedEx, and knows something about customer service and communication (and reading for comprehension). After two out of three boxes had problems (both with delivery and product issues) and didn't actually ever arrive to our home, and both times we had problems, Rich had to use connections with the local FedEx office he has through work, with not a single word from Misfits, and Misfits taking more than four days to get back to us about the problem, they actually had the nerve to offer us a $10 credit to give them another shot. They still owe us money from the shipping on both of those boxes. I told them that we had already given them two more chances, and out of three orders, only one arrived at our home and had no problems. Besides that, independently of these issues, they have raised the minimum order from $35 to $55, which is often too much even for our large family (because I am looking for items that are priced better than we can get here and that we can use within two weeks before they start to deteriorate), while not exactly upgrading their customer service standards.

Their customer service response time is miserable and their solutions are worse. If this were my company, I would have replied within one business day, two if there was some great delay, and offered a new box, as close to the original order as possible, with free shipping, swallowing any higher costs in the order or refunding any lesser costs, if the customer were willing, and a complete refund, including shipping if the customer were not - especially on a second foul up of an order. Their lack of communication is execrable. They did not refund our shipping even when they did refund our box fee, and it took me pushing for that to get them to agree to that. They only offered me that measly $10 and a plea to give them another chance, along with a comment that I would lose my perks with them if I cancelled. Why would I want "perks" with a company that thinks 33% success good enough? Surely, we are not the only people who have had trouble with them. I do not understand how they are maintaining a company with such poor customer service, communication, and evidently, no pride in doing a job well.

Labels: Fed Ex, Homemaking, Misfits Market, Tales from the Kitchen

Yathrib is just about at the point in which I will have miles and miles of a cabled edging to work. The good news is that in the next month, we have a road trip that will allow me some pretty good knitting time for that. In the meantime, I have started up a pair of colorwork mitts for Malabrigo March and, incidentally, for the Incense Route Collection that is coming out in November. These colors are so pretty, and I really hope show my design as I want it to look. The inspiration for the design is some traditional pottery from the region, and I think it will end up pretty and interesting to make.

There was just too much going on in my life and with our family during the qualifying round of Sock Madness, so while I already learned a pretty cool technique that I think I will use on mitts or mittens one day, the sock had to go into the UFO pile, to be worked on another day.

This surprise gift is a surprise no more. I gave it to Amelia on Monday, when she and Autumn were over here, because Autumn was really under the weather, and needed help looking after Amelia. She needed some looking after herself, too. Poor Amelia was also not doing too hot, but all the antibodies in the milk must have been helping, because she was mostly fussy and stuffed up, but not too terribly sick.

Oh, I have finally gotten the photography done and edited for the second to last pattern in my Tradewinds Color Collection, and it should be published this week (tomorrow is the goal). If you are not already subscribing to my newsletter, may I suggest you look at the link at the bottom of this post and do it, you might find a neat surprise in your inbox tomorrow or Friday. Likewise, keep an eye on any of my sales platforms that you follow, for the latest pattern. This will be the last chance to get the whole collection at a discount, or you can just pick up the hood pattern by itself.

The kids and I finished both Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on their Toes. I finished loads of light reading. Everything else was either too heavy for my sleeplessness lately or was not to my liking. So, I drifted into some happy, little, murders, and just allowed myself to escape with some brain candy. It was actually hard finding some light fiction in which the main character is not divorced and on the make. I am not interested in that. We've started The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, because it was mentioned in _Cheaper by the Dozen_ and the kids wanted to hear it.

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, MalMarch, Sock Madness, Spring Sweater Stitchalong, WIP, Yarn Along

Saints Perpetua and Felicity are two of my favorite saints. They were a married noblewoman and her servant who were brought to be executed for their faith. Felicity was pregnant and delivered while in prison. The image of her bleeding, recently delivered body being set against wild beasts in the arena was too much even for the Romans, who were so used to this kind of violence as entertainment, and seeing them martyred in this way was the beginning of the end for this kind of execution in Rome.

We only had to change one item on last week's menu, so I have repeated it here this week. The olive and rosemary focaccia we made last week was such a hit that we are having it again this week. Rich had an event come up at work to which we were invited, and really needed to attend, so I shifted to an easier meal for the kids to put together, and he and I went. This week is an eventful week, both because Amira's birthday is this week and because some dear friends we haven't seen in years will be here. We are super excited for both.

So far Lent itself is going well. However, it has been a hard time for me, with some minor health issues that have left me pretty tired, and more cold and wind here. The ducks had a stay of execution because of the weather and wind, so they are still wandering the property. However, their time will come this weekend, unless the wind does a number on us again.

Unfortunately, we had another problem with Misfits Market. Out of three orders and shipments, only two actually made it to our home. Their customer service is abysmal, and I will no longer be using their service or recommending it to anyone. My full review of the company will be posted sometime this week, but I was hoping people might have a recommendation for a similar company, who does not ship with FedEx, and knows something about customer service and communication (and reading for comprehension). After two out of three boxes had problems (both with delivery and product issues) and didn't actually ever arrive to our home, and both times we had problems, Rich had to use connections with the local FedEx office he has through work, with not a single word from Misfits, and Misfits taking more than four days to get back to us about the problem, they actually had the nerve to offer us a $10 credit to give them another shot. They still owe us money from the shipping on both of those boxes. I told them that we had already given them two more chances, and out of three orders, only one arrived at our home and had no problems. Besides that, independently of these issues, they have raised the minimum order from $35 to $55, which is often too much for our family (because I am looking for items that are priced better than we can get here and that we can use within two weeks before they start to deteriorate), while not exactly upgrading their customer service standards. Because of this, we were short of quite a few ingredients that we had planned for our meals this week, and that necessitated extra trips to the grocery store. We had nothing for salads and no chard, and had to pick up lemons, among many other ingredients we were counting on for our family.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Vegan Cornmeal Waffles with Maple Syrup, Fruit Plate, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Trapanese Pesto Pizza with Shrimp and Chard, Salad, Fruit
• Monday
  Breakfast: Wheateena with Maple Syrup and Coconut Milk, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Olive and Rosemary Focaccia, Middle Eastern Greens, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Saints Perpetua and Felicity
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast with Blueberry Preserves, Tea and Honey
  Dinner: Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Soup with Cous Cous, Salad, Fruit
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Oatmeal with Spiced Canned Peaches and Brown Sugar, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Bucatini with Tomato and Olive Sauce, Fruit Plate
• Thursday - Saint Gregory of Nyssa
  Breakfast: Potato Pancakes, Home Canned Peaches, Tea and Coffee
  Dinner: Asian Style Chickpea Salad, Mandarin Oranges
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Fruit, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry, Jasmine Rice, Vegetable Pot Stickers, Lenten Chocolate Orange Cake
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Lenten Apple Butter Muffins with Sliced Almonds, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Falafel, Khoubz Araby, Harissa, Toum, Veggie and Olive Plate, 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 a Saturday.

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

These are ridiculously delicious and simple to make and Lenten, and easily adaptable. A friend shared a recipe for Lenten banana bread/muffins, and I experimented with it a little to see if it would work using other fruit in it as well, for a 1970s tiki lounge kind of vibe. Since Jerome cannot have bananas, I often use all pineapple in this, and skip the banana entirely. I do think it is a better taste with the banana, but it's easier to make one batch of one type of muffin, rather than two batches with different ingredients. This recipe makes a lot. I have smaller amounts listed next to the main numbers so you can scale down, if you like. They keep well and freeze well, though, so if you have the pans and the space, I'd make the big batch. The larger quantity makes about four dozen full sized muffins, the smaller quantity makes almost three dozen. I honestly don't know how many loaves of bread this will make, because we always make them into muffins.

6 (4) cups pastry flour
1 (2 teaspoons) tablespoon baking powder
1 (2 teaspoons) tablespoon baking soda
2 1/2 (1) teaspoons salt
1 1/2 (1) cup oil (we used safflower)
3 (2) cups sugar
3/4 (1/2) cup orange juice
4 1/2 (3) cups mashed banana and crushed pineapple in any combination, or all of one or the other
4 (3) teaspoons vanilla paste (or extract)
4 (3) teaspoons orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease muffins tins or loaf pans well and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a stand mixer, or another, larger, bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, orange juice, banana and crushed pinapple, vanilla paste and orange zest until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture until just blended.

Scoop by quarter cup measurements into standard muffin tins, or two tablespoon scoops for mini-muffins. Fill prepared loaf pans three quarters of the way full if you are using those. Bake 20 minutes for standard muffins, 15 minutes for mini-muffins, and 45 minutes for loaves, until the surfaces bounce back when you touch them. Allow to cool about 5 minutes in the pans on a rack, then turn out to cool the rest of the way on the rack.

Labels: Fasting as a Family, Homemaking, Recipes, Tales from the Kitchen